If the tape exists, I can see where it would create all sorts of dilemmas. Team Clinton would be desperate to get it out immediately before the convention but they wouldn’t want their fingerprints on it. That means having the Republicans release it and take credit for it. The Republicans, on the other hand, would be stupid to release it prior to the convention. Why help Hillary when you’re going to have to run against her in the general election? By holding it back, they can sink Obama and stick it to Hillary at the same time.
If the RNC releases it before the convention, the delegates and super (!) delegates will have no choice but to nominate Hillary. Perhaps I’m crediting them with too much sense.
If they nominate Hillary, there will be some massive retaliation among the chattel. It might take many forms, but one certainly is going to be where blacks sit this out. That gives McCain an easy win, and he’s going to need it given that many of us will be facing a crisis of conscience to vote McCain. We don’t want either Marxist in the White House, we would like the least of all 3 evils to win, but we’re disinclined to rubber stamp whichever candidate with whom we’re lumped. Let him have his victory - without us. The Democrats gave us our candidate, let them put him in the White House.
That’s why I don’t believe that it would be stupid for the Republicans to release the tape prior to the convention.