Dean Sets The Deadline

As the Democratic primary season is set to head into another month, the top of the food chain at the DNC wants to see this mess wrapped up no later than July 1st. Howard Dean has made himself clear that this race must end once the voting is over and not let it go until the late August convention. McCain is free to bash either candidate and the stronger Democrat in this race still has to deal with an opponent that doesn't want to give up a dream that has long since faded in the majority of the party's eyes. It has to stop, and Dean is determined to make it so in three months time.

From The Guardian:

In an interview with The Associated Press, Dean also said he hopes the Democratic nominee will be determined shortly after the voting ends in June and that he will encourage the superdelegates who will play a role to make up their minds before the August convention in Denver.

Dean said the charges and countercharges between Clinton and Obama have gotten too personal at times. He declined to say how they have crossed the line, but he said he's made it clear privately when it has happened.

``You do not want to demoralize the base of the Democratic Party by having the Democrats attack each other,'' he said Thursday during the interview in his office at Democratic National Committee headquarters. ``Let the media and the Republicans and the talking heads on cable television attack and carry on, fulminate at the mouth. The supporters should keep their mouths shut about this stuff on both sides because that is harmful to the potential victory of a Democrat.''

Superdelegates - the nearly 800 party and elected officials who can support whomever they choose at the convention, regardless of what happens in the primaries - should make up their minds before August to avoid a fight at the convention, Dean said.

``There is no point in waiting,'' he said. The Democratic political organization ``is as good or better as the Republicans', and we haven't been able to say that for about 30 years. But that all doesn't make any difference if people are really disenchanted or demoralized by a convention that's really ugly and nasty.''

Ugly and nasty is inevitable this year, but we expect it from the Republicans, not from within the party. Dean correctly says there is no point in waiting, but the only thing that can come to mind is that it would make for further chances for Hillary Clinton to attack and destroy Barack Obama. He is, by the way, the candidate with more votes, more delegates and has won more states, regardless if the Clinton campaign says they count or not.

So let the rest of the states vote and unless something drastic happens, we will end up with roughly similar percentages as we do now in late March. Clinton could do the right thing now and concede for the sake of the party....or she can continue doing whatever it takes to win even if it drags us all down in November.