What's next for Hillary?
Monday, June 2, 2008 at 08:34PM According to a bunch of news outlets, Hillary Clinton intends to suspend her campaign tomorrow night after giving a valedictory speech at a New York City event.
What that means, exactly, is unclear: Will she simply suspend the campaign (thus reserving the right to get back in should Obama stumble), or will she call it quits entirely and endorse Obama.
The answer really depends on what she's hoping to accomplish. If she wants to join Obama on the ticket, she'll end it quickly and endorse Obama. Same holds true if she expects him to help pay-off her $20 million campaign debt; there's little chance Obama is going to raise money for Clinton's creditors if she hasn't bowed out completely.
Part of her decision, however, has to do with legacy. The Clinton's (presumably) know that they have some fences to mend and relationships to repair with longtime constituencies, and a graceful exit would be a good first step. Bill Clinton, in particular, must surely be aware that he's done much damage to his standing within the party, and anything but a quick endorsement will only deepen the wounds.
And then there's the matter of future elections. Should Obama lose to McCain, Hillary could very well be the front runner again in 2012. Stranger things have happened, but if she's to keep that a viable option, she must begin the healing process -- and that means a full endorsement.
It really doesn't benefit her in anyway to simply suspend the campaign with the hope that the Obama makes a giant misstep. It's petty and small, and will do nothing but antagonize Obama's camp. Let's see if she has the good sense to get out quickly.
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