The do-over; Mail-in vote is the lesser of evils for Democrats.

COLUMN: IN OUR OPINION

Neither Clinton nor Obama supporters should be pleased with the Democratic Party's no-win nomination dilemma: change the rules in the middle of the game and cobble together some sort of do-over; or hold to the status quo and disenfranchise millions of Democratic voters. On balance, a do-over would be less injurious to the credibility of the Democrats' already battered nomination process and to the party's hopes of riding disenchantment with President Bush to the White House in November.

The imbroglio began with the frontloading of Florida's and Michigan's Democratic primaries in defiance of the national party. The Democratic National Committee responded to the defiance in kind, stripping both states of their convention delegates.

Neither action nor reaction seemed very consequential at the time: Surely, the Democrats would have a clear nominee by Super Tuesday at the latest. As it turns out, the 313 Florida and Michigan delegates well could be decisive in the final choice.

Simply lifting the sanction is not an option. None of the presidential hopefuls campaigned seriously in either state and, in Michigan, only Hillary Clinton's name was on the Democratic ballot.

Almost as unthinkable would be a full-scale revote, even assuming the party would cover the $30 million cost. The mind-boggling logistics a new election would entail would make Democrats nostalgic for hanging chads.

A more palatable option was suggested by several Democratic leaders over the weekend: Mail ballots to all registered Democrats, using procedures similar to those for absentee voting.

To be sure, such an approach is rife with opportunities for error and fraud. However, it would be wrong to disenfranchise 2.4 million Democrats in Florida and Michigan for the pigheadedness and folly of their state and national party leaders.