IMO, Hillary stays in strictly for the money

She knows she cannot win the majority of pledged delegates. That's already been signed, sealed and delivered no matter what they do with Florida and Michigan.

She also knows that the SDs are not going to massively defect from Obama simply because she may gain a slight popular vote advantage (using Hillarian math of course) by winning big in Puerto Rico and that beginning next Wednesday one after the other they will begin declaring for Obama until it takes him over the number needed to be the presumptive nominee, whatever that turns out to be as the result of seating Florida and Michigan.

My thinking is that the main reason she stays in is to try to pay off some of her debts after the primaries cease on June3. From that point on she needs no campaign offices in any of the states, no volunteers, no paid staff (other than the inner core of advisers), no ads will be run, no travel expenses, etc.

If she concedes, my understanding is that she cannot pay herself back the loans (over $12M that we know of) except for $250K and donations for the over $31M in debts will dry up completely. But if she stays in and does not offer any concession she can continue to raise money up to and including the day of the vote for the nomination at the convention to help pay off her debts and loans.

I believe that is her plan. She will never concede due to the money. It's almost always about the money and I don't think this case is any exception.

She doesn't have to pay for debts to herself and despite what you read here, she still has plenty of admirers out there.

If she ever has any desire to run again she knows that she cannot have a history of leaving a mountain of unpaid debts in her previous campaign.

No, she doesn't "have to" pay herself back, but I bet she'd sure like to, unless is is your contention that $12M is just pocket money to the Clintons.

Hillary's campaign does NOT owe 31 million.

It was a clever lie veiled by a quick retraction.

There is a lot more to Hillary Clinton than just money.

Clearly she wants to be president. However, she knows she cannot achieve that this year, so I would assume she'd want to try again in 2012 (if Obama loses) or 2016 (if Obama wins).

What kind of candidate would she be in the future if she stiffs her creditors now for $30+ million?

:D

Btw, I have embarked on a new direction toward unity. Please look at some of the positive threads here in GD-P by H2O Man, Scarlet Woman, and others. It's not that I disagree with your premise (it may be valid), but consider refocusing your energy on a more positive, unifying approach.

I thought her money problems explain why there is no concession rather than some conspiratorial plan to overturn the positions of the delegates between now and August.

There's nothing nefarious or evil about wanting to leave a campaign with all its debts paid.

That's all. No offense intended. :hi:

I know you're right but I think you're about a week or two ahead of the rest of us. That's why I think it is wise that Skinner let it be known (in his posts pinned up top) that everyone would have about a week to cool off and regroup once we have a presumptive nominee.

that is donated for the GE. What can she do with that? Is it collateral for loans for the Primary and can be used to pay them off? She can donate it to other campaigns, but not keep it, right?

All she can do with GE money is give it to other candidates for the general election. She cannot use it for the primaries.

That would be great. Thanks for your answer.

I think she honestly has the drive and the desire to serve.

but I also think that she is realistic and knows she can no longer win. To get the chance to try again she must try pay off her debts. That says nothing negative about her sincerity. It is just reality.

debts.. and perhaps try again. I just don't agree with the notion that she is doing it for money.

pay herself back FIRST. Before penn and the pizza parlor people. And that penn's owed money covers some of the small debts to small businesses that were incurred and are still outstanding from her campaign.

I should not have said "strictly" for the money. What I really meant is that money and the desire to see all her debts paid is probably a very large part of her reasons for not conceding

Follow the money... It's always been the best barometer to explain the motives of a great many politicians.

She's spending money every day, and every day, less and less is coming in.

She can concede without officially pulling out of the race, so she can pay herself back even if she's not actively campaigning. As far as I know, she can pay herself back twenty years later. The problem is that if she concedes, the money coming in dries up. Few people will donate to a doomed campaign, but even fewer will donate once the candidate has "pulled out" (a phrase which doesn't really mean much). So she can raise more money by actively campaigning.

But that's only part of it. An active presidential campaign draws more people to the polls, so the states still remaining want her to be on the ticket, to help their turnout. Also, if Clinton "dropped out," candidates and issues all down the ballot would be affected. State and local candidates who rely on the same voters as her will lose a lot of votes if she drops out, since those voters will be less likely to go to the polls, and the candidates and issues down-ballot will be affected. That also ties in with the "control of the party" struggle, since those who win control the party.

And there's one more factor that people aren't going to like me saying, or even agree with, but it's true, nonetheless. A lot of people don't like Obama, for various reasons. Some supers who have pledged to him prefer Clinton, and have only pledged because it was in their best interests. (If Clinton were leading, the same would be true of her). They are encouraging her to stay in, just in case. Anything can happen. That's what they talk about, and that's why that stupid RFK comment came out of her mouth. That's one possibility discussed backstage. More likely would be some scandal. A dead girl or live boy situation, as the old cliche goes. And while Clinton wouldn't have to be still campaigning to cash in on such a scandal at the convention, the possibility of it happening combined with her still campaigning means that some of her donors will keep giving cash, hoping for something dramatic, so that even if nothing suddenly destroys Obama's candidacy, Clinton can cash in on the chance that it might.

Which brings it back to money again, as you say. But it's not just Clinton's money. No candidate runs as an individual. There are a lot of people with money tied up in this who want her to stay in.

Money and power (which are the same thing). That's what's behind all campaigns. Even Obama's.

This, from yesterday:

Hillary: Why I continue to run

"I am running because I still believe I can win on the merits. Because, with our economy in crisis, our nation at war, the stakes have never been higher - and the need for real leadership has never been greater - and I believe I can provide that leadership."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/05/25/2008-05-25_hillary_why_i_continue_to_run.html

Another reason is she wants to amass as many votes as possible for the history books.

And, of course, I agree about the money aspect.