But when push comes to shove, beleaguered Israelis often sink their differences and stand together.

ECONOMIST: Palestine's new government

But joining the two big parties together would not necessarily sink their differences.

ECONOMIST: The race begins

The very fact that he has staked so much is a strong reason for Democrats to sink their differences, lest they face a hammering next year like the one they got in the mid-terms of 1994, when the Clinton administration came up empty.

ECONOMIST: Health-care reform