Obama nears win amid signs Clinton may admit loss

June 3, 2008

Dear friends

Here is one news report that, based on by comments made by the candidates themseleves, suggests Clinton may be ready to admit defeat.

If Obama wins both South Dakota and Montana, where 31 delegates are at stake, he might prompt the uncommitted superdelegates to give their support to him, thereby propelling him over the much needed 2,118 delegates for the nomination.

In this case, the only remaining possiblity for Clinton to nevertheless to be nominated as the Candidate of her party in late August would be if something were to emerge or happen prior to the convention that would make Obama unacceptable as the candidate.

Best wishes

Thor

Obama nears win amid signs Clinton may admit loss

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent 15 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama crept close to victory in the marathon Democratic presidential race Monday on the eve of the final primaries amid signs that Hillary Rodham Clinton was preparing to acknowledge defeat once he gained the final delegates needed.

Said a confident-sounding Obama: "I told her that once the dust settled I'm looking forward to meeting with her at a time and place of her choosing." He was disclosing the contents of a conversation the two rivals had on Sunday night but did not describe her response.

The former first lady has given no hint of quitting the race, and she has said repeatedly she may continue her candidacy even beyond the end of the primaries.

But her husband, former President Clinton, strongly suggested otherwise. "This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind," he said as he worked for his wife in South Dakota. That state, and Montana hold the final primaries of the campaign on Tuesday.

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Clinton, the long-ago front-runner, was not far behind Obama in delegates. She had 1917.5 after adding two during the day.

But there was no doubt that the historic nominating campaign, pitting a black man against a woman, was nearing an end.

If nothing else, the candidates' itineraries said as much.

The former first lady campaigned into the night in South Dakota, scratching for a primary triumph that could somehow persuade uncommitted superdelegates to back her, before heading home to New York for a post-primary appearance Tuesday night.

"I'm just very grateful we kept this campaign going until South Dakota would have the last word," she said at a restaurant in Rapid City.

http://news./s/ap/20080602/ap_on_el_pr/democrats