With the monumental March 4 primaries too close to call, it’s impossible to know where the Democratic presidential race will stand 36 hours from now.

What becomes clearer with each passing day of the campaign, however, are the dwindling hopes for what many Democrats consider the “Dream Team.”

In the past year, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have proven remarkably strong candidates - too strong, it appears, to play second fiddle.

Despite the fact that most Democrats say they like both candidates, don’t look for a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket on November ballots.

Having inhabited the White House for eight years already, the Clinton Machine would undoubtedly view the vice presidency as a demotion.

Astoundingly, it’s the same for Barack Obama, a man so revered by his party that he hardly needs the #2 spot to build a resume - even at age 46.

A Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama ticket (in either order) is doubtful.

The Illinois senator also surely realizes that any Vice President’s clout in Clinton White House Part Deux is likely to be less than stellar.

If he had been beaten soundly in this race, that would be something. But Barack Obama is now in the driver’s seat, albeit tenuously.

The Democratic contenders may not harbor the kind of animosity that John McCain has for, say, Mitt Romney. But there’s no love lost either.

Having two transcendent candidates should guarantee a Democratic victory in the fall, but as Obama himself stated, there’s a vanity aspect to politics.

That, plus a clash of egos, mutual lingering resentment and the agony of defeat suffered by the loser make the Dream Ticket extremely unlikely.

For many Democratic voters, this - not the lack of focus on the Republicans - is the real casualty of a race lasting longer than anyone guessed.