Jeffords was never seen by crats to be useful beyond his abandoning of the Republican party. McCain, on the other hand might well be seen as giving the crats a real shot at the presidency in 04.
Nonsense. The Democrats would never nominate McCain -- the left-wing base of the party wouldn't stand for it (and they control the party and have since 1972). The only "value" McCain has for the Democrat quest for the presidency is for him to act as a "spoiler" for Bush or whoever follows him. To do so requires that he remain a Republican.
And so shall they counsel him..