OK I'll just say it: the dem establishment wants to lose this election

[customerserviceguy]

253. I'd like to take you point-by-point

First, no major party 'plans' to lose the White House. Yes, sometimes events overtake the party bosses, and a losing candidate is indeed nominated, such as McGovern, Dukakis, McCain, and Dole, for examples. I will readily admit that party leadership on both sides is awfully ham-handed when it comes to managing outcomes of their nominating process.

1. At this point in the election cycle (very, very early), yes, the anti-Establishment tide is rising. As we get into focus in actual caucuses and primaries, the Establishment often does way better than it looked like they were doing just six short months earlier. I will agree with you that the Democratic party bosses don't want Bernie, they remember the McGovern debacle from a few decades ago.

2. Some are indeed propping Hillary, but I think more of them are trying to get Joe Biden to run. Again, they fear a McGovern-type nominee who will alienate a lot of the mushy middle, without having the identity politics cards that Barack Obama had and used.

3. The "Biden might run" is something primarily sold by the news media as a way to gin up interest (and ratings) early in the election cycle, but I think that there are people in the Democratic Establishment who are truly worried that Hillary might implode. All it takes is one or two smoking guns from the deleted-not-wiped email server, and that could well happen. You're right, they will not let Bernie take all the marbles by default if that happens.

4. Debates get forgotten as the election cycle continues. Other than Rick Perry's "Oops" moment, who remembers squat about any of the GOP debates from four years ago? Oh, there was Mitt's 'self deportation' comment, but in the end, it didn't prevent his nomination, only his election in the big contest. They have a clown car full of candidates, we have only a few, and a couple of them could already be considered futile (I'm thinking O'Malley and Webb here). Debates are gaffe machines, and the Establishment knows that, thus they've limited the number.

5. Schultz. Ok, I'll give you that one. But, I think you're incorrect in thinking that just one phone call from the President removes her. At some point, even an incumbent Chief Executive becomes something of a lame duck in his own party, especially where there is not a confirmed heir apparent. Besides, (and I have nothing solid to base this on, just my gut feeling) Barack Obama would like to see Joe Biden continue his legacy. I figure the two of them have built a much stronger rapport than the President has built with Hillary.

He may well be calculating that DWS will blow things enough for Hillary that Biden can be convinced to run, and he'd back him 100%. That would be much easier if she were to implode from the email scandal, it would make it easier for both Obama and Biden to distance themselves from any foreign policy disasters that they could hang on Hillary.