PrintApril 13, 2008
Will Carter and Gore end Clinton's Campaign?
For weeks, Democrats have been trying to game out a scenario that would allow a graceful exit for Hillary Clinton without offending either the Clintons or her supporters.
The problem is extremely delicate. Polls show that up to 30% of Hillary supporters would vote for McCain if she fails in her bid for the nomination. That number will almost surely fall regardless of how Clinton gets out of the race but in order to avoid a disaster, Democrats have been leery of approaching the First Family of the Democratic Party with the bad news that her staying in the race is having a deleterious effect on the likely Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
According to The Scotsman, party leaders have approached former president Jimmy Carter and former Vice President Al Gore to be the bearers of bad news to Hillary and Bill:
The problem is extremely delicate. Polls show that up to 30% of Hillary supporters would vote for McCain if she fails in her bid for the nomination. That number will almost surely fall regardless of how Clinton gets out of the race but in order to avoid a disaster, Democrats have been leery of approaching the First Family of the Democratic Party with the bad news that her staying in the race is having a deleterious effect on the likely Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
According to The Scotsman, party leaders have approached former president Jimmy Carter and former Vice President Al Gore to be the bearers of bad news to Hillary and Bill:
Falling poll numbers and a string of high-profile blunders have convinced party elders that she must now bow out of the primary race. Former president Carter and former vice-president Gore have already held high-level discussions about delivering the message that she must stand down for the good of the Democrats.As to when they might act, it depends on what happens in Pennsylvania on April 22. If Clinton wins small - less than 5% of the vote - I think it might happen as early as the next day. If Clinton wins comfortably - by 10 or more points - don't expect anything to happen until after the primaries are over in early June.
"They're in discussions," a source close to Carter told Scotland on Sunday. "Carter has been talking to Gore. They will act, possibly together, or in sequence."
An appeal by both men for Democrats to unite behind Clinton's rival, Barack Obama, would have a powerful effect, and insiders say it is a question of when, rather than if, they act.
At the moment, Obama needs only about 1/3 of the remaining superdelegates in order to get over the top. This means that a virtual stampede of supers would have to occur for Hillary Clinton to win.
And that just doesn't appear to be in the cards unless Obama commits some unforgivable gaffe. This latest verbal miscue by Obama is not that important to Democrats - many are saying he spoke the truth. It is in the general election that Obama's words in San Francisco will come back to haunt him.
