Letters to the Editor
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What If?
Great summary of the what ifs, Mr. Shapiro. All of the above? None of the above? I actually like the idea of the nomination continuing to be a cliffhanger, despite the tension, because of the excitement it would generate and how it would totally sandbag Mad John McCain and leave him sputtering on the sidelines (and having to basically draft two plans of attack). The only worry would be the intra-party fallout of such a protracted primary, what that would mean for the Democratic Party, exactly.
The least-satisfying is the superdelegate mumbo-jumbo, given that this whole system was conjured up as a way of derailing insurgent candidacies and restoring and protecting establishment party privileges, largely to the detriment of the Democratic Party's vitality over the years, judging from the performance of the Dems since 1980, at least in presidential contests. Shellshocked by the lackluster Carter Presidency, it seems like the Democrats overreacted and alienated themselves from their base with the superdelegate system, the ultimate emergency brake on candidacies that threaten to upset the status quo.
Trouble is, the status quo isn't good enough, anymore, and the superdelegates might end up shooting the Dems in the foot with their decision, if it comes to them.