<p>NASHUA, N.H. - The Dean Debacle - Howard Dean's post-Iowa primal shriek meltdown - has Democrats buzzing that there's now a real prospect of a long bitter fight for the nomination that isn't settled until the convention.</p>
<p>Because now, there are four major contenders plus Al Sharpton competing for the nomination - and that could make it very hard for anyone to muster the majority of 2,162 delegates needed to clinch it. All in the thick of it are the down-sliding Dean, Iowa victor John Kerry, runner-up John Edwards and Wesley Clark. While Sharpton has no chance, he appeals to black voters who are a major Democratic force. The problem in getting to a majority is that Democratic Party rules guarantee delegates everywhere to anyone who gets 15 percent of the vote. So Kerry may have "won" Iowa, but he doesn't even get half of the 45 delegates at stake. Right now he's in line for 20, Edwards for 18 and Dean for 7. "If Kerry achieves liftoff and can sell in the South, he's the nominee, but if he doesn't, there's a real chance of a brokered convention," says a Democratic insider.</p>