Chorus Grows for Clinton to Get Out of Democratic Race
Hillary Clinton now faces a growing perception of inevitable loss -- not win. (AP Photo)
Hillary Clinton is vowing to continue her presidential bid despite mounting pressure to quit following a shaky performance in Indiana and a blow-out loss to Democratic rival Barack Obama in North Carolina.
On Wednesday, Clinton appeared at Shepherdstown University in Shepherdstown, W.V. to say that she continues to be in the fight. Her campaign issued a donor plea from Clinton that said with 28 days left, “I’m going to keep fighting for what I believe in until every voter has had his or her say.”
But the list of people pushing her toward the exit now is growing, and added to it Wednesday was one of her earliest backers, 1972 presidential candidate George McGovern, who said he now is supporting Obama.
“I don’t see how Senator Clinton could prevail” to win the nomination, the 85-year-old former senator told FOX News.
McGovern said Clinton’s exit is important to ensure the upper hand in November.
“I think it’s important for Democrats to be united,” McGovern said.
McGovern joins last week’s high-profile defection of former Democratic Party chairman Joe Andrew and February’s stinging departure of Georgia Rep. John Lewis.
Even before McGovern’s announcement, Clinton cut loose a planned day of rest Wednesday to start up the campaign machine for one final push. Six nomination contests remain over the next four weeks, 217 pledged delegates are still up for grabs and 269 superdelegates are undecided.
The campaign reacted coolly to the news.
“We appreciate his friendship, but we think voters in the upcoming states should have their votes counted,” said Clinton spokesman Jay Carson.
Clinton now aims to keep hope alive among a jittery group of superdelegates who have stuck with her so far. To do so she’ll need to pull together a string of fourth-quarter miracles while dangling the prospect of bringing back into the fold votes from Florida and Michigan — which were written off in a pre-primary party dispute.
That hope is diminishing quickly after the latest balloting. Clinton eked out a 1.7 percent win over Obama in Indiana, lower than pre-election polls predicted, taking the Hoosier State 50.8-49.1. But in the Tar Heel State, Obama racked up a 15 percentage point win, winning it 57-42.
Seeing the end in sight, Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod appeared to be shifting the campaign toward a general election fight, saying presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has “run free for some time now” because of Democratic preoccupation with the ongoing primary fight.
“I don’t think we’re going to spend time solely in primary states,” he said. “We have multiple tasks here.”
Clinton has a chance at winning a few of the remaining states, but the likelihood of her taking the delegates she needs to win is nearly insurmountable. She is favored to win next week in West Virginia, as well as the May 20 contest in Kentucky, and the June 1 contest in Puerto Rico. But her chances are slim in Oregon on May 20, and in the last two primaries in Montana and South Dakota on June 3.
Still, she argues the count is close. Clinton touched on this theme Tuesday night, citing the “he wins one, she wins one” nature of the campaign.
But to reach the number of 2,025 total delegates needed to clinch the nomination, the New York senator would need to take 349 of the 486 total pledged delegates and superdelegates still on the table or undecided, which includes 16 pledged delegates that have yet to be cast in North Carolina.
“Absent a comfortable win in Indiana, it’s hard to see how the Clinton campaign can go forward from here,” FOX News contributor Karl Rove said, noting the results from Tuesday’s contests seemed to signal the end of the primary race and the beginning of the general election campaign.
“It’s gonna be much harder for her tomorrow,” Democratic strategist Bob Beckel said late Tuesday.
The Clinton campaign showed no signs of letting up even as it fought rumors that it was holding a “crisis” meeting with superdelegates on Wednesday to keep them from jumping to Obama.
The campaign, which canceled Clinton’s Wednesday morning show appearances, confirmed it will meet superdelegates but said it’s not anything unusual. Aides say the outcome of Tuesday’s primaries changes nothing and the race moves on to the remaining six contests.
West Virginia will vote next Tuesday. In the middle of the night, the campaign announced Clinton would travel to the Mountain State first thing on Wednesday morning for campaign events.
“It’s so close,” Clinton said during her rally in Indianapolis. “These next primaries are another test. I’m going to work my heart out in West Virginia and Kentucky this month, and I intend to win them in November in the general election.”
She declared she’s going “full speed” to the White House and touted her win in Indiana.
For his part, Obama was enjoying time off the trail on Wednesday, relaxing at home in Chicago before returning to Washington, D.C., late in the day. Later in the week, he was to travel to Oregon, where he appears to hold the advantage, and then to West Virginia and Kentucky, where Clinton now leads.
Both candidates will inevitably turn their attention to superdelegates in the final days or weeks of the campaign. Clinton was still leading the superdelegate count in the middle of the night, 271-256, but combined with pledged delegates, she was behind overall 1,840-1,688.
For the first time in the race, more undeclared superdelegates remained than pledged delegates left on the primary calendar.
With odds against Clinton, her campaign is drafting a battle plan to lobby superdelegates, sources inside the campaign told FOX News. Those plans include using public rallies, direct mail and even TV spots to generate broader public support for undecided superdelegates to side with Clinton.
She got a small boost Wednesday from Rep. Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, who announced that “if it comes down to the convention, I will support the candidate 8th District voters chose unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.”
Undecided superdelegate David Parker, an attorney in North Carolina, also said he isn’t making a commitment yet.
“I’m going to wait until at least June 4. The South is getting together, southern (Democratic National Committee) members are getting together in Mobile, Ala., on June 24 and we’ll have a conversation at that time. I may wait until then just to see what’s happening in the rest of the South,” he said.
Clinton also called on the party “to count all the votes” in direct reference to Michigan and Florida, which the Democratic National Committee penalized by stripping them of their delegations for holding their contests before Super Tuesday, Feb. 5. Clinton said Tuesday the nominee shouldn’t be chosen “by 48 states.”
Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said the Illinois senator’s campaign is ready to make its case to superdelegates too.
“We’re gonna add popular votes tonight, we’re gonna add pledged delegates tonight and from now forward there are more superdelegates at stake than delegates. You’ll see a lot of emphasis put on calling and courting them,” he told FOX News.
Democratic Pollster Doug Schoen said he doesn’t think Clinton’s campaign will be drastically affected by Tuesday’s results.
“She won a victory, albeit a narrow victory,” he said. “The nomination process hasn’t played itself out. It’s supposed to go through June 3 for a reason.”
But many other pundits are questioning whether she can go on. Despite having the financial backing she needs to finish up the remaining contests, helped by a personal loan of $6.4 million in the last month, Clinton is fighting a perception problem.
“This was a big loss for her tonight, and people are a little rattled who support her,” Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers said early Wednesday morning. “I don’t think she’s going to drop out, but at the same time I think they have to reassess things.”
Obama is “clearly the presumptive presidential nominee,” said Obama backer Anna Burger, the secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union.
“Senator Obama’s commanding win in North Carolina and close showing in Indiana means he is clearly the Democratic nominee for president,” Burger said. “We’ve had a long process and the outcome is now clear.”
Clinton has won 4 out 5 of the last contests, why should she drop out?
Everyone keeps saying that the party needs to unite - I’m a Republican and an Obama supporter, but since it’s so clear who the nominee will be, why stop now? This battle has put the democrats and their issues on the front page and in all the cable news stations. This publicity is GREAT for the democratic party. I mean, seriously, why would you want them to stop now? I hear John McCain doing this, doing that, but he’s not in the spotlight, and that’s bad for him. Sometimes I wonder if this is a secret conspiracy between Obama and Hillary to pump up their party. This is really good for the Democratic party - no publicity is bad publicity, right?
I am a hillary supporter but I am a democrat first and i am shocked at her inability to see the bigger picture here. She is so blinded by her ambition that she doesnt care about about who wins in november, just as long as she is there. I am very suprised by her actions, i thought she was a different kind of candidate who would concede with class for the good of the party but I guess I was wrong.
…and the skys will open up, angels will sing…
It amazes me that so many voters in this country could still vote for Obama after the Rev. Wright information was revealed to them, as well as his relationship with Ayres. In life, your chosen profession shows others “WHAT” you are, WHEREAS, the friends you associate with and where you chose to worship shows others “WHO” you are! My guess is that there is so much more out there on Obama and the republicans can’t wait to use it. I think Hillary had better stay in the race until we see what other skeletons pop out of Obama’s closet.
I AM A DEDICATED DEMOCRAT WHO WILL NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!!
Clinton has won 4 out of 5 of the last contests of which 3 are major, why should she drop out? Obama only won big because of the black vote in N.C., and he still hasn’t done anything outside of his base. He will get drilled in the general election when all the white voters who haven’t voted in years come out to vote, if he’s on the ticket anywhere. Sure this sounds racist, but no more than 90% plus blacks voting for Obama.
Hillary needs to bow out gracefully. She needs to put the party above herself and do the right thing. She needs to talk to her people, delegates, and supporters and tell them that the party is bigger than just one person and they all need to step up and support Obama if they want a Democratic Win in November.
Who care about Rev. Wright, Hillary pastor is serving time in prison for molesting a 7year old child. Mc Cain pastor is crazy as all get out. I am voting for Obama because he makes sense. For instance the gas tax. Who is going to stop them from raises prices to the point you don’t see a savings and big oil see more profit. What are the chances that president “Bush” will allow such a holiday? I keep hearing experience, but most successful large companies hire CEO based on talent as well. Obama is talented. That’s why his campaign has $42mill and Hillary has to loan her campaign money. As for as experience, all the experience is following Obama to help guide him and advice him. The question is why so many of Clintons “friends” and “supporters” are switching to Obama. You want to know who Obama is? His was one of Havard’s first black law class President. He has been a advocate in his community and He will make a excellent President. I great President is only as good as his advisors.
I will also be voting for McCain if Hillary does not get the nomination. I will not vote for an unexperienced, rookie, liberalist who has a questionable background and whom we don’t know much about.
Are people naive to follow OBAMA despite his numerous bad judgements in associating with undesirables? Are these issues NOT important to the country? The guy just don’t fit to be POTUS! WAKE UP AMERICA!