They will fall in line. Mostly.

Consider this:

Now consider this:

I can’t believe smart people are implying that Republicans voting against Senator McCain in the ongoing primaries somehow spells specific, devastating trouble for McCain’s chances in November. Yet, with Senator Obama’s far lesser percentage support, the logic is somehow obvious that Democrats who voted for Senator Clinton will automatically back Obama in November. Of course they will, on both sides.

Being a partisan is generally the key point of someone’s political identity. Whatever policy disagreements exist matter, but rarely enough to fracture support for the party in the short-term. Witness George W. Bush in 2004. But it does not rule out a desire and willingness to cast a meaningless protest vote that indicates support for whatever distinction another candidates has from the inevitable nominee.

For consideration: Are we to believe that, even if Clinton’s supporters stay home, Obama will crush McCain because Obama’s vote total outstrips the entire Republican turnout by a margin of almost 2-to-1?