The Dems have provided themselves a real challenge. How to continue in a primary and not lose the presidency. So much has been written on the subject that I feel that I have little to add, except some obvious observations that I have heard rather little or nothing about.
1st: You can bet that the Dem rules will be changing for the next primary. Trying to empower nearly everyone that serves or helps out significantly in the party has worked in the elections following 1968's disaster. It was not because it was a smart decision, but because the cards fell right for those running. '92 could have been a disaster also, but Perot's running and the earlier convention that year would have allowed for a closer race and for Bill to have still won the general election.
Having said all that it still seems rather likely that, barring some really nasty fighting, the Dems largely, will rally around the nominee. That is more likely to be Obama than Hillary. Around 50% of McCain's supporters stated that they would not support Bush in 2000 and they came around when the choice was the dreaded Gore.
2. McCain has this going for him, though. Hillary and McCain are not that far apart in the eyes of many Dems. Particularly, the "God, guns and anti-immigration group that Obama appeared to disparage in Frisco (of all places). This should worry many of the super-delegates (trust me, it does).
It is going to continue to be very interesting, in the most interesting presidential campaign in recent history.
