[spokeshave]

The good news is that the VRWC will go throught fire & walk on broken glass to get out the vote against her!

I guess the war chest of Dubbya/GOP going into the elections will double to $350M if shrillary throws her pointy hat in the ring.

Should guarentee a fairly big "coat-tail" effect for the GOP

[MrNatural]

This situation has potential thorns in it for the Clintons. Sharp ones. If Dean continues gathering support into the real primary season next year, and scores early victories, and keeps winning primaries, and emerges as the real choice of his party, that is too late for Hilary! to get in. And consider: If Dean is nominated, he becomes the nominal head of his party. And he does not like Terry McCauliff and is critical of the Clinton's centrist strategies in general. If Dean wins, Terry is history, and the Clintons are looking at losing control of the Democratic party.

If Hilary! is going to get in, she has to get in at the start of the primary season. She has to win primaries; she has to go to the convention with delegates to retain any power. But does she dare? Does she dare campaign publicly in uncontrolled settings? Does she dare to participate in the inevitable debates? Or, equally, does she dare to run a remote control, New-York-senate-race campaign, avoiding any contact with real voters? Her opponents could then level devastating and very possibly decisive criticism at her for 'ducking the voters'.

She must decide, because if Dean (or another) goes to the convention with a majority of the primary delegates, the nomination is his and the Clintons are bystanders with no way to get in. They must be sweating bullets.