If democrats really want the primary race to be over, all it takes is for party members to demand that superdelegates declare who they are supporting now and count the numbers. A good number already have declared. Clinton trails Obama by 140-some delegates.

Continuing through the primaries, neither candidate is likely to win the required number of delegates. The winner of the race will probably be determined by the SDs. So if the party wants the winner to be determined they should pressure the SDs to declare and the math will speak for itself.

Yup. I'm an Obama supporter -- but sorry folks, I don't see any graceful way to end this thing before May.

Sure, HRC could bow out. I wish she would -- because at this point her only path to victory would be through overcoming pledged delegates with supers, and that's a godawful idea, as well as unlikely. But she won't bow out, and Indlex is right that it would be odd if she did bow out as long as there's a hope, however forlorn, for her supporters.

It *is* a perfect storm. Our best bet would be to ignore the whole race for the next six weeks. Good luck with that, everyone . . .

Any chance the wagons will circle if she loses PA?

Minor point: somebody with the career of Hillary Clinton doesn't bow to the camera takes of an Olbermann. You don't get to the show by bowing to critics who pander to your opponents.

Major point: if she fights all the way to the convention and still loses... it's still the right thing to do. Millions of us support her and we deserve to be recognized and heard at the convention.

Most important point: She could still win. Let's not end things just yet.

Thank you, Tom! ♪♪♪

The only reason the SDs won't declare now is their lack of courage in doing so before all the primaries are done. But, as several have noted, the primaries will not finally decide in any overwhelming way, so the dilemma that exists for the SDs now will be the same. The only difference, I think, will be that the SDs will not be subject to criticism for deciding before the primaries. (If you think that's an idle issue for them, google Doris Matsui's decision to support HC early.)
In contrast, we are seeing the Dem candidates tear each other up even as McCain sits back, raises money for the general election and takes notes.
Which, in your view, is the greater danger to the country? Seems to me that the SDs, TODAY, could declare that they will announce for their candidate depending on the PA outcome, but no later. While that may give the jolly folks in PA lots of power, it really won't, since the SDs have to be influenced by the total results of all the primaries to date.
By announcing today where they will be in less than a month, at least we'll stop the infliction of the "thousand cuts".

I'm an Obama supporter, but she has no reason to drop out. She's got millions in the bank, lots of party apparatus behind her. What does she have to lose staying in. If she leaves, she loses, if she fights to bitter end and loses, so what, at least fighting had a chance no matter how slim to be a "winner."

I think she's run a dirty, divisive campaign, but looking at it from her viewpoint, of course she's gonna stay in, I expect to see a nasty fight at the convention.

Actually, I don't mind the race continuing. But I guess they have to lower the volume. No more kitchen sink, no more McCain, but not Obama C in C, no more racist innuendo (by the way, I am with Obama, but tell your pastor he is not helping). Otherwise, whoever wins, is not gonna win in the GE because the other side of the party is gonna be reluctant to help.

The numbers aren't ready for a SD vote unless about a third of HRC's SDs are ready to switch and support Obama OR 90% of Obamas SDs are prepared to switch to HRC. Just allocating the 335 uncommitted SDs 100% to either candidate won't result in a 2025 total for either one. So some of the commmitted SDs would have to switch.

Really, the only way this scenario works is if every SD pledges for one of the candidates. The force of the SDs as a unified body could legitimize brining the contest to an end. But a split would represent the continuing contention of who has the most support, which warrants moving ahead through at least the end of the primaries, giving the SDs the full campaign season to make a decision.

Do Clinton advocates have any misgivings whatsoever about the tactics employed by the former First Lady? Do they empathize with the plight of ethnic minorities in any way? Do they have any idea how these tactics have affected the minority community? Do they realize that their candidate has aroused fear in the hearts of innocents? Do they even care?