Stop the handwringing

There's a lot of angst among some Democrats because Hillary and Barack are continuing to fight it out for the party's nomination, taking shots at each other, battling it out in the primary states while John McCain has already wrapped up the GOP nomination.

There's fear among some that this ongoing battle will weaken whoever the eventual nominee is and let McCain win in November.

Jeezus, stop the chest beating, people. This fact, somewhat buried in a new NYT poll, suggests it ain't going to happen:

"For all the concern voiced by some Democrats that the party might be suffering damage from the nominating fight as it headed into the fall election, the survey found both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama in a strong position against Mr. McCain in a hypothetical general election match-up. Mr. Obama would defeat Mr. McCain by 51 percent to 40 percent among all voters, the poll found, and Mrs. Clinton would defeat him 53 to 41."

While it's way too early to take those poll numbers as gospel, it's a pretty good indicator that for all the D infighting, it's not a good year to have an R after your name if you're running for office.

George W. Bush, bless his incompetent little heart, has managed to damage the Republican brand in ways we can't even imagine.

From the ongoing, poorly managed debacle of an unnecessary war in the Middle East, to the economy going in the crapper, from the government's clear incompetence in the wake of Katrina, to the corruption and sexual shenanigans of various GOP congressmen, Republicans are about as popular as Michael Jackson at a childcare convention.

Hell, the GOP just lost a special election in a deeeeeep red congressional district in Louisiana that they have held for decades. If they are losing there, I don't think Grampa McCain, who is pledging to basically continue a third Bush term, not to mention keeping us in Iraq for 100 years, could be elected national dogcatcher.

Let Clinton and Obama fight it out, get the stronger candidate, and then go to town in the general election.