Shutting down the campaign now is impractical, said a Clinton aide. For one thing, Texas Democrats are meeting Friday and Saturday to divide 67 delegates between Clinton and Obama. With about 1,500 Clinton supporters due to attend, it would be a disservice to them for Clinton to drop her candidacy now, he said.
"There is a lot of indebtedness to people like that - to fundraisers and unions," the aide said.
After the elections today, Clinton will spend a few days reviewing her options and talking to superdelegates, supporters and donors, said Clinton aides.
At a rally yesterday in a high school in rural Yankton, S.D., Clinton talked about entering "a new phase in the campaign" and said she would try to coax superdelegates to her side.
"I will be spending the coming days making my case to those delegates," she said.
Clinton argued that she has won "the swing states and the swing voters that Democrats must win to take back the White House." And she pointed to polls that show her beating the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
"We have a very strong case to make that I am the best positioned to take back the White House and put this country on the right track," Clinton said.
Clinton officials conceded in the conference call that she faced steep odds.
But one Clinton donor who took part said a victory was still achievable. One scenario hinges on Clinton mounting an appeal of the decision by the Democratic National Committee's rules and bylaws committee that stripped her of four delegates in Michigan. If she prevails, the donor said, that might convince some superdelegates to change their minds and support her.
Yet some political analysts believe the contest is over and that Clinton needs to accept the verdict.
"For all intents and purposes everyone - except her campaign - realized it was over the day of the North Carolina primary. It's just been pro forma since then," said John Anzalone, a Democratic strategist who is neutral in the race.
"At this point, if she keeps fighting, it's not really the damage she does to Obama, it's the damage she does to herself. I think the Clintons are smart enough people to realize that if she's going to have a future, it's going to be one of helping Obama get elected, not being some kind of spoiler or poor sport."
Obama is hoping to clinch the nomination by tomorrow.
