Hillary Clinton to concede defeat “as early as tonight”
As Barack Obama looks almost assured to sail to primary victory in both Montana and South Dakota tonight, Hillary Clinton is weighing her options, and according to the Associated Press, she feels her time may have run out.
The news service is reporting that the Clinton camp is ready to acknowledge that Obama has the necessary delegates to secure the nomination as early as tonight.
Though wins in the two states won’t quite take him over the top, the number of superdelegate votes he is expected to receive could well do the trick.
Obama currently sits 40 delegates shy of the nomination.
Clinton had been banking on the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan to propel her campaign forward, but the Democratic National Committee’s ruling that those states delegates would only count for half votes all but sealed the fate of her campaign.
The AP is reporting that Clinton will stop short of formally ending her campaign tonight.
She will continue to speak on health care and other issues, a campaign official said, but by and large, the campaign is over.
According to reports, most campaign staff will be let go and paid through June 15.
By not formally withdrawing from the race, Clinton has more leverage to negotiate with Obama for things including a Vice Presidential seat and talking points in the autumn, insiders said.
The Clinton camp noted that they reserved the right to appeal the DNC’s ruling.
Former President Bill Clinton was said to be placing calls to campaign supporters and friends from their home in New York last night.
© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.
