Stephen:

The most interesting aspect of the Obama revolution (and it is a revolution) is that his followers are poised to take over the Democratic Party’s organizational apparatus. This is certainly true if Obama is elected, but it is also true if Obama gets above 40% of the vote. The fact is that his supporters are energized and he can direct them to challenge the old guard for control of the Party. And chances are, he will win.

If Obama loses by more than ten points, it is likely that the Democratic Party will be leaderless. And that would be a good thing; the Democratic Party would then be vibrant for the first time in decades. The Clinton dynasty is dethroned and it is unlikely to regain the power it once had.

If Obama loses by less than two points, he will almost certainly gain control of the Party to such an extent that anybody other than Obama would be considered to be an upstart. Although Obama will be remembered as the man who freed the Democratic Party from the Clinton’s dynasty’s control, Obama will almost certainly try to hollow out the Party to turn it into his own fan club.

One fate that may lie in store for the Democratic Party is to be trapped into a situation for the next twenty years where it cannot nominate anybody other than Barack Obama, and Barack Obama keeps on losing over and over again. Senator Obama’s followers would become so bureaucratically entrenched within the Party that even the sentiments of most Democrats won’t make a dent. Imagine the entire Democratic Party structured like the old Chicago machine, except with the national leadership in perpetual opposition.

And the sad thing is, Adalai Stevenson was actually a better orator…