If Dean really were serious about uniting the party, he would call for the superdelegates to make a decision by May 1 at the latest.

I guess Dean doesn't want to alienate the eight states yet to vote. In which case he should just keep his mouth shut. Having a July 1 deadline doesn't solve the mess the Dems are in now.

Another way of thinking about it: we're roughly 2 1/2 months into the primary season and Dean's proposal for a decision to be made would put the outcome another 2 1/2 months away. We've had 42 states vote so far, and only 8 more to go.

I would rather not have this increasingly bitter fight go on for the same amount of time we've already been through when there are only a handful of states, one candidate is ahead (and barring a miracle Hillary won't overtake Obama) and at this point it's clear that the Dem. Party can only continue to go downhill from here.

The first piece- learning about the candidates- has been going on since the beginning of 2007. Perhaps not all candidates had declared their candidacy at that time, but nonetheless, the process started at that time, a full year before the actual voting began.

The second piece, choosing which candidate to advance to the general election, has passed it's time of being useful. The Dems have narrowed the field from eight to two and those two are locked in a bitter fight. One (Obama) has been ahead of the other (Hillary) for most of this primary season, once the actual voting began and voters finally got a chance at the ballot box.

The Republicans' races in the primary season were interesting (and fun). Republicans were split on the candidates (one day one candidate was favored, the next day someone else was favored). They finally ended up with McCain. McCain may not be the first choice among the religious right of the Republican base, but the religious conservatives don't make up the majority of the Republican party.

The Democrats had a long time to consider their candidates and the weaker candidates have been winnowed from the race.

Given that the voters have narrowed the Dem field down to two strong candidates and that there are only eight states yet to vote, which won't push Hillary ahead (unless she does better than she's done so far), and given further that this race is only bitterly dividing the Dems, and not serving any useful purpose (for the Dems), I think it's time for the Dems to rally around one candidate.

I think both the Dems and the Repubs had good races and now is the time to move forward. Otherwise the Dems will continue to engage in internecine warfare. War always comes at a cost.

You are totally right .

When I first saw news of Dean's so-called “ultimatum” here at TMV I actually thought it was one of Joe's occasional comic jabs!

But no. Usually the two party nominees would be taking a breather now and retooling for the Conventions. Instead it is going to be daily wackiness…HRC and Obama bloggers going at it daily….

Runasim said: ” lock-step march to victory, something that stifles indidividuality and moderation IMO”

Well, you gotta look hard to find moderation in the HRC-Obama saga.

I don't have a dog in this race, but personally I am tired of the daily “scandals” and mock “outrage” about this and that.

I wonder when is the point of no return reached…when the damage becomes fatal to the Democrats? The arrogance of the Democrats have led them to ignore this to date, and assume they could elect a “yellow dog” in the fall.

The last time things went on so long for the Democrats was Kennedy-Carter in 1980. And that was in a less mediated and intense age. But we all know how that one ended for the Democrats.

After criticizing the R's for theri lock-step march to victory, something that stifles indidividuality and moderation IMO, do I now switch cars in mid race and join the winning-is-all parade?

What irks me, though, is that she was portrayed as such long before she ever opened her mouth for the first time. Her back was pushed against the ropes the minute she dared to approach the ring.
There is something horribly unfair about how she has been assessed. One day she is too soft, the next she is too hard. And so one. There is nothing that she did and said that wasn't followed by nasty interpretations.

That being said, we can't relive yesterday..
Today, she is not in a good place. If her only defense is to become more aggressive, then that will, indeedl hurt Democrats.

Democracy is a very messy business. Participants are not always make sensible. decisons.
Bad decsisions are often backed by the public, not only candidates.

Unbelievable. Suddenly, a year that the GOP saw as a nightmare…is becoming a GOP wet-dream!

McCain's first ad is out today defining his American hero creds. He is now on a fundraising tour.

Meanwhile, 3 more months of: Wright videos; HRC memories under fire; more Michelle Obama foot-in-mouth expressions of her strong feelings for America; Obama getting hit with the bathtub and shower stall along with the kitchen sink….

All we need now is Bill Clinton caught on tape with some big haired hussy to make the primary season complete.

Oh yeah, and some talk about issues…whatever they are….

Why is neither talking about the appointment of Supreme Court Justices, for example?

I suspect that enough voters are recognizing this, to push Obama into a larger lead in polls.