Hillary could conceivably pull it off if the party were as disorganized as pundits assume. However, the party leadership is pretty good this year -- and they will not let this fight turn in to a total train wreck.

Dean is a closet Obama supporter -- not necessarily on the merits or loyalty -- but because he knows Clinton will have to take the fight to the convention in order to win. Michigan & Florida are part of his plan.

• Dean's number one goal is to prevent the fight from going to the convention. No way Democrats could get united in eight weeks after a bloodbath. (He has set a June deadline for the superdelegates to decide.)
• His number two goal is to enforce the rules of the party to avoid future scoff-laws.
• His number three goal, as it has always been, is to forge a compromise on Michigan and Florida. Make 'em happy.

Use your head. Just as with Pelosi (whose behind the scene work for Obama through her best friend and early Obama supporter Congressman George Miller) Dean knows realistically that he must meet all three goals to avoid a total disaster. His problem is that the three goals seem contradictory.

But there is a way to meet al three goals. Get the superdelegates to commit to Obama sooner than later and promise to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates.

The Michigan and Florida debacle can only be solved when the margin for Obama (with superdelegates, including Clinton supporters who switch) is great enough to absorb even the most ludicrous pro-Clinton advantage in those states. Only then will Clinton drop out (barring an unlikely big defeat in Indiana.)

And it will happen because Dean, Gore, Pelosi (and possibly even Edwards) will make it happen. Part of the deal is to put Evan Bayh on the ticket (although Jim Webb or Mark Warner would make more sense.)

You heard it here first.

Dean is out of the closet on Obama, only the most seriously politically blind could not see that Pelosi and Dean are clearly, if not openly, rigging things for Obama.

I made a whole other post on Michigan and Florida, but I have to call bullshit on your opinion that resolving the Michigan and Florida mess is a goal for Dean. Rather, I see his goal as to specifically *not* resolve the issue, the the waters don't get any more muddier for his chosen candidate.

The only 'compromise' Dean will accept on Florida and Michigan is one that keeps the status quo of Obama as front runner. Anything that changes that status will not be allowed by the party leadership, no matter what else happens.

I agree with John Adkisson that resolving Michigan and Florida is one of Howard Dean's goals, behind resolving the primary season by the end of June and enforcing the DNC rules. He is obviously as serious as a heart attack about enforcing the rules.

What you miss is that he will not resolve Michigan and Florida without ensuring that the first two issues are taken care of. I expect some sort of compromise in the two states - after Hillary Clinton has dropped out of the race.

That's funny that someone would use the word "rigging" for someone who was led for months. I use to thik not but it seems that Clinton would only be happy if the Democratic Party broke in two..Now I am convinced seeing the kind of comments which may come from her supporters when Obama takes the only liley postion there has been for months.

I’m not sure where you’ve been, but the Democrats haven’t had competent leadership in a very long time. I’d say at least since the days of Truman.

The current train wreck that is the current Democratic bloodbath (to use your word) is a direct result of their weak and ineffectual leadership. You have 2 clueless and wholly unqualified candidates slugging it out while the sole viable candidate (McCain) has a chance to prepare for and get the jump on whoever eventually wins for the Dems.

Do you honestly believe that Dean (doesn’t know how abortion works or what his party’s position is on what constitutes marriage), Gore (a new world order activist with no loyalty to the united states), and Pelosi (2nd biggest airhead after Boxer in Washington) can get it together? If you do then you have more faith in them than I do.

Dean, Gore, Pelosi (and possibly even Edwards) will sit back and watch the disaster like the rest of us and then will take turns pointing fingers in order to place blame.

Cassandra

Evan Bayh?...no please...bot that he is bad, Ive read about some of his stances on different issues...I like them.

But Jim Webb would be a better pick....hands down.

Interesting perspective BTW.

@ bananaboat:

John McCain is inexplicably running on a platform that amounts to Bush's third term. Bush is now the most unpopular president in modern history. If McCain were running in a vacuum he might have a chance, but he has the Bush albatross tied around his neck. McCain doesn't stand a chance.

Obama 08!

Dean has no power. The real power brokers of the Democratic party posted him there to keep him from causing trouble.

Show me all the math you want, but I'll believe that Obama is going to win the nomination when I see it with my own two eyes. Hillary has the support of the media and the plutocratic elite. It just makes no sense to me that she won't be the next POTUS.

Well, there are those pesky superdelegates between Hillary Clinton and the nomination. And lately they have been showing a stubborn streak of independence.

On Tuesday Barack Obama will win the race for pledged delegates. If the superdelegates keep sitting on the fence, then we'll know that the fix is in.

Obama 08!

ekwhite wrote the following post at 05/03/2008 4:56 PM:

I agree with John Adkisson that resolving Michigan and Florida is one of Howard Dean's goals, behind resolving the primary season by the end of June and enforcing the DNC rules. He is obviously as serious as a heart attack about enforcing the rules.

What you miss is that he will not resolve Michigan and Florida without ensuring that the first two issues are taken care of. I expect some sort of compromise in the two states - after Hillary Clinton has dropped out of the race.

What does any "compromise" matter *after* Clinton drops out? How is that even a compromise? The race is over, one candidate is left, how is that then a compromise?

sandy77477 wrote the following post at 05/03/2008 6:22 PM: That's funny that someone would use the word "rigging" for someone who was led for months. I use to thik not but it seems that Clinton would only be happy if the Democratic Party broke in two..Now I am convinced seeing the kind of comments which may come from her supporters when Obama takes the only liley postion there has been for months.

I'm not a Clinton supporter. I'm a life long, 25+ year registered Democrat that plans on voting for McCain.

pwoxby wrote the following post at 05/03/2008 8:25 PM:

@ bananaboat:

John McCain is inexplicably running on a platform that amounts to Bush's third term. Bush is now the most unpopular president in modern history. If McCain were running in a vacuum he might have a chance, but he has the Bush albatross tied around his neck. McCain doesn't stand a chance.

Obama 08!

Do you even bother to read any news outside of the Obama campaigns press releases?

bananaboat wrote the following post at 05/03/2008 7:46 PM:

I’m not sure where you’ve been, but the Democrats haven’t had competent leadership in a very long time. I’d say at least since the days of Truman.

I agree with the DNC leadership point, the reason we're in this mess with Florida and Michigan in the first place is the party leaderships utter failure to stop it from happening in the first place.

But if you think McCain is the only viable candidate in this race, then you're about as blindly partisan as the dude that signs all his crap with Obama '08, heh

If the Democratic candidates suck so bad, why is McCain barely polling with them?

No, all three current candidates left are viable, and are in fact three of the best candidates we've had in at least the last three elections.

The good thing about this extended primary nomination for the Democrats is that it has prevented them from becoming complacent or reactionary to Republican attacks.

Hillary's problem is not that people are plotting against her, it is that her ambitions are blinding her. They both played by the rules (put an * next to MI) and the outcome is clear now. LEAVE THE RACE!

Since when do we entertain people's ambitions for the presidency just because they want it really really really bad? Their policies are practically the same!

America needs the democrats in power. America needs the president to be focused on domestic issues for the next 4-8 yrs. The world will still be there for military adventures after we get the government working for the citizens.

@ opus512:

"Do you even bother to read any news outside of the Obama campaigns press releases?"

Does The Daily Show count?

Obama 08!