With close to 2,000 delegates, 18 million popular votes, and a majority of primary wins since March—along with victories in the most important electoral states—Hillary Clinton has a right to ask the victorious Barack Obama for some things. After all, nations that have been defeated in war have a right to try and negotiate the terms of their surrender. Sometimes they'll get a Versailles, and sometimes it will be something more generous.

Clinton's lost, but she can negotiate the terms of her surrender in a way that will help her and Obama. But what would be appropriate, and what would allow her to end her campaign on a graceful note? A few thoughts:

She shouldn't ask for the veep slot directly. It's probably too big a bridge for Obama to cross to ask her to be his running mate. It's not that the level of personal animus between the two is insurmountable—these are pols, for gosh sakes, they suck it up all the time with people they don't like—but if you're running a campaign about the future, it's hard to affix your fate to one of the biggest family names from the past.

Then there are the logistical issues of Bill Clinton. Leave aside his gaffes on the campaign trail. On balance, you're still much better off with him than not. But if she's veep, he'd have to stop soliciting money from abroad for his foundation and library. He'd have to disclose all the donors and more about his business dealings. Can he do that? I don't know. And Obama would have to be convinced that he could still be the alpha male in that three-way.

Anyway, it's slightly tacky to ask to be chosen as veep. And it makes it look like your whole campaign was about you. So don't ask and maybe you'll get asked. I doubt it. But if you ask to be asked, you won't get asked. Life really is like high school.

(As an aside, I have been saying to keep your eye on Obama picking a former senator as his running mate. Tom Daschle gets a lot of attention because he's a leader in the campaign. But he was an ineffective majority leader and as Clinton's win in South Dakota shows, he couldn't even get his home state behind Obama.

Sam Nunn would be a tempting choice. He has foreign policy and national security credentials but opposed both Bush wars in the Middle East. He's a bland, bespectacled presence, a listless campaigner. But that may be a perfect foil to a charismatic African American at the head of the ticket. For those who think Obama might be too much change, Nunn is a lot of reassurance.

I still like the idea of Bill Bradley, whom I mentioned as early as February. Bradley's got foreign policy points. He's experienced, but not part of the problem, having been out of the Senate for 12 years. He's devoted his career to racial reconciliation. The shot of them playing hoops alone is a good contrast with John McCain. The downsides: no military service, not a stellar campaigner, liberal, aloof and pious, which may be what Obama needs. That said, I still think Bradley's the most Obama-like of candidates. Both were famous young men plucked from obscurity. (It'll certainly be the tallest ticket in memory.)

But back to Hillary. She should ask for large numbers of women to be considered and appointed. Clinton should get Obama's word that he'll consider putting women in top positions. This should be easy for any Democratic nominee, and it reinforces the historic nature of her campaign.

What else should Clinton ask for?

Health-Care Mandate: She should get Obama's commitment that if his health-care plan fails to achieve universal health-care coverage, he'll back her idea for a mandate that people buy health insurance. This was one of the only noticeable policy differences between the two. If she's serious about it, this is the way to ask for it. On most other policy issues, there's either no difference or the two have converged. Their Iraq positions were the same by campaign's end as she scurried to the right. His position on negotiating with Iran and other anti-American regimes has moved much closer to hers.

Poverty Czar: Not only should Clinton ask for Obama to create the position, she should ask that the job go to John Edwards. It would look selfless and smart to call for a poverty czar, especially if a campaign rival (Edwards) adds it to his resume. Something like it will happen anyway, I bet, so why not ask for it now and get some credit for it?

Meet and Greet: Clinton should request that Obama meet with her delegates. That's something Obama should do anyway. Obama should hold meetings with Clinton delegates in the run up to Denver. It'll help mend fences. Everyone will look bigger.

There are probably other things I'm not thinking of. But if Clinton asks for things that are reasonable and helpful to all sides, she'll get them. And that would be much better than just crying uncle after the last ballot in Montana.

People who wanted Clinton to throw in the towel on the night Obama got the number he needed to clinch the nomination once and for all were missing the point—and not just the fact that no one with this many delegates has ever just folded. When you have what Clinton has, it's best to let this play out a bit more. Signal that you know Obama's going to be the nominee, which she is now clearly doing. Signal that you admire him, which she's doing.

But don't simply endorse and tell your delegates to vote for Obama until you've gotten something to show for your efforts. That's not being churlish or a sore loser. That's smart. And even the Clintons' enemies will concede that they're not exactly lacking in intelligence.

Photo: Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at a final primary-night party June 3 at Baruch College in New York City. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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