As Barack Obama inches closer to formally wrapping up the Democratic Presidential Nomination, the number of Democrats who want Hillary Clinton to drop out of the race has declined. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 32% of Democrats now think Clinton should withdraw from the race. That’s down from 38% who wanted her to exit the race just ten days ago. A month ago, 34% thought she should leave the race.

Among all voters, including Republicans and unaffiliated voters, 33% now say Clinton should leave the race. An earlier survey found that 29% of Democrats say she should run an Independent campaign for the White House. Clinton supporters are evenly divided on the question.

As for Barack Obama, 23% Democrats say he should drop out. That number has remained quite consistent through all surveys on the topic.

Three percent (3%) want both candidates to drop out and 48% aren’t ready for either to leave.

Overall, Democrats are evenly divided as to which candidate would be a better general election candidate against John McCain. Forty-six percent (46%) view Clinton as the stronger candidate while 44% say Obama will do better.

A Rasmussen Reports analysis two weeks ago indicated that the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination is effectively over and that Obama will be the nominee. Rasmussen Markets currently suggests that Obama has an % chance of winning the nomination. However, the strong and committed support for Clinton means that Obama is now entering the most perilous phase of his candidacy. The way in which he resolves the challenge with Clinton could determine who wins in November.

Obama is essentially even with McCain in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

The national telephone survey also found that 81% of all Democrats now believe it is at least somewhat likely the Democratic nomination will remain unresolved until the Democratic convention in August. Forty-eight percent (48%) of all Democrats believe that a decision at the convention is Very Likely. That’s up seven points since the previous survey

Republicans are now evenly divided as to which Democrat they see as the tougher challenge in the fall. That is little changed from recent surveys. Earlier in the year, Republicans were far more likely to see Obama as the stronger Democratic candidate.

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