Hillary Clinton needs to call it quits. If not for the sake of the Democratic Party, which she is splitting, then for the sake of the country, which will endure four years of John McBush as a result of the party split.

According to CNN, Barack Obama holds a 137 delegate lead and leads Clinton by about 700,000 popular votes. With the Democratic Party’s method of proportional delegate allocation and Michigan and Florida re-votes unlikely, it is virtually impossible for Clinton to overtake Obama in either popular votes or the delegate race.

Clinton supporters argue she has won all the “big states” and is thus more electable in the fall. It’s a laughable argument at first, then a pitiful one when you remember they’re serious.

Yes, Clinton has won California, New York, Massachusetts and Ohio. I leave Texas off the list because even though she won the primary it is looking like Obama, through the Texas caucus, will come out of the state with more delegates, which I don’t consider a Clinton victory.

To argue that in a general election California, New York and Massachussetts will break years of reliability and turn red if Clinton isn’t the nominee is ridiculous, and it won’t happen.

Ohio, a historically swing state, is her only claim to fame, and I believe the only person who could motivate republicans to solidify around John McCain and swing Ohio their way is Clinton.

If she were willing to face the obvious, Clinton could be a great help to Obama. She and her husband hold significant weight within the democratic community, and her poll numbers show she appeals to blue-collar and older democrats.

An endorsement from her would help unite those groups behind Obama in preparation for the tough fight this fall.

The alternative, to try to convince the superdelegates to snatch the nomination from Obama, with the delegate and popular vote lead behind him, would be as disastrous for the party as it is unlikely to happen.

However, Clinton is taking a chance and betting on her ability to convince the superdelegates to do just that.

I believe when you’re gambling with our nation’s future, “You gotta know when to fold ‘em.”

- Vincent Hampton is a junior from Lawrenceville majoring in publication management.