What's the hurry?

With Hillary triumphant in Ohio and Texas (and Rhode Island, aka Massachusetts, Jr.), we're back to a real race for the nomination. And we're back to the whiners saying how baaad it would be for the campaign to continue. While this is often just code for "Hillary is so mean to keep Obama from being the nominee!!", this argument is offered as an attempt to defend and help the Democratic Party and nominee.

To which I ask, what's the hurry?

We are right now 8 months out from the general election. Even if we go all the way to the last event, Puerto Rico's primary, we're still 5 months away from the general. (By the way, CNN doesn't have Puerto Rico in its menu of primary/caucus previews and results. Nice work, boneheads.) That is about 130 days.

• One hundred thirty days seem to me enough time to raise money from energized Democrats;
  
• One hundred thirty days seem to me enough time to make amazing primary/caucus organizations into superlative general election organizations;
  
• One hundred thirty days seem to me enough time to film new tv ads;
  
• One hundred thirty days seem to me enough time to badger undecided voters in swing states, morons who sometimes don't make a decision until the day before, no matter what you do or say;
  
• One hundred thirty days seem to me enough time to customize the DNC's research and arguments about the McCain's lack of readiness to lead America;
  
• Two hundred days seem to me enough time to for anyone useful in a general election to get over their problems from the primary and prove they care about America and not just their candidate.
  

Meanwhile, McCain is hanging there. He can't campaign against two very different people. What if goes all Johnny Hopeful to pace Obama, and Hillary wins on realism? Or McCain and the Republicans run against business as usual, and Obama carries the day?

A lot can happen in the two months between the conventions and the general election. For instance, the polls can swing 22 points in either direction.

Have patience. After all the hand-wringing over the compacted primary schedule, we're having one heck of a (largely civilized) fight for the nomination. Many people have yet to speak their piece.

We'll have our one hundred thirty days. For now, we need to allow the people of Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Kentucky, Mississippi, Wyoming...and all the others...to have their say.