There are only a handful in America today, who still believe that Hillary Clinton has a chance at the Presidency. It would be safe to assume that most of these optimists belong to the Clinton family. However, with every passing hour, especially after her slender victory in Indiana and her 14-point defeat in North Carolina on Tuesday, cries for her to throw in the towel and relinquish the campaign will increase.

She is, of course, now being well-aided by disgruntled supporters, and some of the so-far reticent Washington pundits, and the media, to make this obvious, but difficult, decision. A former senator and supporter of Clinton, George McGovern, urged her to drop out on Wednesday, as did former strategist George Stephanopoulos. The gatekeepers of the American media - Matt Drudge and Tim Russert - didn't waste much time in appointing Barack Obama as the official Democratic nominee to the race to the White House. Time, too, has, in its latest issue, elevated a triumphant and jovial-looking Illinois Senator to its cover, with the caption 'And the winner is... '. The general consensus, across the country, is this tortuous battle is impeding the Democratic cause: not only is it dividing the electorate, and allowing the Republican nominee, John McCain, a free ride and time to rally his conservative base, most importantly, there is a serious worry about voters getting turned off or, simply, fatigued. And, therefore, the media and anyone powerful in Washington, as they should be, have taken it upon themselves to abridge Clinton's agony and, in many ways, pull the plug off a campaign that has shown the occasional sign of revival, but otherwise has been hemorrhaging in the last many months.

It is, of course, in Clinton's interest to drag on for as long as she can. There is no other reason why she would loan herself $6.4 million, the morning after another dismal performance, with little chance of victory and the vital signs of her campaign fading. The goal would be to make Obama bleed for as long as possible, so as to ensure a McCain victory in November, thus giving her another shot at the White House in four years. An Obama victory will effectively stymie her aspirations to be commander-in-chief, since her next shot will come in November 2016, at the grand age of 68.

Another often-repeated, but specious, reason for continuing in the race is to ensure she gets on the Democratic ticket as Vice President. I don't buy this thesis since she has firmly established her credentials and earned her right to that spot. Moreover, at least at this stage, especially after all the vitriol and toxicity of the last six months, it's unlikely she would 'grab' this opportunity. Of course, politics is filled with surprises. But, she would rather sit out and pray that Obama loses, allowing her the undeniable right to represent her party in 2012, unless another feisty challenger, like Obama, emerges.

It's going to be an exciting next few days in Washington, as aides on both sides will huddle and try to eke out an honorable exit, even a possible deal. The longer it takes, the more it hurt Obama. But, to be sure, Clinton suffers, too. Most importantly, it confirms what the Republicans have been saying all along about the coiling miasma of Bill and Hillary.