By Jon-Christopher Bua, Sky News political analyst

For the first time in this presidential election those elusive superdelegates have become part of Barack Obama's political treasury.

The rest, my dear readers, is elementary.

As Prime Minister Macmillan was fond of saying: "in politics, events, events..." - anything can happen.

But the question for Hillary is how to make an elegant exit from a hard fought campaign and remain a serious and viable political figure?

It certainly is not by suggesting in an act of desperation, as she did this week in a USAToday article, that only she can win the white working class vote in November.

Clinton said this was the sign of a "troubling trend". This premise may not be true since Obama seems to have done better with this group in both Indiana and North Carolina than expected.

Nor does she make her graceful exit by suggesting that Barack does not have enough support in the crucial big states like California, New York and New Jersey where she won on Super Tuesday.

This is a false argument since in a general election these traditionally Democratic states will not be John McCain's to win in any case.

Hillary will win West Virginia handily on Tuesday but if she stays in the race she will split the remaining states and Puerto Rico.

In fact, Obama could very well have it wrapped up on May 20 by winning Oregon, thereby capturing the 2,025 delegates he needs to win the nomination that very night.

So back to "Hillary's Choice" - pick one:

Go out with class and her reputation and faithful supporters intact?

Suck it up and maybe Barack will forgive and forget and pick her as his running mate?

(Remember JFK and LBJ were not the best of friends)

Continue a proud career as a leader in the United States Senate and make a difference for her state and country?

Stay in the Senate until it is time to run for the ill-fated Eliot Spitzer New York Governor seat?

Stay in and move the goal post one more time declaring that it now takes 2,209 delegates, which include Michigan and Florida, to get the nomination?

Stay in until the Convention and hope that Obama implodes somehow?

Or stay in the race as John McCain's hitman committed to ripping Obama to shreds, assuring her another shot at the title in 2012?

Of course, to contemplate these choices and make a rational decision Hillary must finally accept the fact that she may not win and there is a promising future beyond this election.

It is not altogether clear that she and her husband understand the time may have come to let go!

Comments

[Sunny onetouch. From Dublin 21 May 2008 01:03:18]

Please Hill.. Just let go..

[TC 19 May 2008 17:58:38]

hopefully Obama will not be elected president despite George Bush's complete failure as a president.It is my personal belief that Obama is a con-man / snake oil salesman & the world will be in even greater peril than it is now under G. W. Bush.

Posted by: jerome webber , ramat gan, israel 13 May 2008 13:29:06

Mr Weber, you seem to change your opinion of Bush at every turn, in other posts you say Bush was the best man for the job after 9/11. Can I take this to mean you don't know who you support or are you just trying to confuse the less informed?

[christine from coventry 16 May 2008 19:21:19]

why don't American people can see that they voting the wrong person.Hillary is the one who can bt mc cain in november. it is time to the democrat to see if they want to win the election.I like Hillary to be the next president of America and I wish her all the best.

[John B Sheffield 15 May 2008 11:31:55]

I disagree with many my opinion is that Bill Clinton like Hillary is looking completely lost! - anyone else but The Clinton's would have been kicked out of the race by now, there is a little too much sentiment for "The Dynasty" and why?? when that is The Past!

Hillary and her campaign team have made some real serious strategy mistakes and the one they are playing out is the most serious, that the race goes on and we can still Win?? - just like Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard Hillary is now fading fast and is looking the sad actress. the lights are going out, some stars are well remembered but they are the ones who go out with Grace"

[Rob, England 15 May 2008 09:28:20]

. A third term for George Bush must be averted.
Jonathan U, Lagos

Erm, a US president is only allowed 2 terms!

[Paul, Benoni 14 May 2008 18:16:50]

Obama is said to speak like a teacher...just like Al Gore?
I believe that democratic party supporters are not a representative sample of the american people, and believe that their brain is easely deceived by long words...
At a time when the rest of the world is working towards bigger personal freedom and responsability, as demonstrated by the american hard work and success model, dems are pushing for big gov - and give me mentality!
If the dem's lose, I hope they split, so that center politics can make a come back.

[Camara 14 May 2008 14:56:26]

I deeply love Bill dispite his unfortunate exit from the white house. I am desapointed by hillary´s race comments. If she intends to be America´s she should be a uniting politician not a divided one. I do believe her attitude can compromise not only her carrier but the party´s chance of levelling a candidate in the white house.

[Trish 14 May 2008 09:54:39]

First well done Hillary, secondly a pole was conducted in various states wherein they asked the the supporters of Hillary Clinton and others if Obama was elected the candidate for presidency would they support him : the answer was most certainly not they would rather then vote McCain. What a sad day that would be for America when the right person for the job has got to be and can only be Hillary Clinton. Lets hope know after hearing that some of the yellow bellies called super delagates will cut trying to be pollically correct and nominate the right person.

[Anthony, Germany 14 May 2008 08:58:55]

This analysis seems pretty sound to me. Some of the responses talk about the lack of clear policy from Obama, but Hilary has been equally vague on her policies. Obama = change, change, change. Hillary = experience, experience, experience. To be honest it's probably better that they save the policy until whichever one of them fronts up directly against McCain. There aren't any huge differences in policy or philosophy between them anyway. At the moment it's just a beuty pageant to see whose face fits best.

[padam bikram khand ireland 14 May 2008 01:07:16]

hillary clinton is only the capable person to run the whitehouse so the us people must choose the hillary not obama. she has a good political knowledge due to his husband .she is far better than obama coz obama is just styling but not experience n cannot explain the things clearly he is just saying change n hope we belive..

[Trish 13 May 2008 15:14:37]

Jerome Weber

What a fantastic piece of writing I could not have put it better myself. Thank you and I echo your sentiments

[jerome webber , ramat gan, israel 13 May 2008 13:29:06]

I believe that Hillary is a far better person & as a political leader right now than Obama will ever be given his total lack of substance. Personaly if I was a u.s. citizen I'd vote for McCain. Regretably the writing is on the wall for Hillary vis-a-vis the nomination. She should have realised it when a very ominous signal flashed during the last congressional election campaign - when the local democrat committee ousted Joe Liberman & put in an ultra left candidate who promptly lost the election to Joe Liberman as an independent. the democrat party since bill clintons departute from office has picked far left loonies as candidates first al gore then john kerry both lost ( plus all the clowns like howard dean & john edwards). hopefully Obama will not be elected president despite George Bush's complete failure as a president.It is my personal belief that Obama is a con-man / snake oil salesman & the world will be in even greater peril than it is now under G. W. Bush.

[Jonathan U, Lagos, Nigeria 13 May 2008 11:41:30]

The democrats should bear in their mind the need to get a united party prior to the fall elections. A third term for George Bush must be averted. Clinton should look beyond personal political gains and put the party first. The front runner needs every support he can get to beat McCain

[Sharon-RSA 13 May 2008 10:59:45]

What a sore loser Clinton is. I can't believe that the American people are still falling for her lies and fairy stories. Obama is the best person to Lead the Democrats in the November elections. Hillary is lugging so much baggage that she is trying to throw it at Obama and the Americans are so narrow minded that they are falling for it.

[john warrington 12 May 2008 21:56:32]

Funny how they said the same thing: "All style & no substance" about another man when he was running to become Democratic Nominee - John F Kennedy to be exact!!

[Khalid 12 May 2008 19:52:18]

Sir
Whilst this latest round of voter apathy may well be a test of stamina surrounding many a political [Loose Ends] I would [Stay A Little While Child] as history will not be good if you leave early, but boy will it give you a boost.
Thus far as matters surrounding who is best for the office of the seal that presides over the US, I would just say one thing, the world will not adjude you upon your choice of candidate background, but whether or not the choice being made is a strong choice and not just a waffler.
Good Luck, & God Bless America!

[david batten leominster UK 12 May 2008 14:57:41]

The race has made for compelling TV but honestly..only in America could they get away for months without talking about policy. Do people even know why they have voted to Obama or Clinton. To a large degree the votes have gone with race, the majority of African Americans have voted for Obama and the majority of White Americans have voted for Hillary. What does that tell us about Humans? It's great that a Black man can become a president of the US but please...people of the US, ask about policy!

[Trish 12 May 2008 13:26:57]

Well said Dave in Manchester, except when Bill was in office America was very sound the only problem he had was the ladies

[Dave, Manchester 12 May 2008 10:21:06]

The problem with Obama is that he's all style and no substance.. he keeps talking about change but never mentions exactly what this change will entail. It's easy to see how he could appeal to people who don't think too much about who they're voting for. Hillary is much more experienced, and regardless of what her husband has done in the past, would make a far more capable President then Obama.

[Pete Shotton, Philippines 12 May 2008 05:15:06]

The best VP would be Billary Clinton.

[steve ratcliffe, newcastle upon tyne 11 May 2008 23:53:27]

If you read all the news feeds from the US, it is that Barack Obama is the clear favourite to take the nomination, and Hillary Clinton has smeared herself by going after Obama with a barrage of lies and fabrications. Her exit is inclined to be "if I can't get it, you sure wont". The Democratic Party know Barack Obama is the one;Hillary and Bill are in denial. It will end in tears.