Clinton presses on, urges supporters to ignore calls to quit

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At a rally under the dome of the West Virginia Capitol, Clinton dismissed calls for her to drop out as "deja vu all over again." She said she had faced similar pressure before going on to win primaries in New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.

She made her case for pressing on, and thanked her supporters for doing the same.

"A lot of you have stuck with me. You've been through all the ups and downs in this campaign, the biggest victories and toughest moments," Clinton said. "I think it is because you understand that you've got to have a president who gets up every day and fights for you, who never gives up on you."

Her fading chances didn't diminish the loyalty of Evelyn Smith, 78, one of hundreds of supporters who jammed into the Capitol and waited nearly two hours to hear Clinton speak.

"It's going to take a miracle for her to get the nomination, which I could sit down and cry about because I think she really deserves to be president and the first lady president," Smith said.

Smith said Clinton should stay in the race until the final contests June 3. "I'm a lot like she is, and I would go to the finish line even if I came in last and took a fall. I'd make it to the finish line, and I think she should, too," she said.

Jim Duffield, 64, agreed.

"Of course she should keep going until we get a winner," he said.

Said Clinton as her audience cheered: "I'm running to be president of all 50 states. I think we ought to keep this going so the people of West Virginia's voices are heard."

In contrast to her confrontational comments in speeches leading up to recent primaries, Clinton's only mention of Obama on Thursday was to say next Tuesday's primary in West Virginia would be a test for both of them. She did highlight her strengths with various voting blocs through the primaries, an implicit comparison with her Democratic foe. She said the states she has won and the voters she has attracted are essential if the party is to reclaim the White House.

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