In addressing a crowd of his supporters in St. Paul, Minn., the Illinois senator commended his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., on her efforts, although she hardly returned the favor in her speech to a crowd of cheering New Yorkers on Tuesday night.

It was an inevitable fate. Although Clinton has yet to admit defeat, she is expected to concede Saturday in an attempt to unite the Democratic Party. She has said, if presented with the opportunity, she would accept an offer to be Obama’s vice president.

Although it is unfortunate that a decision wasn’t reached until Tuesday, just five months before the presidential election, it’s nice to see these primaries finally come to a close.

Now, it’s time for Obama to switch gears and focus on the most important issue at hand — the Democratic Party. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, looks to have the upper hand right now. McCain has had time to earn the Republican votes whereas Obama now has to fight to gain the support of the die-hard Clinton fans.

It’s been agreed that the best way for Obama to gain Clinton’s supporters might be to ask her to stand as his running mate in the race to the White House.

But since they’ve been butting heads for so long, people question whether an Obama and Clinton partnership is possible. They both have such dominate personalities and it’s kind of hard to picture Clinton taking a backseat to Obama when she won’t even muster up the words to concede. She could have made Obama’s decision and her possible transition to vice president a lot smoother if she would have urged her supporters to jump on the Obama bandwagon.

To those in denial, admit it: An Obama and Clinton ticket is a great idea. It’s probably the best way to unite the Democratic Party; and even though some people might not agree, Clinton would make a great vice president. She has a strong head on her shoulders, she’s aggressive and has practically experienced what it’s like to be the president.

Some are rooting for Obama to choose former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., as his vice president and ideally they would make a great team because of their similar views; but, overall, an Obama and Clinton collaboration would appeal to a wider demographic. The fact that Clinton and Obama have parallel views but different ways of approaching situations might lead to their developing a whole new way of resolving issues.

One thing is for sure — it’s time for a change and if the Democrats want to see that change come about, they’re going to have to figure out how to come to a consensus — and fast. A dynamic duo just might do the trick.