CNN suggests that closing ranks may not be everything: "As long as the debate within the party stays relatively civil, it's probably good for the Democrats if the campaign goes on for a while," said Mark Rozell, a political scientist at Catholic University. "It keeps their candidates in the spotlight attacking Bush while the president stays on the sidelines." ...pollster John Zogby said the 2004 race was enabling Democrats to sharpen their message and enthuse core voters, many of whom only three months ago were extremely pessimistic that Bush could be beaten. I'm inclined to agree, depending on who sticks it out and the kind of campaigns they run. I hope in particular that the eventual nominee will face competition from the left long enough to make it difficult to reinvent himself as a Clinton character for the general election.