Your chance to vote: Should Hillary Clinton quit now or stay the course?

A growing number of people, mostly her opponents, are publicly calling for Sen. Hillary Clinton to withdraw from the Democratic presidential contest and cede victory to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. He leads in both total delegates and the popular votes of past primaries but has yet to gain the number required to win nomination.

This would, of course, essentially render meaningless the votes of Democrats in a bundle of upcoming primary states including Indiana, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Clinton has vowed to continue her struggle, which is her right but could produce a long-term damaging stalemate with accumulating bitterness among Obama supporters, even if she did somehow ultimately win. She's recently talked about taking the fight over disallowed primaries and their delegates in Florida and Michigan to a credentials committee fight in Denver at the national convention.

This strategy effectively consumes valuable general election preparation time and financial resources from whichever Democrat ultimately wins, as the Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, is already campaigning to unify his party, raise money (he's way behind) and set the scope of his personal campaign narrative.

Or put it this way: If the New York Giants had given up well before the....

end of regulation time in this year's Super Bowl, the overwhelmingly-favored New England Patriots would have gone undefeated. Instead, they're playing off-season golf these days and muttering unprintable things to themselves.

What's your opinion? Should Clinton give up now?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[R. Penmark]

What's her face needs to pack up her corrupt, baggage and get her LYING you-know-what off the campaign trail. NOW. Her tactics are tasteless and unnecessary, and an embarrassment to the Democratic Party.
She knows she's lost the race...it's all a sneaky, underhanded ploy to play the sympathy card and shirk additional funds out of all her oblivious supporters in an effort to recoup some of that $5 Million the Clintons "loaned" themselves (from who knows where because they won't release their filthy taxes), with interest (yes, charging her own campaign interest on the money she loaned it).

She will squeeze every drop of blood out of her brethren, and then conveniently drop out before she has to cough up those taxes. Then she’ll play the “unification” card, and thry to make it seem like she’s taken the high road. I can just see it now…the whole thing…playing out.

[virginia Hull]

Hillary Clinton poses a threat to much of the power elite. Her Healthcare plan is all that matters to most Americans. It is Mandated and Obama's is not. This is really way too soon to even ask this question. In fact it is quite suspicious. who paid for this poll. the American Medical Association? Virgini of VIRGINIAINC

[AG]

HILLARY IS A LIAR, AND A POWERMONGER!!!
BARACK SPEAKS TRUTH< HE IS THE FUTURE!!!
BARACK FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[susan]

Obama is really dishonest, refusing to count Florida and Michigan, which would put Hillary ahead. Florida is heavily Jewish and Cuban, two of her demographics, and she does well with blue collar whites, too. Plus pretty well with African Americans, at least until Obama started branding her a racist.

He's playing dishonest lots of ways: today on the View he told Barbara Walters and the gals that judging his spiritual mentor Wright by his hateful, anti-American, anti-white rants was like picking "the five worst moments" and judging someone for them. Yet, he's been beating on Geraldine Ferraro for her ONE statement that he's benefiting from being black at this particular time in history. (just as she was from being a woman 25 years ago -- but then it was a "statement," her ticket never had a chance.)

Lots of people including Maria Shriver, Eric Garcetti locally, etc., have said they're picking Obama because he "looks like America," which means his racial mix. He himself talked about it on the View and all the time -- but if anyone else does, he calls them racist. Totally two-faced and unfair.

First he denied he ever knew about Wright's racist rants, impossible to believe since they've been so close for 20 years. Now he's admitting he did, but has that sneaky excuse which only applies to Wright, not anyone else, certainly no one white like Ferraro or the Clintons, who's proven their non-racist creds back in the years when doing so meant a risk to their careers.

the View Website has an analysis of a book by Wright,and a CBS writer describes it as anti-American and full of racial divisiveness --- the stuff we've heard. (For all his supporters and Obama try to spin it, those rants sound exactly like what Osama Bin Laden's been saying.) But NOW that book has suddenly "disappeared" from the Trinity Church website! So much "transparency."

[Peter]

Jeff -

Please! Put down the red bull and look at something other than thesecret societyconspiracy.com. You're an idiot. For "thinking people" to maximize their wealth and well being it takes a program whereby everyone succeeds. You can't rape and pillage the masses and not have your own situation implode on you. You can be stupid and try- (ie the mortgage brokers of this last credit crisis) and in the short run you may be amass a small fortune but in the long run you 'll fall like a deck of cards. Go ask your mortage broker friend how hes been doing lately. Wealthy "thinking people" know this. Ask Bill Gates if he wants evreyone to be poor. Who will buy the latest most expensive technology? You are the least educated person on this blog.

[W.B. Robinson, Antelope, CA]

The most important thing is to drop the acrimony. We need to focus on the main goal -- to elect a Democratic President that has enough of a margin of victory to help create a Senate and House with large enough majorities to start rectifying all the damage done in the past eight years. The analogy of a football game, etc., that needs to be played until the bitter end is not persuasive for this incredibly drawn out primary system that exhausts far too many resources, human and financial, if it extends, like this one has, over so many months already.

[lorax]

Hillary should quit because of the racial hatred she is using as a campaign strategy. First Bill says Obama is black, like Al Sharption. No big deal his winning SC. Then Geraldine says, Obama is black. He is like an afirmative action candidate. Then Carville, says Gov. Richardson is a Judas. [Because he is betraying the "white" team - team Hillary?] Then Hillary, herself says she wouldn't have Rev. Wright as her pastor [if she was black, like Obama?] In her desparation she keeps reminding the voters that Obama is black (duh). The aim is crass racial politics. We should be done with this. We need to be done with this. She needs to quit because all she can do to stop Obama is to demean him and classify him as the black candidate. She has a fanatic following among women who will vote for a woman no matter how dirty she plays politics. And she wants to add white racists to her coalition. This is bad to the Democratic Party, bad for democracy, and bad for the country. HILLARY QUIT NOW!

[Kathye]

Mr. Malcolm:

With all due respect, many Clinton supporters are not the type who read blogs and get caught up in the Internet thing. Mature women, older voters, etc., are not going to vote in this poll of yours. So it's not surprising that Clinton's numbers are high.

The Dems are looking more appalling by the day. Wimps, all. I've never heard of such a thing as asking a candidate who is statistically even with the frontrunner to step down. Why? Because the young people will get disenfranchised with the system? Well, welcome to the real world. Fully half the Democratic voters think Barack Obama is not ready for the Presidency, myself included.

(Well, if someone doesn't want to come vote, I can't stop them. Thank YOU for coming though!)

I'll fully support Obama if he's the nominee. But how dare these politicians (Leahy, Dodd, Pelosi, et al.) try to circumvent the process and not allow the people to decide. Let the thing proceed.

[Magdalena]

The people who are calling for Hillary to step down are harming the Party, NOT Hillary. I believe this is a deliberate strategy to harm her campaign because they see that she could possibly pull it off. They are blaming her because Obama is down against McCain, not the fact that it has to do with the Wright issue, and they are worried for their own political skins because they are backing Obama.

She should stay in the race at the very least through April. This is a historic race and people are excited to have their voices heard. Trust in the democratic process. It will damage Obama's campaign if her supporters feel that she is being bullied to leave the race when it is still this close.

For true unity we need to feel that Obama has won the nomination fair and square, not brow beat Hillary and her followers into submission.

[Randy]

First, the comment made by "Jeff" is absolutely "TRUE."

For the life of me, I can't understand what exatly is the intellectual basis of this whole thing called ObamaMania.

I've listen to his speeches at least 50 times in it's entirety. I just don't see it.

Obama is an articulate and well connected politician (Kennedy, Kerry, Dodd, Richardson) within the Washington elite. The very thing he says he is not ... he truly is. He is a contnual contradiction.

What is TRULY difference between the Clinton and Obama?

Aside from one is appears to be a black male and the other appears to be a white female there really isn't much.

Let's look a little deeper... Hillary was the First Lady while Bill Clinton was President. Does Hillary have any experiences while as First Lady within the Clinton Administration that gives her a knowledgeable edge over Barack Obama.... PROBABLY. To what extent is this important... SOMEWHAT. What are the largest issues facing our nation and it's people right now.... THE ECONOMY, SOUTHWEST ASIAN WAR, ENERGY DEPENDENCE, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION.

With ALL OF THIS on the table... Based on past experience would another Clinton Administration be the stronger to manage our Government...PROBABLY.

The reason Obama is being favored by the Main Stream Media and the Multi-national Corporations is really quite simple:

1) Obama's appeal to the youth of this country is necessary to "lead them by the nose" through "inspirational" means. Lofty ideals that cost very little and at the same time drive an economic wedge between the young and old. Thereby accomplishing the governments goal of disenfranchising social security pensions.

2) Young people are the physical and emotional energy of a society. If angered they lash out marginalize industrys ability to maximize profits... Corporations a very scared of this scenario. Corporate interests like Obama's ability to motivate the youth coupled with the fact that he is also easily manipulated by Senior members of Congress.

3) And last but not least, THE REAL REASON.... Bill Clinton was a two-term President. By performing eight consecutive years as the Cheif Executive of the United States of America gave him and his wife (Hillary Clinton) vast "knowledge or the inner workings" of the entire goverment of the United States. NOW THIS MAY SHOCK YOU ALL.... Senior Members of Congress and Fortune 500 lobbyists are "really afraid" that Hillary Clinton will not need to ask them for much of anything ... Now, you might ask yourself, Why? Because they already have relationships with every major corporate stock holder on the planet, they know every leader of every country by first name, etc, etc, etc.... Do you get my meaning?

MORE IMPORTANTLY... SENATORS Kennedy, Kerry, Speaker Pelosi, etc. aren't able to hear that sweet "Ka-Ching sound."

WAKE-UP PEOPLE... "IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY, STUPID!"

Please don't wake-up when it's too late....

[douglas]

A fundamental U.S. right is that everybody is entitled to a fair (ideally, transparent) process. The Superdelegates, Michigan and Florida are much messier. Hillary is following rules - Michigan and Florida flaunted them, after signing on! Pennsylvania is a big deal. If Hillary wants to stand up, be heard, and give the voters a choice - then she should do so. And EVERYONE SHOULD LET HER. If the math can never add up, then she should graciously fold her hand. And I'm an Obama supporter! By the way, how long did Huckabee stay "in the race" when it was clear he could not win? Were people this vicious to him?

[Lourdes]

Let Hillary fight till the end, she has the right to do so. She is not hurting her party. What is she doing wrong? Staying in the race? Bravo for her. She is not intimidated by the boys. To the the women and men out there who support HILLARY, good for you for sticking to your choice. To Hillary: keep on fighting, like a Commander in Chief!

As for Obama, I sure don't like this guy. He isn't loyal to his own people, and he isn't a patriot. Don't you get it? Can you see his real colors? He has probably spent endless hours in front of the mirror drilling his personification of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to such perfection that nobody has noticed.He has taken Dr. King's messages and rewritten them so cleverly, that people believe he is genuine. He is not. He is fake.

If he gets elected, I sure hope to be wrong, for the sake of our country.

[vote?]

This isn't a vote. It's just comments. If you're going to advertise a vote, let people simply vote and show the results.

[myshiba]

Obama should drop out for the good of America and Americans.

[Frannie]

Hillary is the only viable candidate.
Too many patriotic citizens will not vote for Obama. He is unpatriotic and anyway not qualified to be President. Bye, bye Barry, bye, bye.

[goldenstate]

Hillary should stay in. Rev. Wright has already destroyed Obama's chances of becoming President. There's too much animosity between Obama supporters and Hillary supporters for a Democrat to win. I think McCain will be the next President.

[skm]

Most certainly STAY and she will get to be the POTUS.

Hillary's 40 references speak loudly to her character. www.thehillaryiknow.com. It is refreshing to have a genuine public servant who has really served the country to be running.

On the other hand, the more we have seen of Barack -- Rezko, Wright, Wright's newsletter with Hamas Manifesto reprint, Auchi, Ayers, Odengo and Barrack's role in Odinga election in Kenya, Meeks and the lies about the year his parents met, the hiding of the middlename and Arab descent, sitting by hateful and anti-American sermons for 20 years, a wife who is not proud to be an American, a redefnition and narrow scoping of hope and unity --- it is all adding up to a "hope chest" without a blue print and a lot of empty rhetoric. So, the more we have seen this, the less we have liked him.

Hillary, your staying in this contest is a national service all by itself. Kudos to you for hanging in there.
I took another look at your plans and solutions in www.hillaryclinton.com/issues and they are even more relevant today. I thank you for your call to Pres. Bush to do some constructive things that you laid out in your Economic Plan for America during your talk last week; particularly appreciate your urging him to act without delay.

You have gained respect and admiration around the world through your innumerable visits and liaison activities with various dignatories.. an experience base that will be critical to building allies and bringing the war to a finish.. and transitioning responsibility to the UN/NATO led peacekeeping forces. Your plan for withdrawal in 60-days is doable IF YOU ARE THE PRESIDENT...AND WE WANT TO BRING BACK OUR SOLDIERS SOOON! Meanwhile, you have worked hard with us to help keep the soldiers safe from IED's and we appreciate that greatly.

You are ready to be COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF and ECONOMIST-IN-CHIEF. You are ready to be the LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.. and the world will view us with greater respect because you will be our leader.

Hillary, you are not only ready, you are READY ON DAY1... You are READY FOR A RUNNING START ON DAY1..

[Cung]

The contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is like the fight between "Beauty and the Beast." Eventually, Hillary, the beauty, will prevail. And she will easily knock out McCain as well. Indeed, she will be THE female president America has awaited since more than 200 years.

[Pat Broussard]

Why not ask Obama to withdraw from the race instead of asking Hillary Clinton to?

[Willy]

Stay in Hill and run the Democratic party, the party of racists and sex maniacs into the dirt. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of idiots!

[JanetP]

How dare Leahy tell the millions of people supporting Sen. Clinton that their time is up? They are supporting with their time, talent and treasure the candidate who represents their interest in this country. This is the American way and it will not be dictated by a supporter of Obama who is trying to influence the election with his sophomoric stunts.

[Anna]

Both are rotten but OBAMA is a wolf in sheeps clothing. Let Hillary run.

The USA has got to be out of it's mind putting OBAMA up for President. You cant keeo exporting your pollution, your economic greed (and global crisis) your ENRONS, your social obliivion and now THIS to the rest of the world. You just had 911 and now this??! Your own Muslim madman as President? This is the result of too much hippy sex and LSD in the 60s? More Hippy mistakes we have to suffer for? Total f'n madness. The USA has no idea what it is doing anymore. It is the BEAST. That's what we all call it now. The BEAST. No one wants to migrate there except from the 3rd world. Look at yourselves.

[Juanita]

If the primary continues --McBush will win

Clinton has been lying about her "experience" from day one. Americans cannot afford a President who lies for no reason in the White House anymore.

[vertigate]

Let's hear what the people who have worked with Hillary have to say about her qualifications.

Clinton administration veteran and Berkeley economist Bradford Delong:

"My 2 cents' worth and I think it is the 2 cents' worth of everybody who worked for the Clinton Administration health care reform effort of 1993-1994 is that Hillary Rodham Clinton needs to be kept very far away from the White House for the rest of her life.

Heading up health-care reform was the only major administrative job she has ever tried to do and she was a complete flop at it. She had neither the grasp of policy substance, the managerial skills, nor the political smarts to do the job she was then given. And she wasn't smart enough to realize that she was in over her head and had to get out of the Health Care Czar role quickly. There is no reason to think she would be anything but an abysmal president"

I find the last part particularly interesting:

"And she wasn't smart enough to realize that she was in over her head and had to get out of the Health Care Czar role quickly."

Kind of reminiscent of the current situation. She seems delusional about her own importance and abilities. Kind of like living in a dreamworld dodging sniper bullets.

[Char]

Bottomline-

Hillary can fight on as long as she wants. It is your money and her time. But you all should wake up, there is no way you can honestly think that Obama's lead in states, votes, and delegates is not going to garner him the nomination. How will they explain that to his supporters?

"Yeah he won by all parameters, but we don't trust your judgement so we the superdelegates decided to dishonor you and give it to Hilary instead."

Not likely at all. They would have no justification and half of the party super pissed off at them. If he wins it fair and square, why not be the good democrat you are and vote the way of the party? I really feel like Hillary lacks character and social skills. But if the Democrats across America chose her through popular vote and pledged delegates, I would most likely vote for her before I would vote for McCain.

But if there is something sneaky done. I and many others would not vote democrat for many elections to come. All it would do is show that Democrats don't value the voice of the people.