Party like it’s 1968, 1972, 1980 or 1984

Those of course, being years when Democratic also-ran candidates “took it to the Convention” and as conventional (as it were!) wisdom holds, cost their party the Presidency in each of those years. And so it seems, it’s the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting today in Washington, amidst protests organized by Team Clinton (and supplemented by Team McCain), in deciding the fate of the Florida and Michigan delegations, that will help determine whether Sen. Obama joins Humphrey, McGovern, Carter and Mondale as Dems done in by spoil-sport fellow Dems, or whether some actual resolution is possible here.
The Unseen Editor reminds me of the prime directive: Never Bet Against a Clinton. Some of her supporters have, once again, threatened to “take the fight to the Convention.” I cannot discount this possibility: Hillary would much prefer to see John McCain win this year over Barack Obama, and if she believes that “taking it to the Convention” maximizes she and Bill’s chance of taking That-which-is-rightfully-theirs(TM) in ’12, then that’s not what might happen, that’s what will happen.
To his credit, Obama is building a humongous grass-roots movement entirely loyal to him (he knows the God damned party is utterly worthless, as amply demonstrated by the fact that nearly 200 superdelegates with the power to end this right now are sitting on their asses eating popcorn, giving the Clintons the time they need to screw the party again).
Will Obama’s efforts it be enough to overcome the Fifth Column from Arkansas Georgetown Chappaqua? Time will tell, and Obama has been nothing short of masterful thus far. In the meantime, political junkies will enjoy today’s show regardless. [It does seem unlikely that Sen. Obama will be at the class reunion dinner tonight, though.]