Finding Ways to Lose

New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, in Road Map to Defeat, makes the painfully obvious point: Democrats have the unerring knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. And the Hillary Clinton - Barack Obama seemingly interminable contest for the Democratic presidential nomination is firmly in line with past blown opportunities. "The Democrats," Herbert writes, "are doing everything they can to blow this presidential election. This is a skill that comes naturally to the party. There's no such thing as a can't-miss year for the Democrats. They are truly gifted at finding ways to lose."