Helps or Hurts?

[Јas]

There's been quite a few comments flying around here that because the Democratic party hasn't settled on a candidate yet, this is a great help to the McCain campaign.

What do you think and why?

[Angel of Death]

Depends mostly on what the tone will be of the rest of the nomination campaign.

[minionofmidas]

Depends mostly on what the tone will be of the rest of the nomination campaign.

Yeah, and right around the convention. Although I would rule out "helps a lot".

[John Dibble]

Hurts a little. It gives McCain some time to strengthen his general campaign with less opposition from the Dems. It won't assure victory, but it helps him some.

[MODU]

On one hand it helps, since it keeps the voter base active and involved, as well as putting the election into each and every state, so those voters become more aware of who the Democratic candidates are.  On the flip side, it hurts since these two cannot have a cordial competition that McCain and Huckabee had, so you are going to get more and more dirt on both candidates dug up and put into the press.  Again, with the candidates being so visible in all the states, this might taint the impression of the winning candidate and hurt them during the general election.

[MarkWarner08]

Probably helps a little. Obama needs to recalibrate his message to reach working-class Democrats. Seven weeks in Pennsylvania presents him with a perfect opportunity to do just that. If Obama loses to Hillary by an >10% margin, many Democrats will conclude that he struggles in Old Economy states. If the Democrats hope to beat McCain, they must hold PA.

[Gustaf]

Right now, it hurts a little. If it becomes a prolonged, nasty, bloody convention battle it will hurt a lot.

[TheGlobalizer]

Keeps them in the news, and has been largely hands-off thus far.  McCain isn't exactly nailing down the conservative vote yet, either.

[GMantis]

I think that it definitely hurts a lot.
First, it wastes the democrats resources while McCain is busy fundraising.
Secondly, as the two besmirch each other, they raise up issues which can be reused by McCain against the eventual victor.
Thirdly, this gives McCain the time to reconcile with conservatives and refocus on the general race, while Obama and Clinton will continue to focus on democratic voters.
And finally, a long and acrimonous campaign will definitely divide the Dems and the nominee may not be able to rely on full support in November.

[ottermax]

Although it may hurt a lot, it does mean that the press will be entirely focused on the Democrats for the next month or two.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

As everyone knows nothing does so much for a party's electoral chances as open and bitter infighting!!!!11