She's staying in so she can continue to tear him down.

[Erin Elizabeth]

If she stays in, she can continue to try to tear Obama down, acting as his "opponent."

If she gets out, she'll have to no longer act as an opponent and begin to act as though they are the same team. Or at least be totally quiet.

The problem is, there's absolutely zero chance she'll get the nomination (I love what they said on TV this morning: "Defying all logic, and high school math, Clinton is still in the race..."). So she's really only pretending to be his opponent, hanging in there to get her licks in as good and as hard as she can. We've already seen that today, with her ugly comments about white Americans not supporting him and turning away from him.

Contrary to what was hoped a couple of nights ago, I think not only is she not getting out anytime soon, but she is going to stay in as long as she possibly can to do as much damage as she possibly can.

Why?

2012, baby. 2012.

This is officially the point at which I consider Clinton and the people in her campaign to no longer be on the same team as the rest of us. Given the facts as they stand, any rational-thinking person would draw the same conclusion. We have a nominee. It's Obama. But Clinton and her surrogates? Are trying to tear him down. They are no longer of our party, and maybe haven't been for quite some time.

[rucky]

1. It's a good thing they can't.

they threw their best at him. If they were going to tear him down, they would've by now.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. As good a crack-pot school yard theory as any.

[MonkeyFunk]

3. No she's not

that's just one of the hater memes.

She's running against him. It's YOU guys that are determined to destroy a democrat.

[Waya]

8. How is she running against him?

..she is a smart woman, she must know it's over? Come on, now - there is nothing more to run against. The race has been run - she lost. Wrap it by May 20th. Let her go out with some dignity for all I care, let her get out on a high note with a win in WV and KY as long as she 'behaves' and doesn't try to damage Obama or the Party any further - if she does, the Supers should move en masse, and force her out.

[Erin Elizabeth]

10. And you hit on exactly my point.

She isn't just running against him (and you're right, why even do that at this point?), she's tearing him down and getting uglier and uglier as the days go on. She's very much not behaving.

[cali]

4. I think she's staying in because she doesn't want to quit

until she's exhausted every possible way of getting the nomination. And I don't think it has anything to do with 2012.

[geiger]

5. just to prove her point that he's less electable or not at all, you think?

could be unconscious, but she's been acting rather Machievellian in every other way.

[Erin Elizabeth]

7. Right.

And I think it's very much conscious.

If Obama wins in November, she's got to wait until 2016 to run again. She'll be 68. Probably not going to happen.

But if he loses to McCain, Dems will be able to throw their hat in against him in 2012, four years earlier.

[Waya]

18. Yea, but.......

....do you honestly believe that if she is going totally rabid now that she will have an actual chance in 2012? I don't think so. The Dem's have a long memory and so does the Party as a whole. I doubt she would win her next Senate re-election bid let alone a Presidential nomination if she lets loose completely now.

[Me.]

6. Hillary Has A Choice Which Is Wholly Hers

She can exit with dignity and continue what can be a great political career, or she can persist in this divisive manner and disgrace herself to the to the point where no one will vote for her again. People have long memories and she needs the AA vote here in NY to stay in the senate or become governor which is being mentioned with some frequency these days.

[kentuck]

9. Or. a cynic might say, she's staying in to pay off her debt.

Send money. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Erin Elizabeth]

11. Or both!

LOL, she very well could have multiple reasons.

[frickaline]

12. She won't get the press so it won't matter nt

[Bullet1987]

13. I agree...she's in her 2012 strategy now

[greguganus]

14. Who in the HELL would want her running for anything after this shit she has caused?

She thinks people will forget 2008? She's not fit to run for hall monitor at an elementary school.

[my2cent]

15. She should continue,

I will support her 100%:popcorn:

[democrattotheend]

16. She can't run negative ads anymore

I think you might be right to some degree, although fortunately people have woken up to that possibility and she won't be able to get away with it if she wants to be viable for 2012.

But at the very least, there's no way she can run ads attacking him anymore. She is out of money and if she has any hopes of Obama helping her pay off her debts (which would anger his supporters enough as it is) she can't go deeper into debt running ads that attack him.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

17. Not so much , "Payback's a bitch" as

"the ***** is paying him back for interfering"

[frylock]

19. hillruca's going to get her oompa-loompa one way or another

[WeDidIt]

20. If We're Lucky, it'll sucker in the McCain Surrogates

and they'll think it's okay for them to go down teh race baiting road, too.