Another Potential Advantage to an Extended Primary

Chuck Todd, political scientist extraordinaire, had this to say today about McCain's path to victory. Although the title, "McCain's Path to Victory," implies that it is an article chalk-full of advice on how McCain can win the November election, it is more of a commentary on the challenges of not having a clear opponent and the difficulty of having to wait to define oneself as a candidate. The gist:

He will either be the steady hand in uncertain times vs. Obama, or he'll be the breath of fresh air and openness in a campaign against Clinton.

As someone said to NBC's David Gregory, McCain will take up the space left by the defeated Democrat.

From a message standpoint, those are big differences. It is not easy to advance both, now, at the same time. McCain is trying, but ultimately, being able to refine one line of attack is a must, and that can't happen without a clear opponent.

Whether Hillary is staying in for altruistic or selfish reasons, the possibility remains that it may all be for the better.