On last night's episode of WTTW's Chicago Tonight, former state treasurer and GOP gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka delivered a special "commentary" urging Hillary Clinton to take the nomination fight to the convention. During the segment, she waxed reminiscent about the "smoke-filled rooms" in the conventions of yesteryear, which she asserted were somehow more "democratic" than the current system:

"Why not the take the issue of the nomination to the convention, where such things used to be decided, before the political parties allegedly democratized the system? The result? A more onerous, tedious, long, and expensive marathon. Those smoke-filled rooms which used to get nominees into play at conventions. The brokering. The delegations going back and forth until the job got done. Now that was a real convention of real delegates -- not just a royal annointment of a candidacy.

Yes, you read that right. She likened the Democratic nomination to a "royal annointment."

An unprecedented number of voters nationwide participated in the primary contest this year. They chose Barack Obama. It may have been "tedious," but there was nothing remotely "royal" about it.

Topinka tops it all off by suggesting that the Democratic Party is choosing an African-American candidate out of political expediency:

"Barack Obama will probably be the nominee because with the question of race versus gender -- race trumps. And it doesn't hurt that he's male to boot in what has been a most mysognist campaign. The Democrats and the Republicans as well feel that the little ladies will always be there no matter what. And for the Dems, it's mandatory to keep their African-American base strong and predictable and stable. Obama must prevail or the Democrats lose for sure. Remember, the little ladies will always be there, so I guess it's okay to pass them by."

Watch the whole thing here.