McGovern Urges Clinton to Quit Race
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Former Sen. George McGovern, an early supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton, urged her to drop out of the Democratic presidential race Wednesday and endorsed her rival, Barack Obama.
After watching the returns from the North Carolina and Indiana primaries Tuesday night, McGovern said it’s virtually impossible for Clinton to win the nomination. The 1972 Democratic presidential nominee said he had a call in to former President Clinton to tell him of the decision, adding that he remains close friends with the Clintons.
“I will hold them in affection and admiration all of my days,” he said of the Clintons.
McGovern’s announcement comes a day before Clinton was scheduled to travel to South Dakota to campaign. The state holds its primary June 3 with 15 pledged delegates at stake.
McGovern said he had no regrets about endorsing Hillary Clinton months ago, even before the Iowa caucuses.
“She has run a valiant campaign. And she will remain an influential voice in the American future,” he said.
But Obama has won the nomination “by any practical test” and is very close to a majority of the pledged delegates, said McGovern, who is 85. Obama moved within 200 delegates of clinching the nomination with his split decision on Tuesday of a win in North Carolina and a narrow loss in Indiana.
It’s time to unite the Democratic Party, he said.
“Hillary, of course, will make the decision as to if and when she ends her campaign. But I hope that she reaches that decision soon so that we can concentrate on a unified party capable of winning the White House next November,” he said.
I assume Hillary remains in the race so that if Barak dies (wink wink …..like Vince Foster) she will be around to take the torch.
Stay in Hillary………Obama is not the person to be President of our Great Nation.
Cmon Hillary supporters….she ran a tough campaign at ther end.
She is not meant to be ……
Chnage is what people voted for, and shes represents old style politics.
We need to united under our nominee!
I voted for Hillary in Indiana yesterday… I will NOT vote for Obama in November.
Its time for Hillary to exit gracefully………than again she has never done anything gracefully so I am unsure why I expect her to do that now. And with any luck she will take Lanny Davis and James Carville with her.
I agree with you Kelly. It’s time for Hillary to step down so that the party can unite. This has gone on long enough. She’s hoping to coerce the superdelegates into going her way and I think that’s really low of her and very “sore loser” at the same time. She will win WV and KY, but it’s not enough…Obama will be close. Indiana really surprised me last night! Kudos to Indiana!
Give it up Hill and start supporting Barack and your party.
And for those who are ‘leaving the party’ and ‘upset that the delegates in Michigan and Florida will not be seat’… go pout, cry and do whatever you need to do to accept that Obama will be the presumptive nominee. If it were the other way around, you would not moan if Obama wanted those States to count in his favor…correct? Of course…
Support your party! The voters, so far, have spoken.
Obama ‘08
I will NOT unite with the Democratic party in Nov.
It is good that there are Rodham supporters that have enough sense to know that she’s been beaten. However, let her keep going until the Primaries are over in June. That way, she will be forced to continue to spend her and Bill’s money on her worthless campaign. Money that was taken by the Clinton’s from the wealthy elitists who line their pockets.
Well we can certainly see why McGovern is a former senator. As I said, I wish the senator all the best but right now America is for sell and Senator Obama is determined to buy it. He has spent $280 million and counting just for the democratic nomination process, well Senator Clinton take heart that a large majority of your supporters have seen the treatment you received and we feel outraged. I’m from a large family of lifelong democratic voters until now. Most of us have already changed our party to either Repblican or Independent. I wonder what the democratic party will do when they see a healthy portion of core democrats defect the party. I say if you have the money and are willing to pay it you to can own the united states of america.
Sharon, George is only syaing what the majority of America already knows; she has no chance at this point and all she will do is further devide the party.
It’s time to move on. I supported Hillary too, but now it is half pass quitting time.
We have to start thinking without all of the emotions and start thinking logical.