Clinton dismisses calls to drop out of race
George McGovern, the 1972 Democratic nominee, urges the New York senator to bow out, but she says she has no intention of giving up.
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WEST VA. -- Amid the defection of a prominent supporter and increasing calls that she end her presidential campaign, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton this morning told a college rally that she had no intention of bowing out.
Speaking at Shepherd University in West Virginia, which holds its state presidential primary next Tuesday, Clinton insisted the campaign should continue despite a strong showing on Tuesday by Sen. Barack Obama.
"Next Tuesday will be one of the most important elections in this entire process, and I personally believe that West Virginia is one of those so-called swing states that Democrats need to win it in the fall," Clinton said. "I want to start by winning it in the spring."
She later told reporters, "I feel really good coming off of our victory in Indiana. It's a new day, it's a new state, it's a new election, and I am thrilled to make my first stop here."
Asked whether she intended to remain in the race through the convention, Clinton said: "I'm staying in this race until there's a nominee, and obviously I am going to work as hard as I can to become that nominee."
Despite her brave words, the drumbeat to end the Democratic presidential nominating process increased its decibels. Former Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern shifted his support from Clinton to Obama, who handily won the presidential primary in North Carolina and came close in Indiana. Obama carried North Carolina by 14 percentage points, while Clinton eked out a less than 2-percentage-point victory in Indiana.
McGovern, who had backed Clinton, told various media outlets that after watching Tuesday night's returns, he had concluded that it is mathematically impossible for the New York senator to win the nomination.
"Well, I respect him and he has a right to make whatever decision he makes," Clinton said.
The Obama campaign announced that three previously uncommitted superdelegates had endorsed the Illinois senator: North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek, Democratic National Committee member Inola Henry of California and DNC member Jeanette Council of North Carolina.
With the endorsements, the campaign claimed it was 170 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination. The Associated Press count has Obama 184.5 delegate votes shy of the nomination. Other tallies also differ, but all agree that Obama is closing in fast.
