I had just written but not posted an item (below) on Hillary conceding tonight when the following statement arrived from the Clinton campaign: "The AP story is incorrect. Senator Clinton will not concede the nomination this evening." How bizarre. My uninformed hunch is that this reflects a deep split and unfolding battle within Clintonland about what course to take. Perhaps some people are leaking their preferences with the hope of convincing her to quit. The result is mass confusion. [Note: I slightly revised mylanguage here after posting.]
Update: A friend theorizes that the campaign may simply not want to announce her exit before polls close today. She still wants as many popular votes as possible, if only for posterity.
The original item follows:
AP:
Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede Tuesday night that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to be the nation's first female president.The former first lady will stop short of formally suspending or ending her race in her speech in New York City She will pledge to continue to speak out on issues like health care. But for all intents and purposes, the two senior officials said, the campaign is over.
Most campaign staff will be let go and will be paid through June 15, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge her plans.
The advisers said Clinton has made a strategic decision to not formally end her campaign, giving her leverage to negotiate with Obama on various matters including a possible vice presidential nomination for her. She also wants to press him on issues he should focus on in the fall, such as health care.
I think we need to know more about this "strategic decision not to formally end her campaign." Is that really about universal health care--or something a little less innocent?
--Michael Crowley