D-Day for Hillary
03/03/2008 21:47  - (SA)  

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Toledo - Barack Obama intensified his bid to end Hillary Clinton's White House quest on Monday on the eve of vital nominating clashes in Texas and Ohio.

Obama suggested for the first time that Clinton may have no choice but to call it quits if he performs strongly in Tuesday's contests, after she said wistfully that she would examine her options after the results roll in.

"If we do well in Texas and Ohio, I think the math is such where it's going to be hard for her to win the nomination, and they'll have to make a decision about how much longer they want to pursue it," Obama told ABC News.

"I would assume that there are going to be people who want to bring this to an end one way or another because John McCain's out there," the Illinois senator said, referring to the presumptive Republican nominee.

Narrow victories won't help

In a late night news conference on board her campaign aeroplane, Clinton declined to predict victory on a day which also features nominating contests in Rhode Island and Vermont.

"I intend to do as well as I can on Tuesday, we will see what happens after that," the former first lady said.

Even narrow victories would likely not be enough for Clinton, as she tries to trim Obama's lead of roughly 150 nominating delegates, which are doled out after each state contest.

Both campaigns were cranking up huge turnout operations in the two states on Monday, sending thousands of volunteers to drive supporters to the polls, amid concern about bad winter-weather forecasts for some parts of mid-western Ohio.

'D-Day is Tuesday'

Former presidential candidate Bill Richardson, yet to endorse one of his former rivals, expressed concern on Sunday that a prolonged clash between the two Democratic titans could damage the party as it gears up to challenge McCain.

"D-Day is Tuesday. We have to have a positive campaign after Tuesday," he told CBS.

"Whoever has the most delegates after Tuesday, a clear lead, should be in my judgment the nominee."

The latest count of nominating delegates, awarded after each state contest, by website RealClearPolitics shows Obama leading by 1 389 to Clinton's 1 279, with the freshman senator pulling into the lead after 11 nominating wins in a row.

A total of 2 025 delegates is needed for victory at the Democrats' convention.

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