How could it happen? Edwards, who by common consensus needs to win Iowa to survive, doesn’t—Obama does. Hillary wins Nevada and New Hampshire. Obama wins South Carolina, where the black vote is potentially huge and Hillary is unloved. Now it’s a jump ball on February 5—and Obama and Hillary split the big states between them.

Ah, the lure of fantasy. Which is probably exactly what it is. But more of a fantasy than Obama’s beating Clinton in the money primary? We are in uncharted waters here. Things could get very weird.

Related:

• Archive: “Politics”
• Articles by John Heilemann
• Table of Contents: Apr 23, 2007 issue of New York | Subscribe!