The irrational dislike of candidate A by those who favor B on this site has now gotten to the point where it is damaging the overall chances of a Dem win.
Here's the ugly truth: Clinton or Obama is going to have a hard time getting elected. There is just too much prejudice still rampant in this country. We can expect to see a very close election, perhaps within 1%. The prejudice will trump the economic issues and the sleaze of the GOP for many.
In addition the balance in the Senate is not going to shift enough to give the Dems real control. Picking up 2-3 seats will not prevent the GOP from continuing to block progressive legislation. Many incumbent Dems are DINO's or are beholding to the big business that finance their campaigns. So a Dem president is going to need a "mandate" if he or she is going to be able to twist the arms of these DINO's. A mandate does not mean winning 51% to 49%.
The house will gain a few more Dem seats, some may even be progressive, but in every election over 90% of incumbents who run again get re-elected. The next congress is going to look pretty much the way this one does. There is no strong progressive movement in the house either.
So the dirtier the partisans of A and B get toward each other the more it helps the GOP. Is it really important that Clinton was on the board of Walmart when her husband was governor and Walmart was the biggest employer in the state? Is it really important that Obama had some dealings with a shady landlord? Did this affect his effectiveness at the time? Was he punished for it by his supporters?
If you can't wrap your head around the fact that any Dem will be vastly better than any of the Repub candidates then perhaps we don't deserve to win. Presidents aren't superheros. They can't change the course of the earth in its orbit. They have to deal with the hand their are dealt. That means institutional inertia, congress, big business, a runaway military and the decline of the US as the world's only "superpower". If you want Superman or Wonder Woman perhaps you should go back to reading the comics.
I've been watching elections since 1948 and all too often the Dems have been their own worst enemies. You will not get ideological purity. This is not an all or nothing world.
Stop sniping at each other and go after the GOP!