Superdelegates start to make their move?
By Steve Benen Wednesday May 07, 2008 1:30pmGeorge Stephanopoulos said uncommitted superdelegates supporting Barack Obama “will come three, four, five at a time, and this nomination will be locked up.” We’re still a ways from a “locked up” nomination, but there was some movement on the superdelegate front today, and Obama appears to have a net gain of four for the afternoon.
Today, in the wake of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, the Obama campaign is announcing three new superdelegates: Jerry Meek, chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, Jeanette Council, a member of the D.N.C. from North Carolina and Inola Henry, a member of the D.N.C. from California. […]
These endorsements brings the total number of superdelegates to endorse Mr. Obama to 261, according to the campaign’s tally. He is 170 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.
The news wasn’t all bad for Clinton, though. Rep. Heath Shuler had promised to support whichever candidate won his North Carolina district yesterday. Clinton carried the district easily (a 13-point victory), prompting Shuler to back the New York senator.
While that would give Obama a net gain of two for the day, Jennifer McClellan, a state rep in Virginia and a DNC member, switched today from Clinton to Obama.
Former Sen. George McGovern’s switch was a fairly big deal, but it did not affect the totals because McGovern isn’t a superdelegate.
So, where does that leave us, as of now? NBC has Clinton’s superdelegate lead down to 12.5 (272.5 to 260); the Politico also shows Clinton ahead by 12.5 (269.5 to 257); CNN puts the number at 13 (267 to 254); and the 2008 Democratic Convention Watch has Clinton leading by 14.5 (270.5 to 256).
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Turn out the lights...
The party's over...
Obama plans to declare victory May 20
hillary, please enroll in a remedial math class . . . and then drop out of the race. you can't win!
Slowly they turn ... step by step ...
I called Tammy Baldwin's office today and told her staffer that as a resident in her district I would hope she would switch from Clinton to Obama.
Hopefully more superdelegates will make the switch.
It's all over but the shoutin...and the whining, and the crying...
♠Bangkok-Bob♠ @ 3:
Inch by Inch!!
Obama plans to declare victory May 20
Clinton wants to cut her deal and pay off her bills which include her own loans to her campaign of 11.4 million.
Does she want the Veep, I don't think so. Supreme Court is my bet.
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 5:
you left out sniveling and pouting.
Alice unPaid Poobah @ 8:
And how in GAWDS name is she even REMOTELY qualified for the SCOTUS?!
Groan .... can't take the slow refresh times ....
Later good people
Go-Bama
Last person out, please tip the valet. Thanks!
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 11:
She is more than remotely qualified, as if qualifications has mattered one iota in the last 4 RepublicHUN SC nominations.
In one metric it would be perfect, she would have no reason to pander. She might even prove to be very liberal, that is only a suspicion on my part.
In second metric at least 50 billion neocons and HUNS (I have heard it said there are that many in the universe) would be absolutely tormented on a daily basis thinking of her in a lifetime SC position. Possibly even to their early demise. Just imagine (oh glee oh glee).
In a third metric, much better her than Bill.
It is just an idea that crossed my mind.
The extended race for democratic party nominee has drained off finances from donors who might have helped other democratic races. Because no one likes a quitter.
Seriously, the DNC leaders need to start acting like leaders by putting this woman out of her misery and save her(and her donors) hard earned money from being flushed down the toilet. Hillary's stubborn ego and her sense of entitlement is wasting everyone's time and helping McWar(her goal now).
Left&Left @ 16:
I think she's staying in to get some more donations to pay down the 6.5 million of her own money she threw into this race.
"So, where does that leave us, as of now? NBC has Clinton’s superdelegate lead down to 12.5 (272.5 to 260); the Politico also shows Clinton ahead by 12.5 (269.5 to 257); CNN puts the number at 13 (267 to 254); and the 2008 Democratic Convention Watch has Clinton leading by 14.5 (270.5 to 256)."
who's the half-delegate? mini-hil?
Today's rationale to continue this political death march from Hillary is that "If we ran our race like the Republicans, I would have already won the nomination." She's now throwing the kitchen sink at everybody!
mike @ 18:
The half-delegate is overseas delgates, they only count as a half.
... but, why be snooty about it?
[...]
While Obama was making his way to pro-Clinton Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (Mich.), Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.) brushed by quickly, looking in the other direction. Although Obama won his state big, Shuler said yesterday that he would back the person who carried his conservative district -- Clinton.
[...]
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/08/obamamania_hits_the_...
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 11:
She's far more qualified than Clarence "affirmative action" Thomas was when he got appointed. Sorry.
bitter hussein katy @ 21:
Shuler is a young Lieberman, scared of his own constituency. He sucked as an NFL football player after leaving Tennessee(cut by three teams) and he sucks now as a frightened limp dick Democrat in North Carolina.
Left&Left @ 19:
When I heard her say this doozy I was, hillary! can you please get off the repugs' dick.
she wants to be a repug too openly for my taste. The repugs are alway better than the dems accordingly to hillary.
hillary doesn't have a snowball chance. she also said she'll stay in the race in hopes of Sen. Obama slipping on some bs which she would pounce on and exploit, how repugish.
she will use any prop or lie to win the nomination for president.
for the love of mary, hillary concede before you accidentally for my show your bloomers.
Left&Left @ 23:
with that in mind, and with further thought, sounds like he wasn't being snooty...
sounds like he's ASHAMED... ... good...
Left&Left @ 22:
You got that right.
the crying whining and pouting but but but you forgot the backstabbing.
Wasn't there a group of democrats that torpedeoed Kerry's bid expect it here too
superdelegates--why do we have them again?
oh yeah, to reenforce the idea that the democrats are the party of the super elites.
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 7:
Niagra Falls!
Just have to wait for Clinton to buy them off now .........
Great coverage of YESTERDAY'S news.
hillary isn't a fighter, she's bullheaded.
Glad Heath Shuler did it the way it should be. If the majority in your area of representation vote one way, that is the way you should vote. If you like the decision or not, you are representing not dictating.
tHeAHusseinSavedMyLifeGaMeOfLiFe @ 24:
Hillary spoke of the way the Republicans set up their primaries as "winner take all" points versus the DISASTER created by Howard Dean & Donna Brazile.
I will say this, my Floridian Black Latina vote will not go to an inexperienced, media-created hack with the most mediocre accomplishments in the past 100 years of presidential candidates, aka Barack Obama.
I will write in Hillary Clinton's name in the November election. If I'm still breathing after 8 years of Dubya Bush, I'll live through 4 years of McCain.
I love being a Democrat, and have been one since I turned 18 and gave my vote proudly to Bill Clinton 2 times, AL Gore in 2000, and John Kerry, as well down-the-line Democratic tickets.
But by not counting my state, as well as Michigan, my party has abandoned my vote.
So if I don't matter now, I certainly won't matter anyways in the GE.
The only thing super about anyone in the DNC who has the power to stop the Rovian tactics, the race baiting, the Bush 'with us or against us' infighting, yet DON'T stop it, is super wimp, not super delegate!
No one asked me and I know C&L is not endorsing anyone until there's a nominee, but I have to say that I'm disappointed that Hillary is not being called out more as a crook and a liar for the despicable way she is running her campaign, with the most recent egregious race baiting tactic just today when she referenced an AP article (which her campaign probably leaked as a daily talking point) that she is getting the votes of the "hard working WHITE Americans" -- you know, the REAL (wink/nod) Americans, as opposed to the lazy non working NON white (wink/nod) Americans.
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/05/clinton-sees-wh.html
From Oliver Willis:
"...Congratulations, Hillary Clinton, you win the prize for the first Democratic Bigot Eruption since I’ve been keeping track of this. Even professional haters like Pat Buchanan and his ilk aren’t so balls-out about racism...."
http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/05/08/hillary-white-power-cli...
http://www.americablog.com/2008/05/oliver-willis-hillarys-klan-style.html
There is so much outrage about this in the blogosphere and yet, unless I missed it, C&L remains silent.
C&L does a great job of calling out the 'crooks and liars', but c'mon, they're not ALL Republicans, and the fact that there is no reaction to this latest outrageous tactic by Senator Clinton quite diminishes many of the outcrys against Republicans.
Hillary, Bill and surrogates have been playing the race card all along, both covertly AND overtly as she did today, and it seems that because she has a *D* by her name, not very much reaction here. Let's not forget that Joe LIeberman ran as a Democrat----until he lost!
Silence is complicity.
SM @ 34:
I hate to say this, but you are willing to give the country to a few more years of McCain pushing the same old Bush agenda? And about your vote not counting - look at those in Michigan, they recently put forward a plan that would have given Hillary 69 delegates and Obama 59 - since his name was not even on the ballot - she could have still declared a victory. Yet she turned that deal down simply because she wants all of the delegates. A little unfair to those that didn't get to vote for the nominee they wanted since their name was not on the list. I am a Florida voter too, and frankly I was bitter that my vote didn't count. But really when it comes down to it, I don't want someone stealing (and literally that is what Hillary is trying to do) the nomination because suddenly she thinks the rules she agreed to, in the first place, do not apply now since she is losing - or rather has lost.
Even the MSM (white) pundits are reacting:
Mike Barnacle:
"...Now, faced with a mathematical mountain climb that even Stephen Hawking could not ascend, the Clintons -- and it is indeed both of them -- are just about to paste a bumper sticker on the rear of the collapsing vehicle that carries her campaign. It reads: VOTE WHITE...."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-barnicle/race-is-all-the-clintons_b_1...
Also, about our Florida vote - since we seem to want to become two separate states (North and South Florida) maybe we should hold off having delegates until we decide how we will work out the representatives....
Seriously the idiocy that is reflected by a few people is just astounding.
TM @ 36:
As far as Michigan goes, Obama CAN'T be given those delegates because who's to say how many were Edwards, Gravel or Richardson votes? (I beleive Kucinich was also on the ballot.)
If the DNC agrees to that, IT'S VOTE STEALING because Obama will be awarded votes that otherwise could have been for other candidates that opted for the "Uncommitted" column. And that is what the Obama camp want to do? Hell NO!
I have been a true-blue Democrat all my life -since 1992, I've volunteered & canvassed for every presidential election. I signed up more Cubans to go Democrat than you can believe, - but I won't do it for Obama.
According to Donna Brazile, I am not neccessary anymore, my Floridian Black Latina "working-class" vote is no longer applicable to the fascist Neo-Democrats who have taken our parties main principles and trashed them for a media creation who REFUSED a RE-VOTE in my state, and will not allow the FL/Michigan delegations to be seated.
Like I said, I will write in Hillary Clinton's name in the 2008 election if Obama is the nominee, since my Floridian Black Latina vote doesn't "count" for the fascist Neo-Democrats (most are former republicans that grew tired of the Bush years & switched) that have hijacked the party I have served since I was 18 years old (I'm 36 now).
Dubya gave me some tolerance for bullsh&t, so I'll still live if McSame is elected (as it is inevitable now that Obama is our nominee) and I'll protest my heart out as I always have to protect Roe & Wade, equal pay for women and minorities, comprehensive and humane immigration reform, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, repeal No Child Left Behind, end the mess in Iraq, bring progressive and renewable energy (Excelon Nuclear Energy NOT AN OPTION) among other things that will bring our nation closer to the Democratic ideals before Obama waltzed in with his Reagan Democrats.
barack Obama's 2-mo victory speech has to be the longest ever. Why don't the rumor'd super delegates just make it official all ready. I'm not voting for Obama because he's blatantly sexist and racist in his own speeches (insulting to women and Latinos and Asian Americans don't exist) . You don't even have to parse it's right out there except it's the okay kind of hatred to have. I'm not voting for this divisive right wing tool.
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 11:
And why should she get what she wants anyway? Isn't that the problem with Clinton. I never was a spanker, but I wish Mrs. Rodham gave her a smack now and then instead of caving into her. Bad preparation for life.
ezpz @ 37:
Obama's camp were the first to racebait and still do. Unbelievable. Bill & Hillary Clinton have done more for minorties in the US, it's awful that Mike doesn't point out that RACE IS THE #1 reason why African-AMericans are voting for Obama. So let's not get it twisted.
naschkatze Hussein @ 41:
Check your violent anti-Hillary misogyny, as much as I dislike Obama, I'd NEVER promote a "smack now and then."
"Disaster created by Howard Dean and Donna Brazille"? This "disaster" enabled every state to be heard from, every voter to be heard from Viva Howard Dean and the 50 State Strategy!
naschkatze Hussein @ 44:
CORRECTION: It's not a 50 state strategy, as of now it's 48 states and 3 US territories who can't vote in the GE anyways.
What I meant by "disaster" is the splitting delegates fiasco. Republicans had a "whoever gets the majority, gets the entire state delegates" program.
SM @ 42:
Hardly "twisted logic". Senator Obama didn't start out with such a high percentage of the AA vote. Hillary was doing quite well in the beginning. The first break from that pattern happened in SC when Bill Clinton marginalized Barak as the *black* candidate, likening him to Jesse Jackson.
Conversely, Senator Obama has won MUCH of the white vote.
Iowa has a very small AA population. He won that handily.
The Clintons, imo, have irreversibly alienated the AA community, as well as giving permission slips via Rev Wright to closet AND blatant racists to not vote for the *black* candidate.
They are clearly promoting a Dixiecrat revival.
Shameful!
There is a chance right now to preempt the conservative attempt to label Obama as a tax-and-spend liberal.
They say tax-and-spend, you say borrow-and-wait.
What have they done except borrow more against the American treasury, and wait to see if their luck holds out?
They borrow from your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and wait, at the cost of your sons’ and daughters’ lives.
They borrow whatever sounds good and wait to see if anyone will call them on their BS.
They borrow your fear to wait for their profit.
Borrow And Wait.
go with it.
porkchop @ 47:
I like that! Is that yours or did you hear it somewhere?
Might I suggest, if you want to be more atheistic : borrow and pray. They borrow and pray that China won't collect.
IndridCold @ 48:
that is mine, after hearing the Wolf ask Obama 'how do you respond to 'tax-and-spend' - and I deliberately did not phrase it 'borrow-and-pray' for two reasons. One: liberals pray too, for an end to this nightmare...and Two: THESE conservatives do not pray, they PREY.
Are the whites voting for Hillary because she's white? How can you make such a blanket statement. We've being voting for whites all our Lives, so give it a rest. Why do everything always come down to race? The people in this country is pathetic.by the way, did you Vote for Bush? Look at the mess he got us into///
Brad @ 15:
That's a key point and must be driving Democrats around the country absolutely mad. Money is needed now to get ready for the Republican 527s, which are overflowing with cash because of all the money big Republican donors saved in their primary.
Democrats need money for the general election, and for all those Congressional candidates running in November. To continue spending millions and asking Democratic donors for more to spend on this primary is insane. It hurts our chances to build up strong Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress regardless of who wins the White House in November.
SM @ 39:
Sure, the world isn't going to end if McSame is elected, but if the causes you listed are so important to you, then why will you tolerate the erosion of these values for another 4 years? What if the Democrats choose another candidate over Hillary or whoever next election? And again in 8 years? 12 years? How many years are you going to wager you can "live" with your values being stomped on before you say enough is enough? I encourage you to vote your conscience this November, but suffering 4 more years isn't going to prove anything to anyone if you don't stick up for what you believe in when it counts. Lastly, if the above are your major issues, why not re-visit Obama's positions on them before making such an important decision? Cheers.
porkchop @ 49:
That's right. I'll keep borrow and pray to piss-off my right wing colleges. We could also consider:
1 - Borrow and pretend
2 - Borrow and deceive
3 - Borrow and pocket the money
4 - Borrow and give it to some f*ck job in the airport men's room :)
...
Now seriously, good job. I'm going to help spread this one. Borrow and wait.
ezpz @ 46:
I saw nothing wrong with what he said, they asked him a question regarding an African-American winning SC and Bll Clinton responded with the sense that it has been won previously by African-American candidate Jesse Jackson. This was when the Obama camp felt that they can twist that into a race-bait. How divisive and twisted is that? VERY.
Obama needed to stir the Africian American vote by voting RACE instead of voting for the candidate that will fight for them once his campaign sent out the Race Memo that was posted on Huffington Post a few months ago.
Obama does very well in caucus states because his supporters/campaigners are very aggressive (See Texas & Nevada irregularities due to aggressive tactics from the Obama Campaign.) Caucuses are NOT and never will be representative of the entire state population overall.
Good luck against McSame in November. I'll be writing in Hillary's name in the "Other" box.
IndridCold @ 53:
Keep it going :) If you can somehow get it to the campaign, do it! It's a soundbite that will grow.
To SM @54:
Your reply was predictable. In fact, it sound exactly like the clinton talking points, right down to the MoveOn.org bashing and reducing them to "aggressive tactics" meme.
In fact you actually sound like a Rush ditto head, which is why
this 'conversation' is futile and over.
I wish there was an edit button.
Too many grammatical mistakes.
Hillary needs to roll over already. If she won't be a good little girl and roll over then the democratic party needs to make her roll over. An strict example must be made of this goddamn women. People have spoken, women are not fit to lead, period. This disillusional dream of hers have been crushed and will hopefully serve a fine example to all other women who dare to run for president in the future. Good riddance!
Wow, the ditto head trolls seem to be out in force this evening.
obamayeswecan @ 58:
I don't support Hillary, but she deserves respect. She will do the right thing, late, but still...
Snikhris @ 52:
I review EVERY single candidate's stance on policy issues, and Obama's is the WEAKEST. Hillary Clinton's, Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards's policies were far more the BEST.
Obama is NOT for Universal Healthcare. Obama is NOT for the most progressive energy policies as he's reiterated his support for Nuclear energy (hey, Excelon Nuclear Energy is paying his & David Axelrod's bills so at least he's loyal), Obama has not laid out a specific educational reform plan (other than telling parents to get it together as he did in one of the early debates), and I can go on & on. But I give up since there is no legitamate winner of the 50-state strategy. OBAMA is not fully PRO-CHOICE, as he wants to go RETHUGLICAN where he wants to "leave it to the states" and said, "minors MUST get consent from parents." What if that minor was raped/molested by a family member/close person to the family, as is in most of the cases? When I heard this I got sick to my stomach. EVERY DEMOCRAT has defended women's reproductive rights to the death.
Either way, McSame or Obama, women (both adult and minors) are subjected "ask permission" for our right to choose.
And please don't tell me to go to his lame azz website. I've been there already and it offers exeactly what he offers, NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE.
SM @ 61:
Knock it off, freeper. Rush isn't gonna do a damn thing for you when his buddies sell you out.
ezpz @ 56:
If you want to call me that, fine. I've been a long time poster here at C&L, and you call me that because I throroughly disagree with you.
The conversation is futile and over, because as much as it hurts me, I won't be voting the "official*" Democratic nominee. But I won't vote for McSame either.
*48 state strategy "official" candidate
*
SM @ 45:
But, SM, under the winner take all strategy, Clinton would have won the nomination from the big states up front and early on without the rest of us getting a chance for our votes to matter, or at least she would have created the illusion of being unstoppable. She was indeed vetted during this long process in a way she didn't expect. That has proved to be worth all the anxiety in itself. I think proportionality is a way to guarantee one man/one vote, but maybe next time the Democrats need to dicker with the finish line numbers.
porkchop @ 62:
You knock it off - I'm not a freeper, I'm a working-class Black Latin Floridian female democrat who has been ousted from the party I've served since 1992 (when I turned 18) by Obama thugs like you.
Good luck with McSame in the fall.
When you come down to it, SM, think of all the Republican voters their party disenfranchises by having winner take all and settling the race too early. That's why you saw Republicans coming out in protest in IN to vote for someone else than McCain.
naschkatze Hussein @ 66:
Indiana (20%) AND North Carolina (26%). Done with my add-ons.
naschkatze Hussein @ 64:
It's definitely not "one man/one vote" because now you have the Obama campaign wanting to absorb Michigan's "Uncommited" delegates that may have went for Edwards, Richardson, Biden & Gravel. Not even Albert Einstein can break that down to give Obama the votes that he properly won.
FL was another separate issue, the Republican state congress pushed the date and we got screwed. When a revote was going to happen, Obama shut it down.
One man-one vote? Not by a long shot.
SM @ 43:
SM @ 65:
Well, here's something you won't hear from some - an apology.
If I mischaracterized you through a series of ill-chosen and quickly chosen wo