What's next for Clinton?

What does Hillary Clinton want?

And if it's a place on Barack Obama's ticket, will she get her wish?

Those questions hover over Obama's campaign as he shifts into general-election mode, trying to define John McCain on his terms and launching a vice presidential search panel that is certain to consider other women besides Clinton.

Clinton shed new light on her intentions when her camp announced Wednesday she has decided to end her historic bid to become the first female president while leaving her options open to retain her delegates and promote her issues, including a signature call for universal health care.

More Coverage Stories Text of Clinton's email to her supporters [6/04/08] Clinton to end campaign, support Obama [6/04/08]

Hours after Obama sealed the nomination, Democrats coalesced around his candidacy, sending a strong signal to Clinton that it was time to bow out. The former first lady told House Democrats during a private conference call Wednesday that on Saturday she will express support for Obama's candidacy and congratulate him.

"Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, D.C., to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity. This event will be held on Saturday to accommodate more of Senator Clinton's supporters who want to attend," her communications director Howard Wolfson said.

Also in the speech, Clinton will urge once-warring Democrats to focus on the general election and defeating Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Clinton had fallen far short of concession Tuesday night as the primary season closed -- even though Obama secured enough delegates to capture the Democratic nomination.

Some observers are framing Clinton's speech Tuesday as an understandable reluctance to bow out quickly after a long, arduous and closely fought campaign.

Detractors, by contrast, say she lacked the grace to acknowledge Obama's victory.

Joel Platt, a Glenview resident and friend of Clinton going back to their student days at Maine East High School in Park Ridge, said it's tough for any candidate to simply flip an "off" switch.

"I don't think it's reasonable for people to demand that she do something so quickly that takes a lot of thought," said Platt, who worked for his friend extensively in several states this spring.

Kathleen Dolan, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor of political science, said Clinton might want, in part, for Obama's camp to acknowledge how close the outcome really was.

"He'll get something like 50.8 percent of the delegates, and the popular vote was even closer," Dolan said. "This was not a slam dunk by any means."

Obama, for his part, named Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Jim Johnson, former CEO of Fannie Mae, to lead the search for a running mate.

A day earlier, Clinton declared herself "open" to a vice presidential spot. Many observers assume she hopes to make a spot on the ticket the condition for any enthusiastic support on her part.

If that's Clinton's plan, she's holding a losing hand, said Gerald Rosenberg, an associate professor of political science and lecturer in law at the University of Chicago.

"She has zero leverage," he said. "What can she threaten? That her voters are going to vote for a man who wants to prohibit abortion? It's crazy; it makes no sense."

If Clinton wanted to employ an effective strategy, Rosenberg said, she would have joined Obama in St. Paul Tuesday night, endorsed him on the spot and started to work on his behalf immediately.

"I think she still doesn't get that she's not the nominee," Rosenberg said.

But Dolan, who specializes in gender studies, said the current tenor of discussion criticizing Clinton only accentuates the sexism Dolan said has been directed at Clinton all along and that continues to annoy many of her backers, particularly older women.

Dolan said: "Until recently, any talk about why she shouldn't be the vice presidential candidate has focused on things like "she doesn't bring a breath of fresh air and change that he's trying to sell."

But now, Dolan said, the concern is Obama can't risk naming her because he'd appear to be a henpecked husband.

"She'd be the bossy wife, and so he has to show that he's the strong and independent man by denying her," Dolan said. "I find that interesting and so problematic."

Obama himself must heal the rift with women, said Clinton fundraiser Susie Buell of San Francisco, or a new brand of "stay-at-home moms" might sit out the election.

"I know that women are very worked up right now," she said. Obama "has never apologized for the way Hillary has been treated."

Two other women -- Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano -- are widely reported to be under consideration as prospective running mates for Obama.