History HAS been made, though. Throughout this campaign, I’ve heard everyone refer to a generic presidential candidate as “he/she”, whereas before it was always just “he”. I don’t see things changing back to “he”, either. As you noted, language is a very powerful thing.

There’s a practical side as well: She is expected to win in KY and WV. If she bows out before those states, she will likely still win them and it will be an embarrassment for Obama. (We haven’t yet made much hay about McCain failing to net 80% of the GOP primary voters even after he had clinched the nomination, but it’s there for the picking.) If she stays in the race, at least through those states, it can be framed as a “victory lap for history” and “going out with a blaze of glory” for her without damaging Obama in any real way.

But I also don’t think a Hillary supporter is a Hillary supporter is a Hillary supporter. I think a lot of them are just emotional because it’s an emotional contest. Hell, I know I got emotional as hell during some of the rough points, and I would expect some of them to do the same.

And so taking my view, some will appreciate it immediately, I think some will look back after things have calmed down, and then they’ll appreciate it, and then the rabid ones, well, they just may be lost forever. Not much you can do but move on.

Without finishing out all of the states, or at least leaving of her own volition, there can’t really be a “good game” at the end. There will continue to be question marks as to whether or not she could have pulled it off, or whether or not she had received fair treatment.

When Hillary eventually bows out of the campaign — which she has to at this point — her rabid supporters are still going to question it. They are going to complain of unfiar treatment, media bias, etc. I really don’t see an end for these people that they will like besides Hillary in the White House, but that’s not going to happen because her campaign didn’t get enough votes.

I understand the glass ceiling and group feeling, how no woman has ever come this close, etc… But I don’t want Hillary to act like a woman candidate, I want her to act like a candidate.

Honestly, I just don’t any hope of appeasing her rabid supporters. Regardless of whatever motivations drive their bias, these people just don’t recognize logic and reason.