Short-Term Tactical Advantage: Rove, Rush, and McCain; Long-Term Strategic Advantage: Obama

Cui bono?

Who stands to benefit from a prolonged, protracted primary battle?

Without a doubt, the RNC and the GOP - which has a weak, extremely vulnerable candidate at the top of their ticket.

With the GOP race over, shrewd GOP foot soldiers and attentive dittoheads in the states that remain to vote on the Democratic side have a tactical advantage:

1. Cross over and switch party registrations, as many did in PA.

2. Vote en masse for the weaker candidate - Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton.

3. Prolong the slugfest.

I am not the first to make this observation, nor will I be the last, probably.

But Obama is beginning to demonstrate his knack for parlaying a tactical GOP advantage into a strategic progressive one: as he noted in his appearance on The Daily Show Monday night, HDRC has proven to be a useful sparring partner, who will have made him into a stronger, more seasoned campaigner for the General Election.

Moreover, she is keeping him in practice, keeping him on his toes, and keeping him sharp.

Meanwhile, the moribund McCain grows more rusty and Eyeore-ish by the day. They're going to have to oil him up to get all the squeaks out of him, once the battle is joined in earnest.

There's an old saying, the gist of which is that we should be thankful for our adversaries, and the lessons that they teach us.

Obama is blessed to have a cheap knock-off of a Republican as his adversary.

In fact, if you think of Hillary as a live virus innoculation, she looks a lot more useful in that light.

The short-term tactical advantage may reside with Rove, Rush, and McCain. But this, too, shall backfire: the long-term, strategic advantage will be Obama's.

- Dave

P.S. The NYT post-mortem is a good read. If you've come across other good ones, please post a Comment. Thanks!