I agree. Maybe both. And something on future elections...
This latest flap is just one more symptom. I see the forest, not the trees. Here's the big picture: The next twenty years in politics in this country are going to be the decades of the third party.
Right now, any of several politicians, of either party, could throw a presidential election one way or another by simply running as a third candidate. Lieberman. McCain. Others.
If you look back at the last four presidential elections, three at the least had outcomes significantly affected by third party candidates. I think this trend will increase quite a bit.