Hillary "would unite the Democratic party"?   What rock have you been living under since 2007. She had her chance to do so--in fact scads of chances, including direct invitations in debates--but would have had to start with admitting she was wrong to vote for the force authorization against Iraq in 2002. John Edwards did, as did many others.

That was her "original sin"--for which she needed to ask "absolution"--and never did. Failing that, she would never have united the Democratic party--or gotten the votes of many independents.

This refusal drove the anti-war wing of the Democratic party away from her. They needed another home--and when Hillary and Obama were the last candidates, no question where they would go. Not to Hillary.

Whether it's the arrogance of the unquestioned front-runner, conviction that she could run from the start as if in the general election (triangulation) , fear of being thought weak, or another reason-- her refusal to take responsibility for her part in the start of the Iraq war is her main problem--from which virtually all the others stem.

She had all the advantages--money, name recognition, support of the Democratic Establishment.

The nomination was hers to lose--and she lost it.