Reply #36: There is no rule

[MindMatter]

You are quite correct. The Superdelegates are allowed to overturn the decision that the caucuses and primaries reached. No argument there. It is allowed.

The argument is what happens then.

Again I ask: How many of the 1,000,000 financial backers of Obama would you expect to give their resources to a Clinton campaign and to the DNC if the party insiders overturned the results of the elections?

And please tell me how you can possibly believe that Clinton could win in November after winning the nomination through that kind of shenanigan. Do you honestly think she could win in November if she didn't have the enthusiastic support of half the party?

Now, I realize the argument goes the other direction as well, and I believe it will be a very tough fight for Obama to beat McCain. I expect that some Clinton supporters will not support Obama enthusiastically. Indeed many of them have more in common with McCain than Obama. But all fair-minded Clinton supporters can wake up in the morning and know in their heart of hearts that Obama won this race according to the rules. Hillary didn't get cheated out of anything. She just lost, plain and simple. If Clinton supports can't get past that, so be it. I expect that most will get past it, just as most Edwards and Gore supporters have moved on when their favorite is no longer in the mix.

If we lose, say, 2 million Clinton supporters, that becomes a real challenge to make up that number by winning over disaffected "Reagan Democrats" who should now be open to reconsidering their support of the GOP. And remember, time keeps passing. Obama is very strong with first-time voters. We have 6 months to persuade them to commit to making a difference in the November elections.

Financially, losing 2,000,000 Clinton supporters is not much of a factor because they simply have not supported her very well financially. The Obama campaign will be very well funded -- probably better than the McCain campaign for a change.