Because I am a Democrat, and because that's the only thing left that just about everyone on this site has in common, we should consider what last night's events, and those of the past three months have told us.

Neither Obama or Clinton has a large enough base to have a reasonable chance to win this thing by themselves.

Both poll at about 45-50 percent nationally, with little meaningful variation. Both sides have significant amounts of supporters who are independents/conservative Democrats/overzealous youth/African-Americans/strong-minded women who could sit out or vote for McCain if either wins by superdelegate, which we all admit has to happen for someone to reach the magic number. Both sides are just prideful enough to hurt our chances come November.

So why take the chance in November. With the two of them at the top of the ticket, we can bury these guys and get 400 EV's. It's not wishful thinking, its demographics.

Do you really think women or AA'S will not vote if both are on the ticket, in whatever order? Whoever takes VP is one step below the presidency.

How do we do it? Don't change a thing. Keep running for President. Whoever is second at the convention gets the 2nd spot. At this point, that could be either one.

But if any Obama supporters or Hillary supporters are under the illusion that the other's advocates will sit by and watch their dreams taken by superdelegates and still show up in November in adequate enough numbers, they're dreaming.

That's where we are. This has gone on so long that the two camps have become entrenched. Neither wants to give up, and both have compelling cases. They need, however, to stop tearing each other apart. Politics ain't beanbag, but it also isn't supposed to be a mutually assured destruction of our hopes in November.

Keep running, both of you great candidates, but don't forget that November is what matters, no matter who you want to win the nomination.

And for those of you who think that your side will win the nomination and all will be healed, you haven't studied history, have you? 1968, 1976, 1980.

Consider this before you summarily dismiss it, because we all see where this is heading. He has a lead, but she can chip away and make it damn close by the end. Then what? We call it a tie? The superdelegates haven't shown a whole lot of decisiveness so far, have they? They're almost even in super d's.

And forget the brokered convention. You think these people picked delegates so they could change their minds. Neither side took that chance when sending these people to Denver.

Think about it. And answer the poll question.

As spring comes upon us and John McCain comes nearer to selecting a running mate, the coal-to-diamond pressure will continue to build on our Democratic candidates to settle the dust, place unifying the party above all else, and leave one candidate to abandon years of strategizing agonizingly close to fruition.  

When lost in the dizzying cyclone of punditry, majestic rhetoric, and our projected realities, it is easy to forget that not only is winning the nomination extremely difficult but a long view of history illustrates that nominees have virtually one chance to achieve the ultimate seat of power.  Successful second acts are rare in presidential politics.

All of us have seen a number of diaries on MyDD advancing the idea of some kind of joint ticket. Most of the time, the idea gets shot down with the "who's on top" debate. But, an article on Slate.com proposes a positively brilliant way that we can have both candidates, each one with a period "on top" - PLUS (drumroll, please) a way to have them both for four full terms. Here's the link:

http://www.slate.com/id/2187034/

So, whaddya think?

(cross-posted from DailyKOS {oh noes!} I'm curious to see if you Hillary supporters react as badly as my fellow Obama supporters, go read the comments on my original diary if you want to reinforce your anti-Obama supporters destructive meme in your heads)

I've seen no one write about it.  I'm reading the quotes, and nowhere do I see Bill or Hillary blatantly say, when suggesting a joint ticket, that Obama would need to be the VP.  Obama has done a great job of responding to Clinton's opening dialogs.  But I've not heard him suggest offering the VP slot to Hillary.

update this diary's not getting much useful response, but if any Kossacks have any input other than Hillary-hate (we have plenty on here already, and I'm rather sick of the Obama-hate on MyDD, which I used to love), please read, and give some thoughts.  I think I'm going to go have a bottle of wine, the responses have been depressing me so far.

More below the fold.

Interesting information coming from survey usa . Since a lot of people have been speculating about a joint ticket , I personally have said it for a long time now both candidates are going to be on the ticket in November , I believe Clinton would be on top because of the strong possibility that she would end up with the lead in popular vote at the end of the process , if you add in Florida and Michigan which is most likely going to be a redo , the odds are almost certain she would win the popular vote.However survey usa has conducted a poll to figure out who Americans want on top of the ticket , needless to say Clinton wins.

What would be especially gratifying for the Clinton Team is that not only a solid majority of Americans want her on top but an even larger majority of democrats in the subsection of the poll want her on top of the ticket .

There is a lot of interesting information in there for those that have been dwelling on that scenario.

There is also a poll in there about the role of the super delegates and Americans tend to side with The Hillary Clinton position that they should follow their own free will , again among democrats in the subsection by a large margin too.

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollRepo rt.aspx?g=ebf5f50f-4dfd-4bc4-b001-588c5e c796cc

There is also a poll on Florida with some good information , the most interesting is that 81% said they would vote for the same person , bodes well for Clinton , that might explain the recent rasmussen poll.

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollRepo rt.aspx?g=39903d17-6aac-4ade-b0ca-ccffb0 82f25d

Its an interesting read.

If Obama wins the popular vote at the end of this process he should be the nominee in my view.