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Washington: When Senator Hillary Clinton endorses Senator Barack Obama today, listen carefully. She probably won't say she's ending her campaign. She's likely to say she is "suspending" it.
Dropping out of the presidential race has become something of an art form, and Clinton, like a couple of other recent dropouts, is likely to choose "suspending", a term that takes her out of the day-to-day race but retains some of her clout for the party's nominating convention in August.
Former Senator John Edwards used the same tactic when he dropped out on January 30. "Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Democratic nomination for the presidency," he said. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney didn't use the word in his speech, but his campaign used it in a news release, saying he was "suspending his presidential campaign for the sake of Republican unity and the future of our country".
Chris Kofinis, a Democratic strategist who was communications director for Edwards, said Clinton would keep some leverage at the convention by "suspending" her campaign. "It gives you a bargaining chip," he said.
Stuart Rothenberg, a political analyst, said that would be a smart move. "By endorsing him and suspending her campaign, she has embraced him and she keeps herself relevant," he said. "It kind of gives her the best of both worlds."
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| This article on the national political campaigns in the United States is from The New York Times. It was specially selected and prepared by the editors of The New York Times News Service. |
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