No, she shouldn’t give up, not unless there are major losses. People finally have a voice in every corner of the country and their votes finally count. Let them speak!

Yes, it’s over.

Yes she should Jack. She does not have the numbers to win and is only handing the election in November to the Republicans by remaining in this race. While others can ignore the math experts, many do realize that she is out of time and only damaging the Democratic Party by staying. She will also then have to deal with the fall out of going back on their word. While i have no doubt that Bill Clinton would like to take his remarks back, pertaining to the race, that particular cat is out of the bag and he only reinerated what the experts already know.

Hello…I live in Jacksonville, North Carolina and I am a Republican. I believe Hillary should remain in the race for President even if she loses the votes in Texas and Ohio. I am a firm believer in having a choice on each party ticket..I am not sold on Obama…I am not sold on McCain either. If I had a choice right now I would vote for Hillary..She is the best choice of the lottery right now..Believe me I hate to vote Democrate…but the Republican party does not have a viable candidate for me this year….I don’t want any party selecting the candidate for me..By the way..do away with the super delegates votes..Ervin Perry (Retired)

Jack, with out a doubt. I know deep in my heart that IF OBAMA was in Hillary’s positon, he would for the good of the party bow out after tuesday if he did not win by wide margins; that is a person of character and one that believes in the voters and the party. He would also call upon all those that voted for him to vote for Hillary. Bill has also acknowledged that senerio and stated her run would be over. Seems Hillary has gone back on that and now intends to continue to the bitter end. Hmm something wrong with this from my perspective. I would also add that if she does not win by wide magrins of at least +15 to 20% she should back out. She needs to completely eliminate Obamas lead to positon herself for an ultimate victory, other wise she is just dragging it out which will cause the Democratic Electorial College to make the final decision. That will cause the Democratic party to collaps within. OBAMA has managed to create such a large draw of new voters that anthing that does not recgonize those voters will more than likely cause the party to self destruct again.

Yes, It would not even be a question on the race going on now if Obama had lost 11 strait contests. The Democrats would be clamoring for him to leave the stage. The Supers would start shifting to Hillary in Groups of 10. So while the Clinton Campaign is whining out there for one reason or another about the Press being at fault, maybe they should think about the fact the people are also speaking.

Yes, she should quit if she loses EITHER Texas or Ohio. She’s moved the goal posts so often she could get a job with an NFL ground crew.

No. Just like todays new NAFTA battle, Obama could slip up in a bad way. If people see that Obama is telling them what they want to hear with no intention of following through, then his campain could start to unravel. Super Delegates could start to ralley around Hillary Clinton and keep her alive in this race. She doesn`t have to try to sink him. If she hangs around long enough, he will sink himself. That is what Mike Huckabee is waiting for. Although unlikely, at any time all of these candidates take the risk of political destruction every time they open their mouth.

Yes Hillary should drop out, it is time to say enough. It is so hard to listen to her negative attacks on Obama she brings 35 years of negativity and bitterness to this race and people are tired of it.

In the wise and profound words of Robert Francis Kennedy and I quote” Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator, and change has it’s enemies.” end of quote.
Hillary is now the enemy and it is time to let hope, optimism and progress take over.
From Canada

Hi Jack,

I think that Hillary should not, NOT drop out of the race if she loses both Texas and Ohio, look at what’s happing on the other side, for months people have been saying that McCain will get the nod, but looks whos still there, Mike Huckabee and Good ol’ Rob Paul, so no Hillary should stay in the race. that’s what I think, but what do you think Jack?

Hillary can now afford to stay in until Florida quite possibly does its primary over again.

Here is my question - The State of Hillay’s Union:
When Barack Obama talks about love and caring our level of faith in his words may well stem from our belief that he is in a “real” and loving relationship with his wife Michelle. In stark contrast to that is a vague and unsettling feeling that Hillary and Bill Clinton’s union is less like a loving marriage and more like a political business partnership. The Clinton’s, it seems to me, to have been sending a “It’s none of your business.” message that I just don’t think that works or sells. Does a happily married candidate make voters feel a stronger sense of trust in the candidate?

Jack,
Heaven NO. Until the required delegates are reached, the contest should GO ON. No one knows what might happen: the American people might come to their senses and realize that Senator Obama is a made-up character for Hollywood; OR, Senator Obama might come to his senses and ENDORSE HILLARY (THE BETTER CANDIDATE) …
Burt…

Absolutely not, as more and more comes out about B.O., people are going to rethink whom to give their support to. Let’s not give the Republicans another cake walk!

While Barak Obama would have to be awakened at 3 am, Hillary Clinton wouldn’t need to be.
She’s probably still up at 3 am, wondering where Bill is.

Quite frankly I am tired of hearing and seeing both these candidates. Yes, Hillary should drop out if for nothing else, at least to keep the Democratic Party unified. I also think she should drop out if she does not win those states by large margins. If she does win by double digits in both states, I hope that the party can sit down and work together for a solution and we will not have to wait until August to get our candidate. It would be a shame to have McCain campaigning for President and the Democrats have not even settled on a candidate.

Why should people nail the lid shut on Hillary’s campaign before it stops breathing….. and, By the Way, talking about it only gives potential voters the idea she is all through before the campaign is over… I grant you, her campaign at this point seems to be pulled along kicking and screaming by Hillary’s persistance and energy… You could say she has taken the “g” out of the word “campain” NEVER THE LESS, please give her a break and let HER be the “decider” in this one.
I AM a very enthusiastic fan of hers even though my vote was disenfranchised by Howard Dean. (Florida Voter) grrrr. ( HE is another whole subject for a question in the future. ) from Mary in Sarasota FL.

Yes. She should start mending fences and get the best political minds behind Obama to help him in any way they can. We simply cannot afford to lose this election. We need a grand plan to not only include the Presidential race but every Senate or Congressional seat held by a right wing conservative as well. He’ll need those votes to accomplish his plans, and for that to happen we need everyone on board and everyone on the same page. The sooner the better.

I would like to know why Barack Obama is always refered to as the first African American running for President? When actually he is the first Bi Racial American to run for the presidency

Jack,

Clinton should give up if she loses either Texas or Ohio. She wouldn’t want to be seen as a “Huckabee Xerox!” Now that I’ve written to this blog numerous times, be a good sport and send me a copy of your new book for crying out loud.

Jack,

Why does Hillary’s mandate for kindergarden for 4 year olds never get mentioned. This would raise everyones taxes 10%(in states with property taxes that support public schools other states would have same impact but financed differently). People are just listening to the speeches and not looking at details on the candidates platforms. Wake them up you do this so well.

I am a feminist but this time I believe that Hillary should do as her husband says.

If she wants to appear gracious, she will drop out. If she wants to stay in and try to claw her way to the nomination, it will be ugly and do damage to any future she may have in the Senate.

Sometimes you just need the judgment to know when it’s over.

If Hilliary doesn’t win Texas or Ohio she needs to consider and say to herself,” I feel that that I have climbed my last political mountain. ” We have to do more than just elect a new President if we truly want to change this country. She will probably tell herself, as she lies awake in bed at night, what did I do wrong; and a little voice will answer her saying it going to take more than one night to answer that.

Not only does she need to win but she needs to win huge. She need to sufficiently close the pledged delegate gap. The democrats like both of the candidates and those who support her say they have no problem supporting Obama. The problem is that many of those who support Obama would not support her.

As I see it this could hurt the democrats and send many over to McCain in the general election. If she is truly sincere that she cares about all Americans and the party we will certainly know the answer by the end of the week if she has a poor showing.

Ann, Charlotte, NC

Hillary doesn’t seem to understand, but this is about change for regular Americans. As an Independent in Florida, I am prepared to vote against any incumbent running in any election on my ballot. Hillary’s (and McCains) experience just looks like the same old thing that got us into this mess. I am ready for change, and will vote that way in November.

Actually, if she doesn’t win by a large enough margin to give her a significant delegate lead, she should do her party a favor and drop out so that we can then begin focusing on the general. At the moment she is only giving ammunition to the Republican Party in the General.

Even if she doesn’t drop out, I believe that the super delegates will coalesce around Obama and make the decision for her.

Yes, because she fought the good fight and it’s time to wrap this thing up. So that we can start gathering money to use in order to beat the Republicans and their right wing extremist followers. We need to become a country of hope and peace again. Only with an Democratic President, this will be possible. Sylvania Ohio.

If hilary loses both contests, she should absolutely drop out. At that point Obama would have a overwhelming lead. I think if that happens Hilary should get the message, democrats want change not the same old Washington politics shes been a part of. Hilary should conceed and put her full support behind Senator Obama so the Democrats can present a united front, and focus on beating McCain instead of continuing to fight with each other.

Jack, Hillary definitely should bail out and save the money for 2012 when she will run again, and Amy pohler can be her running mate,and Loren Michaels can be her campaign manager.chuck Indiana

I think she should only drop out if she loses both Texas and Ohio. Both are big states, and she normally wins big states.

If she loses both then that suggests that Obama has stolen what’s left of her dwindling mojo. However, if she wins one big state, along with another small state (Rhode Island or Vermont), then she still has a little fight in her left. Then, Obama can go for the kill in Pennsylvania.

Here’s my question to you: If Mr. Obama doesn’t win both Texas and Ohio tomorrow, should he quit the race?

Mary Jo in Chicago, Illinois

Yes. If Clinton does not win both Texas and Ohio, then it will mean that she can not succeed in getting the majority of ELECTED delegates. If she then continues her quest for the nomination without a majority of ELECTED delegates, she either fails (but does damage to Obama), or she obtains the nomination through a tainted process and sets up a scenario for millions of Democrats (like this 57 year old life-long Democrat) to pass on voting in the Presidential race in November or worse, to vote for McCain.

Of course not! She is more relivant than Huckabee, Paul or Nader and they are still out there. Let this play out and maybe we might get someone out of that convention that all Democrats can vote for. Hopefully it won’t be either one of them!!

I think if she wins Ohio and loses Texas by a small margin, she should go on the Pennsylvania. If she loses there, she should quit. She’s not that far behind on delegates and I think one last ditch effort would not be that bad for the party. Anyone else would keep going. She’s fighter not a quitter. Everyone is so critical of her…..give her a break already. Sheesh!

No Jack, all voters should be heard and all votes should count. Many states have not voted in the primary yet and thier voices should be heard. Hillary should not quit because the race is very close. Obama did not quit when Hillary was ahead in delegates. Eventually the news media might pick up on Obama’s connections with Rezco & Ayers and other shady characters and the voters might realize that Obama is only a media creation.

If this campaign is her last run for the White House, she should stay in the race. Otherwise, she should bow out gracefully on Tuesday. It’s good sportsmanship, and in the long run, a smarter move.

Jack,
Sen. Clinton’s campaign has changed their message continuously throughout this process. Even though the message from her own husband just 2 short weeks ago was that Hillary couldn’t become president without wins in both Ohio and Texas, now the message is Obama needs to “sweep” on Tuesday just to remain a viable candidate. I’m getting motion sickness from just trying to keep up with all the spin! I think that if this continues, the Democratic Party does stand to suffer, especially if the past 4 days of negativity is any indication. If Hillary stays in and continues to stray off message, get ready for 4 more years of the status quo.

While it’s technically true that Clinton has the right to remain in the race for as long as she wants, at some point even she needs to acknowledge the difference between the national interest and her own self-interest. If Obama wins both big states on Tuesday by even 3-5 percent, it will be next to impossible for Clinton to make that up mathematically in the races to come, and at that point she really ought to put her ego aside and accept that she simply isn’t what Democratic voters want.

It’s a free country, so she should run as long as she wants too. One problem, though: By throwing the “right wing” playbook at Obama (ie, playing the media conspiracy card). Her damage to Obama will cause the Superdelegates to look hard at mitigating any further damage to Obama. She can’t get to the nomination without about 60-70% of the remaining unpledged delegates, including the superdelegates. As the right wing always said about the Clintons, they’ll do anything to win, to include destroying the Democratic party’s chances in November in order to save ther own skin!

Hillary will get out when the time is right. No one, not even Hillary, wants to be known as the Huckabee of the Democratic Party.

Jack,
She should quit if she fails to win either one, not just both. The math is against her and instead of ridiculing Obama for the charisma she lacks it’s time she started supporting his message of change. Also, if she does concede shortly after the primaries tomorrow I promise to revise my opinion of her and give her more of the credit she probably deserves.

If Hillary Clinton does not win both Texas and Ohio by large margins, she should take her own husband’s advice and call it quits after Tuesday. She has lost the last 11 contests in landslide elections. If she can’t win these states, she’s toast. Polls are even showing her lead dwindling in Pennsylvania lately. The national gallup poll shows Obama’s lead widening across the country. If she doesn’t quit soon, she will be looked at the same as Huckabee for the GOP.

She should drops out even if she loses just one of them. If she is not able to win both of these states, she will not be able to win the nomination. By staying in the race all she will be doing is hurting the democratic party by causing Obama to still focus on the nomination rather then start pre-paring and campaigning for the general election.

Bucks County, PA

Sure, on the surface it looks like an open and shut case. But do we really have enough information to make this decision? Maybe we don’t know all the facts. We are talking politics here and it is not uncommon to have secret deals made in the political arena. We kid ourselves when we think this is only about the delegates won by each campaign, that is only what we see on the surface. It may be a long time before the Democrats have a candidate and it may not be a bad thing.

I believe she has already stayed in too long. I know it must be tough to take a “hard” look at your real position. She has lost 11 straight contests and is losing (apparently from the polls) the very large, double digit, leads she has held in states where she should do very well. If she loses either Texas or Ohio I believe she should drop out so that the Democratic Party can unite behind its candidate. I also think that is will be difficult to continue with the look of legitimacy after Bill Clinton came out and said that Texas and Ohio are must win for her to continue. If she loses one or more of those how can she go forward after a statement like that?

I’ll say the same thing about Sen Clinton as I’ve said about Gov Huckabee. The only person that gets to determine when they’re done is the candidate. The math makes it difficult for Sen Clinton to win and impossible for Gov Huckabee, however, both of them are entitled to continue the race as long as they feel able - and can afford to do so. I must admit though the situation in both cases reminds me of a chess tyro playing against a grand master and defending his king with those last two pawns right to the death. Well, maybe Sen Clinton has three pawns and a rook left.

Jack, as lifelong Democrat, with only a few experimental votes to the Republicans, I can only hope that Hillary will do what is right for the Dems after Tuesday. Not only is she pulling the party apart and giving the Republicans ammo for the National Election, the Clintons are driving down their time in the White House. What we remember as good times for the Democratic Party in the 90’s is becoming overshadowed by the dirty politics of this campaign. Hillary, I loved your tenacity back then but you are at risk of becoming a leech on the party. Please bow out gracefully!

Why in the world would she drop out!? She’s the more knowledgeable of the two Democrats and I believe more knowledgeable than McCain. Obama keeps saying he did not vote for the war. Well, he wasn’t even there to vote on the invasion. As far as that goes, Clinton and the rest of them did not vote for the war, but for a hard line with Iraq. Bush took it to mean he could do whatever he liked with their votes. And as to Bush, isn’t he the guy that everyone just loved and thought he was just the nicest fella, a guy you could have a beer with? Doesn’t that sound a lot like Obama? And both of them want to change the world. Come on, people, having had Bush for two terms is enough for me in a lifetime. I’ll go for experience and know-how…not hoping that being a nice guy will fix everything. As to advisers, look what Bush’s advisers did. Hillary, don’t you dare back out! People might wise up yet. The election could be far different than what we’ve seen heretofore. Go, girl!

Yes, of course - even Bill Clinton thinks so. This year the Democrats were blessed with 2 strong candidates, but Barack Obama has more universal appeal, pulling in Independents like myself. But if Obama doesn’t win Ohio and Texas, this blessing becomes a curse for the Democrats and divides them. The more Hillary “fights” by ranting, the more divisive and unpleasant she becomes. The Democratic party should intervene for their own sake, as well as the rest of us who wants to give Barack Obama a chance to provide our country with the quality of leadership our country needs to tackle all of our foreign and domestic troubles.

I’m no fan of Romney or his platform, but I have to admit that when he pulled out of the Republican race, he showed grace and class.

Hillary runs the risk of loosing (more) grace and looking like someone who is more interested in self-promoting than the actual direction this country takes in the end..what is best for her party, and her country.

If Hillary doesn’t do well in tomorrow’s primaries, a class exit with grace and sincerity may do her well to come back in four years. Lack of grace, or even worse–looking like a poor loser, may seal any future runs she could possibly have left in her career. It could also hurt the future democratic race for the Presidential. McCain is already focusing on the general election.

Hillary Clinton should stay in the race regardless of any adverse outcome come Tuesday’s election. She is a strong candidate. Obama and Clinton have similar messages, resulting in style over substance as the significant factor in this race. Granted, the ability to inspire is no small thing, but one needs to be clear as to why one is inspired. Hillary needs substance to inspire, if not style …she needs to further emphasize her experience of smart decisions and clarify her direction as distinguished from Obama.

I must confess that I am an Obama Supporter but I still believe she has every right to continue if she chooses. No matter who the candidate may be, it takes extraordinary courage to stand in front of an entire Nation and run for this office. I do worry, however, that an ongoing (and increasingly hostile) dispute could very well dampen the enthusiasm of the young voters that are showing up in droves. This is something we have waited for decades to see and to undermine that now would be a tremendous loss for all of us. Hopefully it will be settled tomorrow and we can move on.

I don’t think she can drop out. Jack, Obama has won 11 elections in a row, and outspent Hillary 2 to 1 in Ohio, and he’s still behind in the Ohio polls! Yes, he’s getting support from uninterested voters or independents, but he’s still not speaking to the base of the party. If he can’t win in places like Ohio or Florida, we’re just handing the election to McCain in the fall.

He has won 11 contest in a row. Translation, she has loss 11. So, should she get out? Yes. He keeps meeting and exceeding camp Clinton’s expectations, and she has yet to meet or exceed anything besides fund raising-which by the way he also beats her…..Regardless, I was all for her staying in but this moving the goal posts and so much spin is just silly. So not only will I vote for him tomorrow, but I will caucus for him tomorrow evening. In fact Jack, if I have to be at the caucus site for 3 days straight, then so be it. She should know when to throw in the towel for goodness sakes.

No , I live in NC we have not even voted yet , she needs to fight hard to the end this is a true hero’s way of fighting , it is all or none - this country is worth it and we need her,

Yes - she should drop out if she does not with BOTH Texas and Ohio. The ONLY thing Hillary is doing right now, as of recent, is providing the Republicans material to exploit Obama in the general election due to her negative ads she just released. Hillary might feel as though she is winning the battle…but she is losing the war for the Democratic party and the countless independents and Republicans that are supporting Obama.

If she overstays her welcome more than 1 day after losing either Texas or Ohio she will be equivilant to that houseguest that just won’t leave.

Chris - Alpharetta, GA

Why should she get out after Tuesday when she can be dubbed the Mike Huckabee of the Democratic Party? We can all see how well thats worked out for him. I suppose something is better than nothing though. But in all seriousness, I was originally a Clinton supporter until the way her campaign began conducting around the time of South Carolina. And then was completely turned off when she began talking about why the superdelegates should overrule the will of the people. She just comes across like she is more interested in the Presidency for herself rather than for the people in this country. Barack Obama comes across as the opposite.

Hillary Clinton should not quit. She is the only real choice for Democrats, the only one with the background and experience for the job. As she says - she will be ready to go to work on day #1. Unfortunately, Obama just does not have enough experience - let him try again in 4 years.

If Hillary does not win BOTH Ohio and Texas tonight by more than 5% she needs to drop out of the race. Sometimes, it is not about personal ambition, rather the importance of your values. The more Senators Obama and Clinton fight for the nomination, the less likely a democrat will be in office next year. If she truly believes in improving health care, the US standing around the world, and other issues treasured by the democratic party—she will end the race.

If she doesn’t win with substantial margins in both Texas AND Ohio, Hillary should most definitely sit down. All that’s happening now is a tremendous waste of campaign dollars as democrats fight each other so they’ll be worn out for the upcoming GOP fight. Hillary has already proven to be yesterday’s news.

If Hillary stays in the race she will be helping the republicans in November. If she really loves this country like she says she does, she has to drop out of this race to give the democrats a chance to win the general election.

I don’t see anyone pressuring Mike Huckabee to get of the race. He’s not even within striking distance to claim the Republican nomination. Why the double standard??? Could it be Obama supporters are afraid that the Rezco trial (beginning today) and NAFTA gate could tarnish Obama and hence point to a lack of credibility or judgement???

Yes. Hillary Clinton has mounted a respectable campaign and sharpened the debates, but it would be time to step aide and allow the will of the people to be realized. Further rationalizing and excuses would only be self serving and harmful to the effort to reclaim our country and our image in the world.

Polls as long ago as August of last year showed that she never had a chance of beating the Republican candidate. All she is doing is hurting the chances of the Democrat who can. In politics as in real life, you have to know how to lose.

Is Obama going to get out if Hillary should win Texas and Ohio tomorrow? I have no doubt he would take this all the way to the convention, regardless of tomorrow’s results and Hillary should do the same.

Chris

No she shouldn’t. Neither candidate will have enough pledged delegates to win the nomination even if one candidate carries all the remaining states leading up to the convention. Both campaigns hopes rest on the will of the automatic(super) delegates.

No. It’s not her style to give up. It’s one of the many things that make her great. There is absolutely nobody more “right” for the incredible task ahead of the next president. Go Hillary!

She should stay in the race until it is statistically impossible for her to win. When and if that time comes, she ought to hang it up and throw her support behind her party’s nominee. Seems fairly obvious to me.

Hillary Clinton should stop the negative direction her campaign has headed and drop out of the race if she does not win all states tomorrow. She needs to consider the greater good of the country and the unity of the democratic party. I was a big supporter of hers until her campaigning took such a shrill nasty tone. I am from Texas and I recently decided to vote for Obama instead of Clinton.

I think Hillary Clinton should make her own decision on whether to stay in the race or not, even if she does not win.

However, if her plan is to continue to try to tear Barack Obama down with the openly dirty political tactics that her team has used, then she should get out before she ruins her own legacy and her husband’s along with it.

As parents we teach our children to be graceful winners and respectful losers. Right now those lessons seem to be lost on the Clinton campaign.

If she loses, should she drop out? Only if she wants a Democrat in the White House come January of next year. The best case scenario for Hillary win, lose or draw on Tuesday is that she stays in the race, trailing Obama by 100-150 pledged delegates all the while and then 500 of the nearly 800 super delegates go her way in Colorado. Hillary may stick it out til convention and come away with the nomination, but if it comes to that she cannot win the Presidency. No Democrat could at that point.

Frankly, the Clinton camp is so stubbornly searching for a way to make her the nominee if she was going to drop out she would have done so by now.

Clinton has every right to stay in as long as she wants and continue to undermine and destroy her party and its inevitable nominee.

Then when Senator Obama loses– a result of being weakened by a split Democratic party and enduring attacks from all sides– his young, independent voters more cynical and demoralized than ever, and surely no longer in the Democratic camp…she can say, “I told you so.”

Then she and Ralph Nader can go on a “Don’t Blame Us” tour together.

I’ve said this before . Hillary still thinks its politics as usual and she is not reading the hand writing on the wall that she running against a movement and not a politician like herself. She needs to be experienced enough to know its time to quit and let the party come together.

Given that momentum has been such a huge component of this race, even narrow victories in Texas and Ohio by Senator Clinton could change the political landscape in the Democratic party. Love it or hate it, the media likes sensationalist stories and a Clinton comeback provides quite the story line. If you buy into the media influencing the election, you can be sure that even narrow Clinton victories will be viewed as a chance to continue the exciting storyline of this primary race.

She should drop out for the best interests of the party, and for her own best interests. If she leaves now, she can still run again in 2012 if McCain wins the general, or in 2016. If she fights this thing out on a national stage until the convention — a fight she has no chance whatsoever to win — her chance to ever become President will be finished. In this day and age, you only get one opportunity in the spotlight, and I don’t think it makes any sense for her to take hers here. It’s over. She needs to move on if she ever hopes to move forward.

I support Obama and I don’t believe she should “have to” quite the race. She has every right to stay in it.

Overall, I think it’s great that we have two very strong Democratic nominees. As a former Republican, I’ve called over a hundred neighbors to please support Obama and I’ve probably emailed another hundred. I’ve seen Democratic interest in this election continue to grow across the country not only because of Obama’s calll for change and his ability to unite all people but also because of Clinton.

This means Democrats will stand a much likelier chance of winning in November due to all the new voters we’ve generated and the excitement that continues to build over getting rid of Bush’s failed policies. I love it!

no, she should stay in till someone has the 2025 delegates needed to win. otherwise this should go to the convention. there is a system in place for dealing with close elections. why should she forfeit just because it doesnt look good right now?

I am an OBAMA supporter, but I don’t think she should quit the race. I believe every state should have their primaries and caucus then if none of the candidate have the delegates needed, the superdelegates should vote for the person with the most popular vote and the most delegates.
THAT’S THE FAIR WAY TO DO IT.
OBAMA 08

if hillary loses both texas and ohio, she should drop out.
if hillary wins both texas and ohio tomorrow, obama should drop out.

keevan d. morgan
chicago, illinois

I am not a Hillary supporter, and I have switched to a declared independent as opposed to Democrat. Despite this, I feel its up to Hillary to decide when is right. She still has extremely large amounts of support among the country (although one of my problems with her is that she probably has just as many who adamantly despise her and could be polarizing). President Abraham Lincoln was not at all assumed to win the Presidential race of 1860 but on the night of the party convention he managed to secure the nomination. I don’t believe Hillary is anything close to Lincoln, but as long as her support doesn’t dissolve she always has a chance, especially seeing as how Obama is considered untested and could still trip over his own feet. If every uncommitted delegate and “super delegate” was to switch support who knows what could happen.

Jack, why should she get out? Obama hasn’t won yet. If the people would really concentrate on the issues,they will see that Hillary has the best ideas and soultions. Obama is a good speaker, but that is all.
He is just a media darling.

The man can’t even do the job that the peolpe of Illinois elected to do as their senator. And he wants to lead this great nation? Do we as a nation, want that kind of individual as our president? I think not.

To use a word from Bill Clinton, it all depends on the meaning of the word “win”. She should quit if she either lose both states or loses one of them by a large lead.

No I don’t think Hillary should drop out, especially if she losses Texas by a narrow margin. At this stage in the game I still think they are evenly matched and the delegate count is not past the point of no return for her.
Personally I think Obama’s luster is slowly eroding and Democrats are going to have to take another long hard look at the hype.

Justin

Dear Jack,

It seems to me that Hillary is creating the famous Democratic circular firing squad. She is dividing the party. I am a Democrat who would rather vote for John McCain than to vote for a Clinton return to the White House. Let’s please have an honest debate between Obama and McCain. Enough with the primaries. Seven more weeks to PA . . . yikes.

South Dakota

Hillary should drop out. Can’t she understand that the country has had enough of the Clintons and the Bushes and their old-Washington politics? It’s time for change, so let Obama take his rightful place and get the country united and moving.

No way should she quit. I mean this like one of the reality shows on MTV or VH1. Contestants are all “Why can’t we just get along” when face to face then try to bad slant on your record to show why the other guy wouldn’t be the best choice. I really don’t know whos going to win the nomination but its almost hilarious listening to the retoric they are spouting.

I think those who are saying tomorrow should be D-Day desire for the Democratic Party to be united after a long and hard-fought primary season. The longer the democrats duke it out, the more time Republicans have to launch attacks and unite under John McCain. The Democrats want a front-runner as well. There is a lot of excitement generated by Obama … a lot of voter turnout. Indications are that turnout would not be as high, nor would there be as much excitement surrounding Hillary. I was in college in 1992 when Hillary came to my university to campaign for her husband. He was seen as the new guy, coming to bump out the old guard. Much like Obama is today. Funny how this has come back around.

I am a 57-year-old white female who voted for Bush in the 2000 election, the only way I could find to show my disgust with the way the Clintons (plural) embarrassed and demeaned the country during their reign in the White House. I am now an enthusiatic Obama supporter. If Hillary wins the nomination, I will join the millions of other Americans who will instantly lose their enthusiasm for the Democratic party’s candidate. Character really does matter.

Am I the only one who senses a “you owe me the job” attitude from Hillary? Every time I hear her speak I get the same feeling. Well, I don’t “owe” her anything. Let the numbers speak…and she doesn’t have them.

No way. The race is still very close. There are many things that could happen prior to the convention that could tip the results to her. She has come this far she should not be a quitter at this point just because some people want party unity.

Jack
The time has come for the Democrats to have a clear nominee going into November. Whatever happens tomorrow, Obama will still hold a significant lead in the delegate count. Furthermore, we have seen a significant reduction in Hillary’s lead over the past week, a clear indication that as people get to know Obama, they more they are drawn to his candidacy.

I understand that the media and America are having a field day with the Democrats selection but the GOP is cementing their base to fight the Dems. Hillary should do herself and the pary a favor and endorse Obama on Wednesday morning.

I think that Hillary’s campaign is a sinking ship and the desperation is obvious. She had big leads in both Ohio and Texas just a few weeks ago and now Obama not winning any of the 4 states is a big win for her? I think there is a big groundswell for a new kind of politics in America. Obama may not be the most experienced person running, but where has this so called experience gotten us lately? An economy going into the tank, a congress that is more concerned with baseball than the future of America, and a reputation around the world that hasn’t been lower in our history.

Hillary does not have the numbers but it does not look like she will give up easily. She is tearing the Democratic party apart and chances are that Obama supporters will never vote for her given the negative ads she has run! In the end it seems that Obama’s strategy of not going negative on Hillary may have been too noble - does not work!

Jack, I think if she loses both Texas and Ohio, she should drop out. But if she wins Ohio and Rhode Island (or Vermont), she should fight on. In a way I feel sorry for her - if she continues the fight for the nomination, she gets tagged as stubborn and egotistical. If she drops out, she’ll be called a quitter. She’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.

If the tables were turned and it was Obama, I believe he would make the right judgment call and get out. Hillary doesn’t know how to make a good judgment call because when she had the chance to do so on the Irag war, she didn’t get it right. Her so-called experience is only about winning at all costs.

Woodbridge, VA

NO she shouldnt quit . We will need an alternative.The whole truth about Obamas realtionship to REZKO the indicted slum lord has yet to come out.When it does folks will realize they have been duped as its clear Obama does all the things he says he is against.NAFTA isnt the only things.Just google REZKO to see just some of the REZKO/Obama realtionship.
Hillary has and still does walk the walk. Obama just talks the talk and this will in time become clear and the Democratic party will need to turn to Hillary.

There will be a point at which it will be mathematically impossible for one or the other to win. At that point, one or the other should step down.

Mike

Manassas, VA

Tomorrow, when both Ohio and Texas will be holding democratic primaries, could be Hilary Clinton’s last day running for the democratic nomination. Clinton recently said the she is “just warming up”, indicating that she may not be ready to drop out of the race even if she does not have a win tomorrow. While she certainly has a strong following and has not been blown out of the water by Obama, primary season has been almost excruciating to watch as the two democratic hopefull have advanced their race into March. This could be potentially damaging to whoever does get the nomination. McCain has had this extra time to exploit the weaknesses of his future competitor and will continue his campaign tour after taking the weekend off. Clinton and Obama, meanwhile, are still taking shots at one another and exposing one another’s weaknesses . If Obama wins tomorrow, Clinton should realize the bell has rung and that she should step out of the race.

Clinton should not quit. We need a strong person to lead our country in these global times. Obama has no experience and his words are shallow. He also is beginning to sound boring with his “non-answer ” responses

no i don’t think she should drop out. if she should i will vote for mccain. she is the only chance the middle and poor class people have. who in their right mind would vote for obama

Seeing as how I live in Oregon and we don’t get to vote in the primaries until May, I want Clinton to stay in the race to keep it interesting.

Jack,

A resounding YES! I would offer that unless Ms. Clinton wins both Texas and Ohio by HUGE margins, she should get out. I would hope that for the sake of the party (and the country) she would gracefully accept that she is not the right candidate for the times. Obama has shown that he can both inspire and lead and has the judgment needed to allow America to move forward. Hillary would do well to become a team player and support him. I’m sick of listening to her whine. If she is having such difficulty handling this, how in God’s name would she handle being president and the pressures that come with that?

Although I am an adamant Obama supporter, I think Hillary should not drop out unless she wants to. I think that competition up the convention is healthy, as it gives both candidates time to grow. They’ve only been in the primary race for three months now, I think a few more months of campaigning is necessary.

It shouldn’t take a “bad” day for Sen. Clinton to leave the race, because unless she scores a couple of blowouts in Texas and Ohio, she will still be behind in the pledged delegate count. And after all her shenanigans–such as trying to game the system to take delegates from Michigan and Florida; marginalizing Democratic voters and caucusgoers in every state she doesn’t win; trying to reframe the rules in Nevada and Texas at the eleventh hour; and feeding misleading media narratives about a fellow Democrat–she doesn’t deserve to be the Democratic nominee, especially not courtesy of unelected superdelegates.

No - Hillary shouldn’t give up. The Republicans have been backing Obama and they’re just waiting for Hillary to bow out. They’ve got an arsenal of Obama dirt to unleash and they’ll be running plays right out of Karl Rove’s playbook. They’ll attack Obama on every front: marital issues, his middle name, lack of experience, business dealings, questionable contributions to his campaign, etc.

Also, once Hillary’s out of the way, you can count on a national security issue to come up between now and the election. Stir up the pot, make sure that people are plenty scared.

If Hillary bows out, we WILL have a Republican president.

Hillary should stay in all the way to the convention. I suspect she’s going to win big in OH and by a smaller margin in TX and will probably win in PA as well. It’s finally a horse race and the media is looking hard at Sen. Obama. Let’s finish the primaries before we write off either candidate. Lot’s can happen between now and August. I say let the voters decide, not the media who seem to want to write their own narrative, probably because they can reduce the cost of keeping so many reporters in the field.

Elizabeth, Arlington, VA

Jack, it’s refreshing to have two qualified democratic candidates, and the more we learn about each one, the better informed our votes will be. Neither Hillary nor Obama should bow out. It ain’t over ’til it’s over!

Clinton should drop out if she loses either Texas or Ohio. Obama has already won more delegates, states and votes and has had to overcome the Clinton machine. He obviously is the future of the Democratic Party and the nation and after Tuesday it is time to move to the national campaign.

The race will still be tight whomever wins tomorrow!
The American political system won’t be much of a beacon to the world, if the primary election gets ‘called’ before the remaining states have their vote. If Hillary is forced out of the race, a lot of states will have disenfranchised voters, whom never got a chance to have their say!

Why are so many pundits so anxious for Hillary to be out of the race? I’m a Democrat from Pennsylvania, and I am leaning toward Obama; but I would like to see a competitive race carried into our state in April. It seems that all of the talking heads are practically frothing at the mouth in anticipation of Hillary dropping out. Geesh! It’s still a close race(1389 delegates for Obama, 1279 for Hillary at last count). Let the race play out for as long as it takes! I seem to sense some momentum actually swinging back toward Hillary(perhaps a little bit of Obamamania backlash). I think they are both in this thing through every state….pundits be damned!

Senator Clinton should stay in the race. Senator Obama may have victories, but the majority of them are not major, only narrow margins. With tag-along Huck staying in the Republican race, who can rightly say Clinton should drop out when she’s not as far behind as he is? By the way, I’m an Independent from Marietta, GA and I plan to vote for McCain.

Since when are we to expect any politician to do the right thing for either their party or their country. 90% of the politicians in this country spend 90% of their time making sure they are re-elected. If Clinton loses both Ohio and Texas the rationale thing to do would be to step aside. I wouldn’t want to make book on that happening.

Jack! First let me say i really enjoy you on the situation room. As far as Hillary, I will say this, she should make up her own mind as to whether she stays beyond Texas and Ohio. I would hope that she realizes the importance of this election and do what is best for the nation. The dems need to retake this country and make sense of things once again.

diallo

Although I detest the negative advertising of the Clinton campaign, I don’t think she will (nor necessarily should ) pull out after March 4th. I think she’ll make Obama a better campaigner, prepared for the Republican slime, and hopefully he’ll hit McCain with a lot more stuff than Clinton, whose policies were more similar. I’d like Clinton to get out gracefully at some point for the good of the party (as well as the American people which she loves to invoke in her own cause), but I don’t think they’ll do it until the majority of super-delegates make her see the impossibility of her cause.

Yes. Since the Media has refused to do any investigating of Senator Obama’s background, he has gotten a free ride since announcing. If I were Hillary and Bill I would do what Joe Lieberman did to the Democratic Party when they snubbed him. I would support the only Qualified Candidate, besides Hillary, John McCain. Isn’t that what we want our Politicians to do, do what is best for America rather than for a Political Party?

Ken Moulton
Moultonboro, NH

I am a staunch Clinton supporter, but I truly believe she would be hurting the party’s chances in Novemebr if she loses Texas and Ohio and does not withdraw from the race. Hillary’s chances in the Presidential contest were dependent on her ability to not only unite the Democratic base, but to have a strong showing among independents. Obama’s support now equals Hillary’s among the Democratic base, and his numbers are overwhelmingly better among independents.

The current version of John McCain, which is little more than “Bush Lite,” would be a disaster for the country. It is time for the Democrats to unite and begin to build on Obama’s momentum.

No- Hillary shouldn’t drop out of the race until the Democratics of America have chosen who they wish to represent them. It’s naive to think the Democratic party will swell up and explode if she remains. That’s just tactic from her rivals and utter ignorance if anyone actually believes it.

No, I don’t believe that Hilary should give up even if she doesn’t win on Tuesday. At the moment I believe that folks are siding with Barack because he is saying what they want to hear - everyone wants change and something to believe in. Many of us are struggling and discouraged with the economy. I don’t believe that Hilary is any different from Barack in wanting change, but she is providing more substantial and specific ideas as to how she will address what needs to be done - it isn’t necessarily what everyone may wish to hear. However, it’s unlikely that Barack Obama can deliver anything better, especially since he is less experienced than Hilary. What he has to say and what he will be able to deliver are most likely two different things. In the next six months folks will probably become more realistic and the majority of Democrats will swing back towards Hilary when Barack’s speeches get old - his messages seem to lack substance and specifics as to how he will accomplish all he alludes to. All this and I’m a registered Republican! I truly like John McCain and his straightforward and honest appeal, but may very well vote for Hilary anyway - she is more aggressive and cuts to the chase, not trying to win the popularity contest. like Barack. Women seem to just try to get the job done.

Among other things, stick a fork in her.

Where is all the talk of Obama dropping out if Clinton runs the table on Tuesday? Last time I checked they were pretty even in the delegate count. It only makes sense to ask Obama to drop out if he doesn’t carry Texas and Ohio since Clinton will have a lead.

Jack-
For the good of the party, yes. But the more Democrats are willing to continue to battle, the less professional and more bitter the fight gets. If Democrats want to watch a fight then fine, she can stay in and take it all the way to August. If she is hell bent on wining the super delegates and not so much the popular vote, I would say she is a total hypocrite.
Al Gore didn’t win the electoral vote and conceded the presidential election. The Dems were furious for months, so why aren’t they as furious at Hillary Clinton for attempting essentially the same type of election within her own party? Is this more of do as I say, not as I do?

No matter what good or negative qualities she has, if the Democrats who vote choose Obama, right or wrong, the decision stands.

No! I agree with Rany Porter. If she sticks around long enough, obama will sink himself. I don’t think she should drop out. I feel that Obama isn’t being real. He is running on a dream. His speeches are like that of a preacher! We need someone who is real! let’s get back to reality now! We need someone qualified and he isn’t. Hillary is qualified. She should not drop out!

As an Ohio voter I would have been disappointed if either of these two candidates had been omitted from my ballot and I couldn’t at least consider both of them. So just as I’m glad they both persevered beyond and despite Obama’s recent string of victories, I wouldn’t want me and my fellow Ohioans to be responsible for disenfranchizing our counterparts in later states, which wouldn’t be fair.

Unless Hillary captures 60% of the delegates on March 4, it’s time for her to bow out in the best interests of the party. It would be mathematiclly impossible for her to win the nomination if she breaks even, so why prolonged this any longer? The Democratic Party cannot afford more commercial time of ill will. It’s just helping their Republican opponents prove their points, and it will come back to haunt them in the Fall campaign.

Tuesday will be all the proof we need that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee. At this point, she’s really just spinning her wheels. She really should just take one for the team; after all, she’d never win against McCain.

Obama 08

Absolutely NOT… Why does the media keep trying to pull Hillary out of the race?

If you look at CNN’s own polls, even if Obama wins in Texas and Ohio, the delegates will be split between the two candidates and he will not even be close to the 2,025.

Let the country speak on who they want for their President.

Not,this is America, It is about time for the American people to see deep in the candidates credentials and see the diferences between a great eloquent speaker and a qualified candidate

As much as I would like this thing to be over. It’s up to Senator Obama and Clinton to decide when. Not you, not me. My fear, the longer this goes on the higher the vitriol on both sides will rise. So in the end, the democrats will once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

No Hilary should not quit,.
If Hilary is not on the ballot
some people will be amazed at the votes McCain will recieve.

Hillary Clinton has a huge support base and it is being overshadowed due to the media love affair with Obama. We have been turning out in large numbers and that is for both candidates. We are forgetting that she did crush him in Florida, where his name was on the ballot. She beat him by 400,000 votes. If these delegates are seated the contest changes and she leads. If all comes to come seat Floridas delegates, and hold a cacus in Michigan. The outcome will be the same, she will crush him. I will personally vote republican is obama is the elected democrat. She will win tx , oh, and ri on tomorrow. Even if she looses there will not be enough for either person to reach the needed number. She will carry our country. If not there will be alot of new republicans come Nov time.

I think Hillary will bow out if she loses either Texas or Ohio, but let’s be realistic here: she’s only indicating she’ll stay in to give her voters some faith until tomorrow.

Once the results are in after the polls close, it will be a new ball game for each campaign to put their respective spins on.

She should definitely hang it up. While some people think it would be nice to hop in the wayback machine and revisit the nineties, the reality is, this is the 21st Century. There’s no going back. We tried going back to the fifties with Ronald Reagan and that’s partly how we wound up in the mess we’re in today.

Yes Jack, she should. Of course she is in denial and does not see how her hanging on is going to affect November, so she will soldier on. Even if she loses Texas and Ohio she will take it to the convention, fracture the party, then point the finger for the disaster at everyone except herself. As a Democrat, I feel sorry for her.

Yes Jack, but she won’t. That is she won’t lose Ohio, and by hook or crook she will get the nod from the dems; and I for one will not vote in the general election if my choice is McCain or Clinton. thanks,Brian in Ohio

Yes, I think she should remove herself. Let’s face it if you have to start slingging mud you know that you are on your way out. And frankly that really makes me want to vote for the Obama…even though that is where my vote is already. We Democrats need to start working harder to get the White House back and less at slingging the mud!! Otherwise lookout the “Bush” clone will be running the place still…

It is time for Hillary to concede defeat and move on gracefully if she has got any intention of saving whatever is left of the Clinton legacy. This campaign has exposed her distinct lack of authenticity. The last few days have also shown how low she can stoop to occupy the Oval office which she feels is her divinely sanctioned right.

No, Why should she drop out of the race. If she wins texas and ohio, or one of these states , she need to continue, i belive is good for democracy, i belive eventualy she probably win her party nomination. She is the biggest treat for Republican. Obama is okay, but Obama nomination would give Republican easy road to another four years to the white house

Jack:

As a Democrat who has suffered under the current administrations destruction of our liberties, reputation, and standing in the world, I implore Senator Clinton to rally behind Obama if she doesn’t win all four contests by at least 20% each. Numbers less than that simply says she hasn’t made the sale.

No, Hillary should not drop out. Huckabee on the other hand should.

Sen. Clinton is expecting the end soon. To that point, her own campaign is expecting a shut out in all of the four states from Sen. Obama claiming that if he doesn’t win all four; she’s still in the game. Her camp is just hoping that she can survive tomorrow.

As the self annoited Democratic Party Nominee at the start of this race,
Hillary has rested on her laurels and for 11 primary/caucus losses in a row, is in a state of denial and shock. This is well evidenced by the rash of negative ads and mockery of Barack Obama
Unless she wins big in Texas and Ohio, she and Bill should just give up on the dream of the continued Clinton Dynasty.
Oh. And by the way,”At 3:00 AM in the morning, does she know where Bill is?”

Jack,

She should drop out if she loses either one. Even if she wins both you must look at the delagate count to see if she has realistic chance of catching Obama given there will only be about 600 delagates left to capture.

Eugene, Oregon

Hillary won’t stop until the convention. By the time she drops out the Democratic party will be as divided as ever and her campaign will have torn down Obama so badly that there won’t be anything left for McCain to do but stroll through the White House doors. Take a seat, because we’re going to have to endure 5+ more months of her negative ads, attacks, and flat-out lies.

No, she should not drop out. I think that she is far more qualified than Obama to be president. I also think that it is presumptuous on Obama’s part given his lack of experience in national politics thus far to run for the presidency. The big problem with Hilary is all the negatives she generates (fueled, albeit, by less than favorable coverage in the media). I wish that the Democratic party had a better candidate to offer. But it doesn’t. I don’t believe that Obama, in any case, has the political skills to unite Republicans and Democrats as his fervent supporters claim.

The party leaders asking either candidate to step down “in the interest of party unity” puts those leaders in the elitist position of deciding the nominee for the voters who have not yet had the opportunity to vote. With no final decision yet made about Michigan and Florida, why should Senator Clinton make a decision to step aside? Giving up to an empty-shirt is no way to go out.

As a lifelong Democrat, I long for another liberal landslide 1964-style! Then again, I long for another LBJ with a strong domestic agenda and an ability to wrangle Congress. Let Hillary be Hillary. And let the voters, for once, decide!

DJ
Austin, Texas

It depends on what she cares more about. Unifying her party or her ego. It’s really as simple as that. If Hillary has a bad day tomorrow, many highly placed Democrats will call for her to quit so that the party can rally around Obama and put the necessary steps in motion to figure out a plan to stop McCain, who has essentially been the GOP’s nominee for almost a month now, regardless of Huckabee. The longer a political party has a presumptive nominee, the better their chances of winning the general election in November. However, Hillary obviously has a strong drive to succeed, otherwise she wouldn’t be running for president. She will not quit easily, and I believe, will continue to run, nurturing her ego. At the end of the day, the delegates will probably be close to a 50-50 split, and Hillary will continue, although I believe she should quit, to bolster the party’s chances. Unfortunately, it looks like this thing is headed to the national convention and the will of 794 people versus the will of 300 million Americans.

Jack, If there is a chance that she has an opportunity to become the nominee she should not drop out….I noticed CNN reported that Putin hand picked his successor…well the U.S. media has hand picked our presidential candidates by showing favortism toward Obama & McCain…

Depends on which Clinton is going to speak. If it is “I am proud to be with Senator Obama Clinton, then she will quit. If however it is “shame on you Obama Clinton, she will hang on.

I am a Hillary supporter, but I am also a realist. If she loses either Texas or Ohio - it’s over. For the good of the party, let’s get behind Obama, focus on the general election and take the White House for the Democrats. If she stays in, it will only divide the party, waste resources and damper the excitement that has embodied the democratic race so far.

Brad
Austin, TX