Easier said than done

Howard Dean says that the Democrats can't afford a brokered convention and that if the candidates are still tied as the convention approaches, he'll sit them down and force them to make a deal:

(CNN) — As predictions of a convention floor fight from the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continue to mount, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said the party would likely intervene to prevent that scenario.

Dean said Democrats would look to “get the candidates together to make some kind of an arrangement” before the party meets in Denver this August to officially select its nominee.

... "The idea that we can afford to have a big fight at the convention and then win the race in the next eight weeks, I think, is not a good scenario,” he said.

If there is no nominee selected by his predicted mid-spring date, or by Puerto Rico's June vote – the last presidential primary on the Democratic calendar – Dean said the party would likely bring both sides together to work out a deal.

Somehow, I can't see much likelihood that either one would give up if they were in a virtual tie. Of course, if one had a clear edge with the super delegates (i.e., Hillary) the other, knowing he/she would lose in the end, might cede the stage voluntarily. But, how does that differ from a brokered convention? In the end, it would be the super delegates who made the choice, either explicitly or implicitly.