ABC News 4PM: Clinton Spokesperson: She Is Not Conceding

[RamboLiberal]

ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper Report: Clinton spokesperson Mo Elleithee came to the back of the press plane as Clinton flew from Rapid City to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

He was asked about Clinton's definition of when a nominee would be determined -– because she has refused to accept the new 2,118 delegates number that the Democratic Party says is needed to clinch the nomination.

"I think its pretty clear that she is not conceding." Elleithee said, "I think its pretty clear that she is staying in this race. She is going, in the coming days, to be aggressively courting uncommitted superdelegates aggressively courting unpledged delegates, making the case to them that she is a candidate best ready to take on John McCain."

When asked directly when Clinton will step aside, Elietthee told reporters, “as she has said dozens and dozens of times she is in this race until we have a nominee...Until there is a nominee she is going to try to win support."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/06/clinton-spokesp.html

Moving the goal post again? Where's the photo?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. "Nominee" will be tomorrow.

[grannylib]

It had better be; this is SO damaging to the party. We need to

start focusing, ALL of us, as Senator Obama is doing, on beating the shit outta McBush and the rePiglicans in November.

[Seen the light]

2. She'll concede, Edwards did the same thing she's doing now

Denied even the slightest hint of dropping out, then dropped out out of the blue.

[GoesTo11]

31. Edwards has class

[grantcart]

3. This is sad - she will be lampooned big time and made into a laughingstock

the horde of sychophantic SDs that endorsed her out of hopes for a job will be going to the new power source.

It will make her look ridiculous

[MidwestTransplant]

4. My prediction....She will "suspend" her campaign like Mittens did.

[movonne]

25. To bring the party together she must concede..

[Zynx]

Does everyone understand that it is stupid to say you will concede before an election takes place?

That would be a big "Fuck you" to her ground troops in MT and SD.

[Madam Mossfern]

10. Thank you

I was going to post the same thing.

[Catch22Dem]

14. What about when we have a nominee in February?

It happens.

[Zynx]

21. Not this time.

This has been an unusually close primary contest.

[Catch22Dem]

24. What I'm saying is, does the same rule apply?

For example, when the nominating process was essentially done after Super Tuesday 4 years ago, did anyone stand up for the other half of the country that hadn't voted yet? What about 4 years prior to that? And 4 years prior to that?

[Zynx]

32. This is an asymmetric discussion.

My point is that Hillary has decided to contest Montana and South Dakota. Edwards, Dean, and the rest didn't decide to contest those elections later in the season. If they had, I doubt you would have heard them conceding prior to the primaries being held, even though their odds were impossible.

[ScottS]

18. As a Big Time Obama Supporter.... Even I know what you said is the...

Truth. You can't hold the image of fighting till the end, unless you show some fight, right up to the actual end.

[billybob537]

5. In Hillary speak that makes it official

So long Sweetheart, It was swell!

[frickaline]

6. she has to say this now, but she'll concede

[Jersey Devil]

7. Obviously they can't say anything else until polls close tomorrow

I wouldn't expect any candidate to say anything different.

[Colobo]

8. It'll be over tomorrow.

[TwilightGardener]

9. She "refuses to accept" the delegate number that the PARTY has made official?

WTF?

[4themind]

11. Depends on what the definition of "nominee" is...

, “as she has said dozens and dozens of times she is in this race until we have a nominee...Until there is a nominee she is going to try to win support."
It's clever phraseology, as it depends on how hillary defines it, but if the supers come out en mass for obama tommorow to reach the magic number before she speaks,if she then conceded I don't think that would inconsistent with the statement in the OP

[DJ13]

12. I expect to see mass defections of some of her SD's if she doesnt quit

Thats about the only way left to put an end to this.

[RiverStone]

15. I agree and hope your right!

SuperD's and pledged D's better show the guts to do the right thing.

[RiverStone]

13. We hit the magic number - but she says anybody could change their mind?

Of course, she could say that all the way to the convention.

But if she was to spend the summer railing on SuperD's and trying to change people's minds - then the anger directed at her - not to mention the damage to the party - would render her future political career a non starter.

[THUNDER HANDS]

16. YOU...SHALL NOT CONCEEEEEDE

[stray cat]

17. Can you imagine a football team yelling they won't concede after the game is over

and everyone has left the stadium.

[stray cat]

19. The person in Monty Python did't conceed either but he was beaten

[seasat]

20. I don't know. I think she is playing it for the last primaries.

I think Clinton wants the leverage of strong finish to make the case for her and her supporters to retain some power within the party. I've long thought that the last part of this primary was more a fight over party control and less a fight over her long shot at the nomination. If she continues on too long disrupting the party's chances in November, she'll lose that power in the party.

Plus, if she closes out strong and somehow Obama is not elected, she sets herself up for 2012. She'll (hopefully) have learned form some of the campaign mistakes and stay clear of Mark Penn. She would be an even stronger front runner than when she started this campaign.

Finally, I think she has to play out all of her options because this election is an rare chance for Democrats. Every indicator is leading towards our party having a huge gain in legislative seats. The odds of a Democratic president being elected (especially once the dust settles on the heated primary) are excellent. Our likely Democratic president will be able to control the agenda and push through their entire platform.

I think Clinton would blow her chances of retaining power in the party and possible future elections if she stays on past next week and divides the party. My guess is that she'll concede this week and pull in behind Obama. She'll leave herself as the second choice for this election if something happened and we needed another candidate. I mean, Obama could go bananas and start dancing around the Senate floor in his drawers singing the score from "Cats" (Though I think the likelihood of this ranks up there with Clinton somehow getting enough delegates to win the nomination.).

[Occam Bandage]

22. Edwards said he'd take it to the convention the day before he dropped out.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. All other signs point otherwise

but the campaign will remain feisty until five seconds before she steps on the podium

That is SOP for ANY campaign

Just that the rest of the signs were kind of ... too damn easy to read.

:-)

Not my first rodeo, and that helps

[AlabamaBrightBlueDot]

26. interesting verbage.

Concede rather then suspend...

[saltpoint]

27. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow evening.

Some of us are champing at the bit to go whole-hog against John McCain.

[PoliticalAmazon]

28. Note to future elections with Hillary as candidate: Put goal-posts on roller-skates. n/t

[ThatsMyBarack]

29. I don't understand the deal with Michigan and Florida...

Are they holding up the nomination like Clinton is? How do these states fit into the equation?

[high density]

30. All delegates from FL and MI were seated, but with only 50% votes

She is pissed that FL is not 100%. In regards to MI they want Barack Obama to get 0 delegates and for the Clinton delegates to be seated 100%.