Hat tip to Open Left

Democrats advantage in partisan ID hit 10 points in April '08, according to Rassmussen. This is up from just over 2 points in December, and 1.6 in November 2004. The numbers are corroborated by recent Pew polling as well.

Image hotlinked from Open Left's; hopefully it'll stay there.

Throughout this contentious primary season one thing kept coming back to me: No matter what happened, once the field narrowed to two the Democrats were embarking on an historic path.

Whether we ultimately nominate an African-American or a woman, we have empowered both groups in a way that is unprecedented. Clearly either candidate could have won the nomination, and clearly either one can win the general.

We, as a party, have opened up the dreams of some 65% of the American population to whom the presidency had heretofore seemed unobtainable. The other party would never have done the same, and has instead selected an old white man from a slate of old white men. And for that, I am deeply proud to call myself a Democrat.

All this talk of "Offer her the VP position" (I would bet money against this happening) or "Offer her SCOTUS" (seems better odds) or "Offer her Senate Majority leader" (not Obama's to offer, and probably within reach for Clinton anyway) misses the point to me.

First of all, Clinton and her advisors know full well that her odds of securing the nomination are minuscule at best. They're soldiering bravely onward not to gain the shot at POTUS, but to gain political leverage. Nothing wrong with that; anyone would do the same.

So what is it they want?

Running unopposed, John McCain has garnered 78% of the Indiana vote, and only 74% of the North Carolina vote. Between the two states, 210,000 republicans made their way to the polls to vote against the all but certain Republican nominee.

McCain's all over the news today for his appearance in New Orleans, where he criticized the Bush administration's handling of the Katrina disaster.

Well, it's criticism that is well deserved, but it illustrates the corner into which McCain has painted himself.

I've been a lurker on mydd for years, reading the front page articles and always appreciating the balance and insight I found here.

Then, the other day, for whatever reason I dove into the whole diary/comments thing. And my opinion of the site, and the Democratic electorate as a whole, has gone down dramatically.

There has been buzz claiming that the Rezko "scandal" will be Obama's undoing.

For those who don't know, Obama purchased a house for $1.65M, which was, in his words, "a stretch." The home was half of a property that was being subdivided with the stipulation that both halves close on the same day; however Obama was financially unable to purchase the adjoining property. He had told his friends the Rezkos about his interest in the home; Rita Rezko purchased the additional (vacant) property for $625,000. Obama purchased some (a 10' strip) of this land from Rezko for $104,500; Rezko then sold the property for a net profit of $40,000.

The implication is that Rezko was doing Obama a favor in return for political favoritism. First of all, there is little evidence of this (the fact that Rezko made a $40,000 profit on the land deal hurts the bribery charge considerably). But more to the point, it is being asserted by Clinton supporters that this transaction will be a political drag on the Obama campaign in the generals, and thus we ought to all demand that he drop out, or something. This is simply untrue.

Let's get the obvious questions out of the way; I am an Obama voter; I believe Obama will almost certainly win the nomination; I will be happy when the primary race is over.

But...

Let's leave the vitriol for John McCain. While I decided that Obama was the better candidate for me, should Clinton win the nomination I believe that she will make a fine candidate in the general, and a fine president. In some ways better than Obama.

If Obama wins the primary fight, he will make a fine candidate and president as well. In some ways better than Clinton.