An Alternate Reality
Consider, if you would, how a different sequence of events could have unfolded this year:
Hillary beats Obama for the nomination. The Republican base is fired up and unified at the prospect of running against her.
Freed from the necessity of shoring up the base, McCain picks Mitt Romney instead of Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Then the financial crisis hits. McCain/Romney successfully leverage the ticket's perceived financial expertise into a narrow win over Clinton.
Who knows how these things would have worked out? But it's an intriguing scenario.
