ORIGINAL ITEM:

In Indianapolis tonight, my NEWSWEEK colleague Suzanne Smalley spoke to a Clinton strategist, who asked to remain anonymous when spinning discussing strategy. Here’s what he had to say:

“The [new emphasis on] 2,209 [delegates being needed to secure the nomination] means Florida and Michigan are a real part of this thing. You can’t ignore the millions of voters there …Whatever happens today this thing remains extremely close and there are hundreds of superdelegates who haven’t made a decision yet and superdelegates who haven’t even been selected yet. There are eight contests left [he’s including tonight’s contests]. He’s had eight to 10 weeks without a victory…She’s ahead in a new [national] Gallup poll…It seems there’s a tremendous groundswell of support [for her].”

If Clinton chooses to continue–tomorrow she reportedly sounds out undecided superdelegates, then flies to West Virginia, South Dakota and Oregon on Thursday–expect to hear each and every item on this list as a reason why.

By the way, Suzanne’s strategist refused to say that he’d tell Clinton to drop out if she loses both Indiana and North Carolina–or to speculate on what it would take for her to withdraw.

As we said earlier, it may be May 31–when the DNC Rules Committee weighs in on Florida and Michigan–or bust. At least for the time being.

UPDATE, 1:12 a.m.: Clinton wins Indiana by two percent (51-49), or about 22,000 votes. Judging by the media’s reaction, though–Options Dwindling for Clinton–that won’t help her win the battle over narrative.

UPDATE, May 7: Commenter PhillyPaul asks, “if the roles were reversed, and you were writing about Senator Barack Obama’s campaign staff, would you type “spinning”, then obviously cross it out for mocking effect, only to type “discussing” next to it? I think, not.” In response, may I direct your attention to my item from last night called “Obama’s Math.” It happens to be about Senator Barack Obama’s campaign staff:

As soon as it became obvious here at the Obama celebration in Raleigh that today’s primaries had ended in a split decision–a crushing 15-point win for Obama in N.C., a narrower, perhaps four-point victory for Clinton in Indiana–Obama communications director Robert Gibbs and chief strategist David Axelrod gathered a small group of reporters on a terrace overlooking the parking lot and did what they did best: spin.

Spin. It’s what these people are paid to do. And I’m paid to be skeptical.