Why is Obama weathering this storm? Is it political correctness; are Democrats cutting him extra slack because of his race? Is it that they are in denial about his increasing baggage because they so crave a party deliverer who speaks their language? Is it because they aren't viscerally repulsed by Pastor Wright's hate speech or Michelle Obama's apparent grievances against this nation? Or is it that they have no one even as electable as John Kerry waiting in the wings -- considering Hillary's permanent and ever-increasing negatives?

I suspect it's a combination of all those factors, which doesn't bode well for the party. Hillary is not in as good a position to capitalize on an Obama implosion as Kerry was to exploit the Dean political suicide. Everyone -- including formerly ardent Clinton supporters -- now realizes that for the Clintons, it's all about the Clintons, who'll do anything to win. "Anything" includes playing a despicable brand of racial politics and betraying the Democrats' unwavering, albeit disingenuous battle cry since Bush-Gore 2000: "Every vote must count."

The leftist blogs are getting ever-more vicious against Hillary and increasingly indignant over any criticisms of their would-be champion, Obama. After all, what good did it do for them to settle for Kerry last time? They've been waiting a long time now for a full-blown anti-war standard-bearer.

So Democrats are faced with the dilemma of sticking with Obama, who truly might be approaching unelectability, or turning to the obnoxious and narcissistic power couple for whom the magic has long since disappeared.

If Obama does well from this point forward, the superdelegates will have no choice but to endorse him because even concerns of electability would not justify the divisions, including along racial lines, that would ensue should the party brokers cashier him. If Hillary marginally -- but not significantly -- outperforms Obama, the same principles will apply.

Only if Hillary wins consistently and decisively from now on, to the point of overtaking Obama in the popular vote, will she have the slightest chance of credibly arguing that superdelegates should go her way. Even then, unless Obama fully gets on board a Hillary ticket -- especially by way of the second slot -- there will be hell to pay in the party for years.