There is an excellent summary of the primary numbers so far at The Carpetbagger Report showing how unlikely it is that Clinton can catch up and then overtake Obama before the convention. Considering these data, it strikes me that it is time to start calling on Clinton to exit the race...unless...

There is one reason I think it might make sense for Hillary Clinton to stay in the race for the Democratic nomination until the bitter end. If Clinton truly believes (as her campaign tactics suggest) that John McCain would be a better president than Barack Obama, then she should stay in the race. Otherwise, it is time to get out before doing any more damage to the party. Obama would have to be crazy to pick her as VP, for she would add little to the ticket that would benefit him.

Could Clinton actually prefer McCain to Obama? This seems unlikely, but I see no other reason why her continued presence should be viewed as anything but destructive.

Tags: primary, Clinton, Obama, politics, nomination, McCain