The race for the Democratic nomination has dragged on without a meaningful conclusion. With Barack Obama ahead by 2 percent, it may seem that the best course of action would simply be for his opponent, Hillary Clinton, to drop out of the race and allow Obama to begin campaigning for the presidency immediately. However, even though deciding on a candidate quickly may have some short-term advantages, in the end, it will prove to be a political blunder.

While the majority of states have voted, over 26 million people have yet to cast their votes. Such an action would not only ignore a portion of Democrats, but would undermine the party later in the race.

For example, in the 1984 election, the Democratic candidate Walter Mondale looked like a dramatic front-runner in the early elections, winning 48 percent of the popular vote. After several months of campaigning, Hart dropped out of the race. However, in the general elections, Mondale only won Wyoming. Cutting short a primary, even in what seems like a landslide, can have damaging effects to a party.

Many political commentators argue that by smear campaigning one another, the candidates will have trouble unifying when the time comes for the general election. However, this has not been a problem historically. Examine the last Democratic primary in 2004. Despite being highly competitive and unpredictable (the projected winner, Howard Dean, came in with only about 5 percent of delegates) come Election Day, the turnout of Democratic voters exceeded that of Republicans.

In fact, a competitive race can actually draw attention to the Democratic candidates. While the media nitpicks the Democratic campaign, less time is given to John McCain. Because of the drama in such a tight race, the spotlight will naturally shift towards the Democratic candidates and whoever is selected will start the race having already had more airtime on speeches and press releases.

Thus, it is important not just to consider the frustration and suspense of a long race, but also the benefit of having an opportunity to weigh their options and select the best, most qualified candidate. It is strategically critical that Clinton remains in the race for its full duration. Politics is an unpredictable field, and finding shortcuts to even an unpleasant process can hinder success.