Hillary Clinton Staff: Don't Fight On In Vain

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Sat Mar-01-08 11:25 PM
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Hillary Clinton Staff: Don't Fight On In Vain

By Tim Shipman in San Antonio, Texas
Last Updated: 12:31am GMT 02/03/2008

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A growing number of Hillary Clinton's aides want her to abandon her White House bid if she loses both the Texas and Ohio primary elections on Tuesday. Younger members of her campaign team fear she will damage the Democratic Party, as well as her own reputation, if she fights on in vain to deny Barack Obama the presidential nomination.

Most observers believe Tuesday's elections, which include the smaller states of Vermont and Rhode Island, could deliver a death blow to Mrs Clinton's candidacy unless she wins Texas and Ohio convincingly. Mrs Clinton has a total of 1,279 delegates, trailing Mr Obama who has 1,389. Each needs at least 2,025 to win the nomination at the Democratic Party's convention in August.

Polls show Mr Obama is narrowly ahead in Texas, while Mrs Clinton's lead in Ohio has dwindled to a handful of points. Mr Obama is expected to win easily in Vermont, with Mrs Clinton taking Rhode Island. Mr Obama is expected to beat her in most of the 12 primaries that will remain.

The sense a decisive moment is approaching was heightened on Friday night as both candidates held rallies in San Antonio, home of the last stand at the Alamo. Mrs Clinton played to a crowd of 4,000 but Mr Obama packed a 20,000-seater stadium.

A Democrat strategist who has discussed the campaign with Clinton staff told The Sunday Telegraph: "The younger campaign aides are looking at how to bring this to a dignified end. People are prepared to go to her and say this thing is over. They fear a divisive contest that opens the door for the Republicans and makes it impossible for Hillary ever to run again. But the only one who can tell her to quit is Bill."

Mr Clinton has publicly voiced his fear her White House aspirations will suffer a fatal blow unless she wins both Texas and Ohio. The younger aides believe only Mr Clinton has the influence to convince her the game is up, since many of her most senior staff are in a state of "denial" about her prospects. They fear if the decision does not come from within her camp, she could be publicly shamed into standing down by senior party figures coming out for Mr Obama.

In campaign stops through Ohio and Texas last week, Mrs Clinton seemed tired yet determined. However, in a series of conference calls with reporters, her senior aides, Terry McAuliffe, Harold Ickes, Howard Wolfson and Maggie Williams were almost manic in their intensity as they sought to deny reports of low morale and to insist that Mrs Clinton is not beaten yet.

On Friday, her most senior advisers began to use a different strategy, attempting to paint Mr Obama as a choker who cannot "close the deal" unless he wins all four states that vote on Tuesday. Mrs Clinton's adviser Doug Hattaway told The Sunday Telegraph she would fight on, describing the election as "a long and winding road that will continue past March 4".

The Democrat strategist said: "The guys at the top table are grasping at any straw they can. They want to fight all the way to the convention, and they will die in a ditch with her."

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Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/02/wus102.xml

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