Y ADEMÁS de lo que comentaba, la batalla por la nominación demócrata también ha dejado el partido hecho añicos, dejándolo en un estado casi tan lamentable como en 1968 (Obama, el nuevo Humphrey?)

On the night that Barack Obama clinched his party's nomination, one-third of Hillary Clinton's supporters in Montana and South Dakota said they would not vote for the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Exit polls from both states demonstrate that Obama inherits a fractured coalition after the longest primary race in modern history. Demographic divisions dug by class, race, gender and political philosophy haunted Obama until his last contests, effectively forcing the Illinois senator to limp across the finish line Tuesday night.

The cappuccino versus coffee Democratic divide between upper class and working voters continued. Coffee Democrats were more likely to back Clinton while cappuccino Democrats were more likely to back Obama. That these divisions were also deepened by gender and racial identity — rooted in long-sought historic firsts for women and blacks — means that there exists an unprecedented intra-party burden that befalls Obama.

Esto, claro, ocurriría aunque hubiera ganado Hillary Clinton, porque en ese caso serían los seguidores de Obama los que afirmarían que no iban a votar por ella. Mientras, los republicanos se frotan las manos...

ACTUALIZACIÓN. Una autopsia de las primarias, por el doctor Victor Davis Hanson.

ACTUALIZACIÓN II. Y problemas con las mujeres:

The woman who shouted "McCain in '08" at the Democratic rules committee was speaking for a multitude. After mounting for months, female anger over the choreographed dumping on Hillary Clinton and her supporters has exploded -- and party loyalty be damned. That the women are beginning to have a good time is an especially bad sign for Barack Obama's campaign.

"Obama will NOT get my vote, and one step more," Ellen Thorp, a 59-year-old flight attendant from Houston told me. "I have been a Democrat for 38 years. As of today, I am registering as an independent. Yee Haw!"

A new Pew Research Center poll points to a surging tide of fury, especially among white women. As recently as April, this group preferred Obama over the presumptive Republican John McCain by three percentage points. By May, McCain enjoyed an eight-point lead among white women.

ACTUALIZACIÓN III. Y más: "Matt Burns, the spokesman for the GOP convention in St. Paul e-mails to say that the RNC's convention office in St. Paul has received numerous telephone calls in the last few hours from people who identify themselves as Clinton supporters asking how they can help Sen. McCain." Por supuesto no es descartable que sea desinformación, pero viendo cómo están de cargados los ánimos no es descartable. Por ejemplo: