There’s a lot to be said for quitting while you’re ahead. If you stop trying to grope your way to that hot blonde’s phone number, you can save yourself the embarrassment of getting a drink splashed in your face.

If you drop English 101 early enough, you avoid having to explain to your mom how, after 20 years in the U.S., you still don’t understand the language.

And, if Hillary Clinton would quit the race, she could avoid getting blamed for dragging Barack Obama down with her.

According to AP reports from last week, “Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton must win 57 percent of the remaining primary and caucus delegates to erase Barack Obama’s lead.” That would take a surprising showing from Clinton, particularly in some Southern states where Obama appears to be a lock.

Taking the margin of error into account, Clinton and Obama are virtually neck-and-neck in Ohio and Texas, the large battleground states holding primaries tomorrow. Obama has been trending upward, eating away at a Clinton lead that was bigger weeks ago.

If she manages to pull off the decisive victories she needs in those states, it will either be through an act of divine intervention or voter fraud.

That said, “erasing Barack Obama’s lead” is hardly what one would call a mandate from the people. If she squeaks by with a scant victory, she’ll arrive at a general election where, if current national polls are to be believed (something that’s no longer a guarantee in this business), she has a distinct disadvantage when compared to Republican frontrunner John McCain.

At this point, all Clinton would be able to do is win just enough to lose the general election for Democrats, independents and anyone else unhappy with the status quo.

Then she and Ralph Nader can go unveil their statues in the Hall of Electoral Spoilers.

Speaking of Nader, a word of notice to NIU students: I’m older than most of you, so this will mark the third election where I will see seen Nader run, despite the fact that there are cartoon characters with better chances of getting elected than him.

The only votes Nader gets are from aging hippies and from idiot teenagers who actually think he’s going to legalize marijuana. Don’t be part of the problem: If you’re voting for Nader, when election day comes, just stay in bed.

The Republican race has been a settled matter for weeks now – excluding, of course, an ankle-biting Mike Huckabee – which means that every week the Democratic race goes undecided is another week McCain has to set his sights on November. It’s another week that lets McCain build himself up while Clinton and Obama are too busy fighting to knock him down to size.

What does it profit Clinton to keep running at this point? Obama is winning more votes and more delegates, he’s taking in broader support and more money and he’s polling ahead of the likely Republican opponent for a general election.

All Clinton can accomplish at this point is possibly hurting Obama’s future chances, making herself look petty and prideful and guaranteeing a third term of Bush-esque policies under John McCain.

She’s already proven the impossible to be possible by running a strong, viable campaign that could’ve had a real shot had she gotten better advice. If she avoids squandering her legacy and doesn’t take a kamikaze run at Obama to ruin his reputation on her way down, she can enjoy a lot of power and influence in the Senate for years to come, paving the way for future presidential bids if she’s ready.

Sometimes, quitting is the harder thing to do. And that’s when it’s the right thing.

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