All Obama needs to do is win more delegates than Clinton today, and she'll get the boot.

[Guaranteed]

It doesn't even matter who wins by what percentage. If Obama maintains or increases his lead in pledged delegates, the Dems and media will have no choice but to tell Clinton it's time to go home.

[MercutioATC]

1. It'd be nice if you were right, but I don't think that's the case.

Even if Obama hits the number after Oregon, I think Clinton still might drag it to the Convention.

[Guaranteed]

4. If she can't cut into his lead in this last of the big contests, there's no

point in her going on.

The burden is on her to show why she should stay in the race. Even to convince the superdelegates to overturn the voters, she has to show that she's making progress, not stepping backward. Obama doesn't have to destroy Clinton, here- all he has to do is beat her, and if he does Clinton will not have done enough to justify staying in. Once again.

[MercutioATC]

8. You're right of course...but nobody can "force her out".

...and I don't see her being very rational right now. She has had no real chance since Super Tuesday, and yet she continues to run.

I give it a 50/50 chance of her taking it to the Convention.

[Jersey Devil]

9. After today there are only 220 delegates left to be elected

Assuming they split, Obama winning NC by 10 and Hillary winning IN by 10 she would be 160 delegates behind. To catch up she'd need 190 of the 220 remaining delegates for a tie, over 86%. So how is she going to do that?

[MercutioATC]

16. By the rules? She can't.

It's not about rules for her...it's about winning.

She'll try to get FL and MI seated as is. She's already hinted that she's going to try to sway Obama pledged delegates to change their support. There are a number of things she can do to muck things up in the hope that she'll come out on top.

If you look at it from her standpoint, she's already lost. She has nothing to lose.

[Jersey Devil]

23. What's amazing to me is that people keep giving her money

I know her campaign is in debt, but how in the world does she keep convincing donors to come up with more given the extremely low odds she has of prevailing?

[MercutioATC]

25. I agree. Even if I liked her, it's realistically throwing money away.

I can understand that some people will support her regardless of her chances...but to throw money away like that instead of saving it for the general? I don't get it.

[gateley]

2. But some of the Dems have been asking her to go home for a while --

Kennedy, Dodd -- and that's had no effect.

[maddiejoan]

5. I think it's hysterically funny

That Kennedy of all people would tell her to pack it up before the convention

[speedoo]

13. Why is that so funny?

I don't get it.

[maddiejoan]

17. Uhm

Because Kennedy went all the way to the convention?

[speedoo]

22. OK, thanks. nt

[bigtree]

14. inside joke

[cali]

18. it would be funny if Kennedy had ever suggested she drop out

but he hasn't. Leahy suggested it.

[maddiejoan]

19. Explain that to Gately

not to me

[gateley]

21. I get it - no need to explain. nt

[gateley]

20. Yeah, I do see the irony in that. nt

[Guaranteed]

6. If Obama wins more pledged delegates than her with so many at stake,

it will be pretty convincing that she's done. She had to make progress, but stepped backward.

[speedoo]

10. Maybe so, but if the OP's scenario becomes reality...

Hillary no longer has any opportunity to make a dent in Obama's leads in pledged delegates and popular vote. As Chuck Todd has correctly stated, after today, the primary election is over and the nomination process moves to the back room.

Which means, as the OP correctly stated, the burden is completely on Hillary to say why she should continue. And she really does not have any convincing argument.

Today is Hillary's last chance.

[sampsonblk]

3. Hillary Clinton just can't seem to let it go. That's the problem

She should have dropped out long ago. Who's to say she will drop out after tonight? I wouldn't bet on it.

[Apollo11]

7. If Hillary wins Indiana, she will try to keep going thru June 3rd.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the delegate math. Hillary sure ain't! ;-)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. Win or lose, she'll keep going.

And she'll keep counting MI and FL delegates.

[Jersey Devil]

24. Not if the money dries up

That is what probably will end this - donors saying "no mas"

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

27. Even if the legitimate contributions dry up

there may be more money available from Rush and his Operation Chaos klan. Anything to keep Hillary running.

[faithfulcitizen]

11. That's way too logical for Hillary Clinton, I'm afraid.

[Bensthename]

15. He will win the bigger state by a bigger margin. He should gain well in popular vote and delegates..

And yes, the super drip for Obama should turn into a small stream.

[madrchsod]

26. it`s the nuclear option if she does`t pick up enough delegates

she will never leave without going to the rules committee which half of her supporters are members.

[Guaranteed]

28. Russert is now saying this. nt