Advantages of a long and/or contentious primary:

1. It’s democratic. True, it would not be ideally democratic if the ‘superdelegates’ got together in a smoke-filled room to choose the eventual nominee, but it would be even less democratic if a bunch of retired Iowans, New Hampshites, and perhaps South Carolingians got together in a bunch of retiree-filled rooms and chose the nominee two months ago, which is how it usually goes down. The primary process is carefully tuned to produce a variegated symphony of stupid. At least this one lets everybody vote.

2. There’s more to be gained as a kingmaker than as a spoiler. Rather than limp into the general election after a bloody convention fight, the second-place finisher could trade a really gracious endorsement speech for the promise of, say, the position of Senate Majority Leader, and let the winner half-limp into the GE, and whatever fate awaits him there. No, it’s not the Presidency, but as parting gifts go it’s a lot of Rice-A-Roni. Compared to the possibility of being a Ralph Nader for the next decade, it’s even better. You get to comb your hair, for one.

(Also, unlike in 1968, the primary issue separating the candidates is ego. Yes, there is another war going on, but the difference between the candidates is just in the degree of their non-committal wetness. Yes, Krugman like Hillary’s healthcare plan better, but it’s hard to tear apart a convention with an army of tweedy, 50-something academics. And there’s certainly some identity politics solidarity involved here, but, as the Democratic Party has never nominated anyone who wasn’t an old white man, there is a clearly a deep and abiding capacity within the party faithful to vote for someone who isn’t black and/or female. Worse than trying to “burn down the party” and succeeding, from the point of view of the candidate, is to try to burn down the party and have your supporters decide that they really aren’t that into you. AWK-WARD!!)

3. McCain can’t run against a candidate until a candidate exists. Right now, John McCain is tasked with attacking a cypher, a genderless, ethnicityless everyperson who is too insidery/inexperienced, did/didn’t oppose the Iraq War, does/does not support NAFTA, and so on. But, consider - what if Hillary doesn’t win? I kid – I kid because I love. But before beginning a proper campaign, the Republicans have to decide to howl about the threat to the Republic posed by the imminent election of a possible Lesbian In College or a dusky, foreign Manchurian candidate. Unless it turns out that Wellesley is a madrasah or Michelle Obama is a man, every day before a winner is named is a day lost to the noise machine.