Reply #29: I really don't want to argue but

[Tom Rinaldo]

At Denver the Democratic Party will choose it's nominee for President by a vote of the certified delegates present. If Obama wins the majority of those certified delegates he will win the nomination. If he does not he will lose. Those are the rules agreed upon by all Democratic candidates for President. Obama, unlike McCain on the Republican side, does not yet have the support of a majority of the certified Democratic Delegates.

Obama is the front runner not the presumptive nominee. Though Obama is ahead it is a very close race. It is possible, under Democratic Party rules, for Obama to lose without that meaning the nomination was "stolen" away from him. It is exactly this type of all or nothing thinking that could cause what you describe to happen. Obama may well win, but he can also lose fair and square, according to the rules of the Democratic Party.

You speak negatively of "scortched earth" tactics, but it is also a "scortched earth" tactic to claim "either my side wins or the game is crooked and therefor our side will cause all hell to break out if we don't win." That can be viewed as threats and intimidation, which is why I call that attitude a "scortched earth" tactic.