Will Clinton and Obama unite?
Maybe after the last primary votes are cast Hillary Clinton will put party unity ahead of "her own burning desire to become president," said The Denver Post. "The question now is what role Clinton will play after Obama has formally secured
What happened
The fight for the Democratic presidential nomination is winding down as voters in South Dakota and Montana cast ballots in the last primary contests. Barack Obama is 40 delegates shy of the 2,118 needed to seal the nomination, and sources close to his rival, Hillary Clinton, said she was ready to concede defeat, vow to do whatever it takes to help the party win in November, and accept an offer to be Obama’s running mate, if asked. (CNN)
What the commentators said
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Democratic Party tried to “reunite its warring factions” with a compromise to split the contested Michigan and Florida delegations, said The Denver Post in an editorial, “but party unity won't come until Hillary Clinton puts the good of her party and the causes she has championed above her own burning desire to become president.” Clinton has always said, “Let every vote count,” so maybe she’ll be ready to move on in a few hours after the last ballots are tallied in South Dakota and Montana.
Obama is already getting to work, said John Dickerson in Slate. “In anticipation of the coming end, Obama spoke warmly about his former opponent, praising Clinton's determination and promising the two of them would be united for the general election.” He then proceeded to blast the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain, on “everything from the Iraq war to the gas-tax holiday,” betting that “the specter of a McCain administration” is what will really “unite all Democrats.”
It took long enough, said Bob Herbert in The New York Times. “There are so many things that the Democrats need to do to have any chance of winning the White House in November, and it’s awfully late in the game to begin doing them.” At least now that the party’s “circular firing squad” has stopped shooting the general election campaign can begin.
Don’t expect the Clintons to give up gracefully, said Rich Lowry in National Review Online. Bill Clinton continued “desperately plugging his wife’s doomed presidential campaign,” like a political version of “a bloated Elvis Presley in a sequined suit” sweating on stage way past his prime. Clinton will come around to supporting Obama, but the Clintons clearly see the primaries as “the fruit of another vast conspiracy” against them, this one perpetrated by a “biased media” and “unfair rules.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“The question now is what role Clinton will play after Obama has formally secured the nomination,” said Lou Cannon in The Washington Post. Will she offer Obama lukewarm support like the backing Ronald Reagan gave Gerald Ford in 1976, when Ford lost narrowly to Carter? Or will she campaign tirelessly for him, the way Ford did for Reagan in 1980? “The outcome of the election could depend on the answer.”
-
Trump's actions cut a wide swath across Hawaii's economy
In Depth The state's tourism and farming sectors are two of the largest hit industries
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
5 immersive books to read this April for a brief escape
The Week Recommends A dystopian tale takes us to the library, a journalist's ode to her refugee parents and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'The winners and losers of AI may not be where we expect'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published