Tonight - Sen. Hillary Clinton will address the Democratic National Committee. Senator Clinton will seek to convince her ardent primary supporters to fall in line behind presumptive nominee Barack Obama. After an emotional first night of speeches by ailing Senate veteran Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama, wife of the Democratic candidate, Tuesday’s focus will be on attempting to “unify” the party, end the Hillary “faction” discord, and convince Democrats that they will march forward into the nomination process as a unified party.

I’ll believe it when I see it.

After coming so close in the protracted battle for the Democratic nomination, emotions are still raw for Hillary supporters, who are still disappointed that she did not win and that she is not on the ticket as the vice presidential candidate. After the choice of Sen. Joe Biden as the Vice Presidential running mate, the final hope of many Hillary supporters was dashed just days before the convention, and is considered by many in her camp the final insult that she was not even seriously considered.

The results may be already showing up in the polling: Barack Obama has received no bounce in voter support out of his selection of Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate, according to Gallup Poll. Something that may be a first time event for modern polling.

According to the Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Aug. 23-25, the first three-day period falling entirely after Obama’s Saturday morning vice presidential announcement, shows 46% of national registered voters backing John McCain and 44% supporting Obama, not appreciably different from the previous week’s standing for both candidates. This is the first time since Obama clinched the nomination in early June that McCain has held any kind of advantage over Obama in Gallup Poll Daily tracking.

More alarming (for the Obama camp) was the new USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that only half of Clinton’s primary supporters say they “definitely” will vote for Obama. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll put the number at 52 percent. More alarmingly for Obama is the 30 percent of those polled who claim they will vote for McCain, someone else or just stay home.

Obama’s choice of Biden may in fact cost him the election if he is unable to convince Hillary supporters that there is a place for them in the “New” democratic party. This will be difficult when DNC leaders, like Rep. Nancy Pelosi, look at the Clinton legacy and say things like it is time to “begin anew.” (Something I find hilarious when last night was essentially “Old home week,” with the likes of Dukakis, Carter, Kennedy, Kerry, Gore, and McGovern on the floor and commenting on the news.)

Moreover, in the DC market, almost every other commercial was the one being run by John McCain pitching directly to Hillary supporters, saying, “It’s okay to support McCain,” with the implied message of “we got screwed - so support McCain, Hillary does!”

Whether she does or not privately - it’s pretty clear to me - her heart, and those of her supporters, just aren’t in it at this convention.

It would be an ironic twist of fate if a Republican victory is in fact owed to the woman whom up until her demise, Republicans were monolithically unified against - Hillary Clinton.

… so Hillary - this is for you… we Republicans thank you:

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