Is the battle for the Democratic nomination over? William Safire’s column today postulates a brokered convention in Boston. Safire has this intriguing scenario coming to pass because of March 2 and the “coastal divide” in which New York goes for Kerry and California for Dean.
The Democratic power brokers gather in “a smoke-free room.” “No more the boaring convention with dreary speeches, oleaginous biodocumentaries and unspontaneous demonstrations.” As Dean delegates threaten to bolt from the party: “The chair has lost control of the floor and delegates are snaking through the aisles, shouting, ‘We want Hillary!’ All deals are off; we have the politicians’ nightmare and the pundits’ dream–an open convention.”
Hillary certainly sounded like a candidate when she was most recently on Tim Russert’s show. Lots of people say she’s hot to trot. But I believe that she’d be wise to wait to 2008–four years isn’t quite long enough to forget the stench from the latter days of her husband’s administation. Eight years, alas, might be.
By the way, The Other Charlotte, my co-chairperson of the Committee to Save Howard Dean, has pretty much thrown in the towel. As for me, I’m merely stepping down because I want to spend more time with my family (cat).