Posted on 05/12/2008 2:34:02 PM PDT by COUNTrecount
Senator Hillary Clinton has referred to the next president as he, a slip that has fuelled speculation that she is on the verge of dropping out of the race for the White House.
As the former First Lady met voters at three events in West Virginia, attention turned to how she could make a graceful exit from a gruelling, 17-month contest.
She carried on campaigning despite confessions from senior staff that winning the Democratic Partys nomination was a near impossibility and that her campaign was $21 million (£10 million) in debt.
Her financial problems, if nothing else, may force her to bow out after ending on a high note in West Virginia, where she is expected to beat Senator Barack Obama by a landslide in Tuesday's primary contest.
Speaking to voters in the Appalachian state, she said: All the kitchen table issues that everybody talks to me about are ones that the next president can actually do something about, if he actually cares about it. Realising her faux pas, she added: More likely if she cares about it!
Though Mrs Clinton continues to make her case as the best next president of the US, she has noticeably softened her tone on Mr Obama in the past few days, after weeks of direct attacks on his readiness for the White House. She also much less regularly peppers her speeches with the phrase When I am president... - another sign that her inner conviction is fading.
Her opponent has avoided causing her the offence of declaring victory but on Tuesday will effectively begin his campaign against Republican nominee John McCain by holding an economic forum in Missouri, a crucial swing state in Novembers presidential election, rather than any of the remaining Democratic primary states.
Mr Obama made his only visit to West Virginia on Monday, in contrast to the demanding schedule he kept before his decisive win in North Carolina and strong second place in Indiana last week.
Even a heavy defeat there will not affect his lead in pledged delegates, who are allocated according to votes, while growing numbers of the 800 party super-delegates who will ultimately decide the contest continue to opt for Mr Obama.
The Clinton campaign has meanwhile quietly wound down its insistence that she could win the nomination if delegates from Florida and Michigan were counted. The New York senator won uncontested primaries in both states, though the Democratic National Committee said results would be ignored because the polls had been held too early.
Terry McAuliffe, the Clinton campaign chairman, has said that he would settle for half the states delegates being seated at the partys nominating convention in August, when the nominee will be anointed.
But any calculation that includes half the Florida and Michigan delegates still leaves Mr Obama in front, needing between 26 and 38 per cent of the remaining, uncommitted super-delegates to support him.
In a concession that was tantamount to admitting defeat, Mr McAuliffe something big would have to happen for his candidate to overtake her rival.
Howard Wolfson, Mrs Clintons chief of communications, meanwhile admitted to debts of $21 million, but insisted the show would go on. The candidate has already lent her campaign $11.6 million, and there are suggestions that Mr Obama may help her out with a fundraising event if she quits soon and works for the good of the party.

Senator Hillary Clinton has referred to the next president as he, a slip that has fuelled speculation that she is on the verge of dropping out of the race for the White House.
"Yes, it's true, I AM having a gender reassignment.And I really wanted to work in the coal mines when I was a child."
HA!! Check out the “YObama 08” shirt in the background.
I vote that she will never be President of the U.S. She has no reason to give support to Obama. What would happen is she endorsed McCain?
What I’m waiting for...
She also much less regularly peppers her speeches with the phrase When I am president... instead using “When I’m indicted...”- another sign that her inner conviction is fading.
They had better keep Obama’s airplane under heavy guard.

I think that America is almost a lost cause.
Obama has official support from the following:
1.) International terrorist group Hamas
2.) Jane Fonda the open traitor
3.) Malik Shabazz and his racist Black Panthers
4.) Jeremiah Wright and his racist horde of followers
5.) Louis Farrakhan and his black supremacist Nation of Islam people
6.) Skull-crunching late-term abortionist groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood
7.) Michael Moore the lying propagandist
I swear. I do feel like I am living in a cuckoo clock whenever I hear people say how much they support Obama.
I will probably end up pulling an Obi Wan Kenobi by going into permanent hiding once the Evil One and his venomous minions assume complete control of our beloved Republic.
Regardless of how much Secret Service coverage Obama is getting, there is still a chance that a really determined operative could get through, if it were a suicide mission, and the ties back to the Clinton campaign could be sufficiently obliterated.
Obama is in serious danger of becoming an involuntary Arkancide.
This sounds more like a wishful thinking on the writer’s part. Except for the slip (’he’), there’s no new info. And the slip simply just like that: a slip. After all, the US only has ‘he’ as presidents so far.
McLame all but endorsed the wack job liberal democrat Oregon governor (Kulingowski) today. The governor isn't even running, and is pretty low among republicans, conservatives, and independents. So loopy McCain, worshiping at the church of global warming, vowed to get all the warming out if he is elected. Let's see. A trillion dollars+ in new taxes on a scientific theory that is falling apart. Or a NO vote for the GOP. Hmmmmm.
Or possibly her education in day when indefinite article were not subject to PC, just bubbled up.
This is all BS...she has to to stay in till the convention to get some payback of the $11m that she’s loaned he campaign. Tis the rules.....
FRepers, she’s referring to BILL, of course!!!! Third term....
Wanted to? WANTED TO? Bite your tongue! Hillary did work in the coal mines!
She also worked in an auto-body plant, was a dirt farmer, and was a waitress while she worked her way through college on a hardship grant. On weekends she volunteered for medical experiments so that the test gerbils could have the weekend off.
She walked to school barefoot in the snow. Up hill. Both ways.
She's from New Midwestsouthnorthohiovaniaillinoisifornia.
She's a lawyer and policymaker when she's not baking cookies while doing charity work for the poor and knitting blankets for orphan seals.
Hillary's everything you want her to be. If only you'd vote for her (please?)?
Sometimes a slip is just a cigar!
"I'm Hillary Clinton--- and I approve this message".
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