Only one of three things will happen now.

[IDemo]

Realistically, that is.

There will be no deadlock in Denver, unless you believe it's entirely possible Hillary will be videotaped walking on water before the remaining primaries. Obama is favored to win the majority of those races, most by solid margins. The math, the math, the math.

Did I mention the math?

Only one of three things remain to happen:

1. Party elders such as Dean, Gore or Edwards step forward to tap Hillary on the shoulder and tell her it's over. At the pace the current attacks and negativity are flying, the party will be in a shambles by the time August arrives and many voters may well feel disaffected by then.
   
   
2. Again at the urging of Dean, the two are brought together and told that the so called 'Unity Ticket' is the only thing that will keep enough supporters of both together to guarantee a victory in November. Notice I say 'enough' supporters, because many (such as myself) will not be happy with the union. Despite what the overwhelming number of DU'ers say (with at least one incredibly strident exception), it is likely Dean feels the majority of Democrats will get behind such a ticket. It is my opinion that Obama would do much better in the GE with a Richards or Edwards, but I am not the one making the call.
   
   
3. The trickle of super delegates away from Hillary and towards Obama continues, or turns into a flood, and Hillary at last sees the writing on the wall and suspends the campaign. If a Bill Richards or John Edwards endorses Obama, the floodgates will open. Despite her campaign's talk of pursuing every delegate, including the pledged, she and Bill know that nothing short of a truly catastrophic misspeak or misstep by Obama will stem the flow, much less reverse it. There will be no vast smoke filled room conspiracy by super delegates to nominate Hillary in the face of a significant Obama lead. To do that would disenfranchise and infuriate millions, and possibly damage the party for decades. It is not going to happen.

With any of these likely scenarios, we will be looking at Obama as the nominee. Simple as 1 + 1 = 2.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. # 1 will never happen.

I offer an alternative #1.

Party elders such as Dean, Gore, Kennedy, Daschle, Schumer or Edwards step forward to tap BILL CLINTON on the shoulder and tell HIM it's over. At the pace the current attacks and negativity are flying, the party will be in a shambles by the time August arrives and many voters may well feel disaffected by then.

They won't contact her because she is cocooned in her own world. The only person who will listen and understand what they are saying is Bill. Of her entire supporting cast within her closed circle of friends, advisors and associates, the only one who has access (except for Patti Doyle) enough to get her attention and talk brass tacks to her is Bill.

[IDemo]

3. You may have a point

Think they could trick her into answering a 3:00AM phone call?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. #2 will never happen.

She has burned too many bridges, and bastardized the process, muddied the waters, attacked the foundation, and created such a collection of lies, that it would be demeaning to the office of Vice President to replace Dick Cheney with someone as allergic to truth and honesty as Hillary Clinton. Obama would not let us down that badly.

[IDemo]

4. Again, though I agree with the substance of your post

I think there is actually a chance of it happening. Dean and Obama are not looking at this through the DU looking glass. If it would wrap up the nomination and put an end to the hostilities, Barack may well bite the bullet and accept her as his running mate, even if not happily.

[John Q. Citizen]

5. The voters won't accept her. The message will be as muddy as Clintons is now.

Put Hill on the ticket and McCain will win.