In 1992, James Carville was one of the people arguably most responsible for Bill Clinton's election to the presidency. He has remained loyal to the Clinton family ever since, and has been an advisor to Hillary Clinton during this campaign, as well as a dogged surrogate on her behalf. But a campaign strategist with his record can surely read the writing on the wall -- recently, he was even willing to concede that he sees the approach of what most observers now consider inevitable.

Speaking at Furman University in South Carolina, Carville said he believes Clinton should stay in the race for the moment. But he admitted, "I'm for Senator Clinton, but I think the great likelihood is that Obama will be the nominee," adding, "As soon as I determine when that is, I'll send him a check."

According to the State, a local newspaper, Carville also said he thinks a continuation of the race will help sort out the various factions within the Democratic Party, and that the months between the final primary in June and the party convention in August will be crucial for bringing Democrats back together.