Clinton campaign's new strategy ... vote for Chelsea in 2016

The souvenir vendors outside Hillary Clinton's campaign appearances have added a new badge to their wares that reads "Chelsea in 2016" with a picture of the former first daughter.

Attention, whether from badge sellers or the national media, is leaving the fading presidential candidacy of Senator Hillary Clinton behind as the former front-runner faces what most see as impossible odds to win the Democratic nomination.

Now in the spotlight is her rival, fellow Senator Barack Obama, who has solidified his lead among Democrats and is setting his sights on Republican candidate John McCain in the November election.

While Mr Obama and Mr McCain spar - the two clashed this week over whether the United States should talk to leaders of hostile nations - Mrs Clinton's struggle to collect votes in Florida that were cast months ago but invalidated feels like a sideshow.

Mr Obama's milestone victory in Oregon on Tuesday that gave him a majority of pledged delegates to the Democratic nominating convention graced front pages of U.S. newspapers.

Mrs Clinton's simultaneous victory in Kentucky, which did little to close her gap with Mr Obama, was a much smaller story.

"The shrinking candidacy of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton all but vanished from the television set," wrote The New York Times. - dm