The Scotsman Reports Carter and Gore to Stop Clinton

I’ve never been into demanding that Hillary Clinton get out, figuring that it is her decision to make. While she only has a remote chance to win the nomination, her chances are currently a bit above zero, while dropping out would reduce her chances to zero. From the perspective of many party leaders, not only are Clinton’s chances of winning the nomination near zilch, her chances of winning the general election aren’t much better, and the manner in which she is now double teaming with McCain to attack Obama by distorting his words might also reduce the chances of an Obama victory. The most sensible thing for party leaders to do would be to get Clinton to drop out as soon as possible.

I don’t know how accurate this report is, and if it would even make a difference, but The Scotsman reports that Al Gore and Jimmy Carter are getting ready to use their influence to get Clinton to drop out:

DEMOCRAT grandees Jimmy Carter and Al Gore are being lined-up to deliver the coup de grâce to Hillary Clinton and end her campaign to become president.

Falling poll numbers and a string of high-profile blunders have convinced party elders that she must now bow out of the primary race.

Former president Carter and former vice-president Gore have already held high-level discussions about delivering the message that she must stand down for the good of the Democrats.

“They’re in discussions,” a source close to Carter told Scotland on Sunday. “Carter has been talking to Gore. They will act, possibly together, or in sequence.”

An appeal by both men for Democrats to unite behind Clinton’s rival, Barack Obama, would have a powerful effect, and insiders say it is a question of when, rather than if, they act.

Obama has an almost unassailable lead in the battle for nomination delegates, and is closing the gap with Clinton in her last stronghold, Pennsylvania, which votes on April 22.

Clinton remains publicly defiant, insisting she will continue the battle with Obama all the way to the Democratic convention in August – when superdelegates, or party top brass, will have the chance to add their weight to primary votes.

But the party’s top brass have concluded her further participation in the race can only harm the party as Republican nominee John McCain strives to take advantage of her increasingly bitter battle with Obama.

I doubt this will happen before Pennsylvania, but considering how poor the math will look for Clinton if she fails to win by well over twenty points, it might be possible to put an end to the race after that primary. Currently most polls show Clinton with a shrinking single digit lead in Pennsylvania, while some show the race tied or with Obama leading. Nationally Obama has a growing lead over Clinton in most polls, along with a strong lead in delegates. If Gore and Carter take a joint stand, enough superdelegates might also commit to Obama and make it clear to Clinton that there is no point in continuing her farce of a campaign.

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