Apparently, strategists for Hillary Clinton (now running for Obliterator-in-Chief) are floating a "nuclear option" under which they would use their numerical advantage on the party's rules committee to jam a pro-Clinton Michigan and Florida plan down our throats.
It's an absurd plan and even if they got it passed, there's no guarantee it would work. My view is that they are simply hoping to provoke a process debate about Michigan and Florida.
The whole goal here is stoke FUD -- fear, uncertainty, and doubt. FUD is our enemy. They know that according to the rules that everybody agreed to at the start of this campaign, Barack Obama has this nomination locked up. So their goal is to create mayhem, to try to "reboot" the process.
My advice: put the FUD out of your mind. Keep your eyes on Obama, keep focused on the campaign at hand. Don't get distracted by temper tantrums.
I'm not saying it's totally irrelevant. In fact, it would be completely irresponsible for reporters and observers to ignore it completely. But would be an equally large mistake to overstate its importance.
So just take the news in stride, file it away. If it comes to pass -- which I don't think it will -- we've already got everything we need to fight it: us.
© Jed Lewison