Two thoughts:

One wonders, if no one had ever been able to crack the atom, and we had had a similarly hostile relationship with the U.S.S.R. after WWII, how would the Cold War have gone "hot"? Without mutually assured destruction it would have been much more likely to devolve into a direct "shooting war". Europe would have been the main front obviously (Fulda Gap and all that), but where else would we have engaged the Soviets? An interesting thought for the amateur military historian.

And secondly, a horrific realization has beset me. I was somewhat giddy seeing the deflation of the Clinton machine, seeing it as deliverance from another chapter in the Bush-Clinton dynastic succession. Then I started to consider the unlikely but still possible prospect of a Veep selection by Obama.

Hillary as VP for 8 years potentially? Then as President for 8 years possibly? Consider this scenario:

Bush I, Veep: 80-88
Bush I, Pres: 89-92
Clinton I, Pres: 93-00
Bush II, Pres: 01-08
Clinton II, Veep: 09-16
Clinton II, Pres: 17-24

We've already had 28 straight years of having either a Bush or Clinton as President or Vice-President. I haven't even taken in a breath of air in an America without someone from these two families in either of the two executive positions. Under the above scenario, it would be 44 years of Clintbush. Not including the possibility of another contender being introduced from either family. The House of York only lasted 24 years!