I think if the are logical they will do one of two things:
1. Drop the charges and throw Nifong to the wolves hoping to head off reforms.
2. Or it they are trying to protect Nifong drop the charges hoping furor about this case will die down and they can give Nifong a repremand.
Of course Nifong was not about to understand that the key to saving his butt was dropping these charges so maybe this gang will not be able to either. But whatever N.C. wants to do, reform, continue the old way, etc, they lost this one and they need to get this case over asap.
And if you are a Dim AG hoping to protect the party, the longest time between elections is 24 months and right now the next one is 21 to 22 months away. You are not going to win this case the sooner it is gone the more time their will be between the end of it and the next time you will need to get black voters to the poll. The later you wait, the closer you are coming to the next election.
I tend to agree; hope I am right; and also hope that somewhere along the line Nifong did something to one or both of them that will make it easy for them to go for door #1.
Good analysis, in my opinion. It's all about Cooper now. He's holding all the cards, and he's going to do what he and his handlers perceive is best for his own political fortunes. If they dump the case, blacks will be mad, but they're not going to vote R, so he really only has to worry about a primary. As AG, he's in the catbird seat. The question is, would Coman then aspire to the AG's seat? If so, his competition would be harder to defeat, probably, especially if a black ran against him.
But at this point, it seems to me, an outsider, that throwing Nifong to the wolves, hoping blacks forget by the next election as you say, and demonizing Nifong as having "played" them (blacks) so none of them take a hit for it would be the path of least resistance.