Well there is another point of view...
It may very well be that many Democrats (as do some Republicans) feel that the economic and international situation has been so poisoned during the Bush years that no one, regardless of party or talent, will be able to straighten out the mess. They are ready for their opponents to be at the helm and take the fall for the crash they feel is inevitable in the next few years, so they can come back and pick up the pieces in 2012. It's a cynical viewpoint, sure, but we're talking politics here, right? Both the Clinton camp and the Neocons have big problems with their party's candidates. Surely I'm not the only who's thought of this.