Give it up, Hillary

If Hillary Clinton doesn’t nab the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, and it sure looks like she won’t, she may have other opportunities as a spokesperson for Energizer Batteries. Watch out energizer bunny, Hillary Clinton may just keep going, and going and going …

Clinton hasn’t shown any sign of bowing out gracefully, no matter how much damage she does to her party or the greater good.

She has run a good race and, yes, she does have a nice share of supporters. But her opponent Barack Obama has more, and it looks like he is most likely to grab the nomination. He is ahead in the polls and in the delegate count far beyond Clinton. So why is she still hanging on? Doesn’t she know when to fold ’em?

Obama needs a mere 42.5 delegates to set his nomination in stone, according to his Web site. Clinton still needs about 200. No matter how the next couple of primaries go in Montana and South Dakota, with the number of delegates he obtains from them, and the superdelegates pledging to Obama each day, her chances of winning have long since gone.

Clinton is hoping for a bit of salvation from Florida and Michigan, who broke a rule or two in their primaries, and have not been counted in the total delegate count for either candidate. If they can be counted then it may give her a bit of a boost. But Clinton is playing a very trashy version of politics. It is almost as if she is telling superdelegates to vote for her because she can win, not because she would do well if she won.

What Clinton needs to be considering is the much larger picture. There is far more at stake than her pride or the Clinton dynasty.

We are at yet another political crossroads, where many issues are up in the air. By continuing in this race she threatens any progress for everything she stands for. As most issues she speaks on are the same as Obama’s, and as they both want to solve those issues, how much good will it do to weaken the chance of either candidate winning in November?

She is hurting Obama’s run in the end, and strengthening McCain’s candidacy. If McCain wins, not only will none of her issues be dealt with, they will become even more difficult to address ever again, as McCain will make sure the country heads in the opposite direction.

So what does this boil down to? She hurts the only candidate who can win the nomination, and beat McCain, which threatens any progress for her own supporters on the issues she holds dear. Could it be that Clinton’s motivation for this race is not her desire to do good for her country and her supporters, but perhaps could also be for her own personal pride and gain?

Of course that is mere speculation. But what are people to think when she drags us all through this campaign season with no end in sight? What are we to think when she alone is contributing toward an America that continues along the same path as the last eight years? A path that has not gone so well for Americans.

I understand she has supporters, and they are deserved. But Clinton has to look at the big picture and do what’s best in the end, and that is to help ensure a candidate will progress to the White House who will best serve her supporters. She has to see that candidate isn’t her.