Breaking News: Clinton Loses First Pledged Delegate

[phrigndumass]

(thanks to grantcart for catching this)

Source: Washington Post

Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson, a Democratic convention delegate pledged to support Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, said yesterday that he thinks Sen. Barack Obama has "in a real sense" won the Democratic nomination and that he now plans to support Obama at the August convention.

Johnson, who endorsed Clinton nine days before Maryland's February primary, said he will urge Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, who co-chair Clinton's Maryland campaign, to bring all of her delegates to Obama's camp for the sake of party unity.

"I cannot in good conscience go to the convention and not support Barack," Johnson said in an interview. "She ran a great campaign, but she fell short of the line."

...

"The freedom to change your mind or change your vote does exist," Paulson said. "They're not like superdelegates, but they do have this flexibility."

Obama swamped Clinton in Maryland, capturing 61 percent of the vote statewide and 79 percent of the vote in Prince George's County. Given the results in Maryland and elsewhere, Johnson said, the Maryland party would be unenthusiastic about the November election if Obama were not the nominee.

A decision by O'Malley or Mikulski to release all of Maryland's Clinton delegates could be the start of a national wave to unify behind Obama, Johnson said.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202554.html?referrer=digg

**************************************

Senator Clinton had been losing superdelegates lately, and now she is beginning to lose pledged delegates as well. This should be a big news item today, alongside the West Virginia primary.

We have to acknowledge that Clinton supporters here on DU were right. Superdelegates can switch, and pledged delegates, although pledged, can also switch. I'm thinking they might wish they weren't right about this one, though.

[WeDidIt]

1. I posted already

but this is bad.

Really bad.

It gives Clionton an excuse to keep going all the way to the convention, and you know she will just to insure Obama loses.

[democracy1st]

3. We just have to work harder it's the DLC vs the People

[phrigndumass]

5. We must have been writing our OPs at the same time

:hi:

[WeDidIt]

6. No problem, let's see who gets the most posts in theirs

:hi:

[VeraAgnes]

So, then this pledged delegate WON'T be going to the Convention.

Pledge delegates who change to a diffrent candidate will sit home.

[VeraAgnes]

9. So, then this pledged delegate WON'T be going to the Convention.

Pledge delegates who change to a diffrent candidate will sit home.

[phrigndumass]

12. Actually, they will be going to Convention

They were elected to vote at Convention. If they can't go, however, an elected alternate will go in their place. Chances are the elected alternate would stick with Senator Clinton.

[VeraAgnes]

16. No, they are selected pre-primary.

Every candidate has their "pledge group" wherein voters attend a special meeting to select their pledge delegates. The wanta-be delegate needs to be voted upon by the group of like supporters of that candidate. Each candidate has such a group.; Biden, Edward, Clinton, Obama......etc...all pre-convention.

They can't switch per the rules but can be relpaced.

[quantass]

17. 1st time seeing it for me ... so thanks to you both!

:hi:

[Zachstar]

2. I just can't see Clinton going on like this.

[democracy1st]

4. could you see her teaming up with Richard mellon Scaife,playing racial politics ?

[tekisui]

7. That makes 4 switches this past week.

Or a net of +8 for Obama in switches.

[Doug.Goodall]

8. The handwriting is on the wall: Hillary It Is Over!

I think I hear some lady singing in the distance.

[phrigndumass]

10. Hissyspit found the lady to which you refer :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5945078

[Doug.Goodall]

11. That's good, but I thought the lady singing would have a somewhat more substantial body

[phrigndumass]

13. Ah yes, gerth!

:D

[Doug.Goodall]

15. Got that Hillary? She's singing now!

[Doityourself]

18. ...

[Doityourself]

19. La La La La Laaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

[MiniMe]

21. Rob Rogers Toon

[phrigndumass]

23. lol, she even has the Madonna cone breasts :)

[hokies4ever]

14. LOL Hillary! There's no such thing as a pledged delegate after all!

:rofl:

[sfam]

20. Wow...talk about chickens coming home to roost...but I really would...

like to see the pledged delegates voting as they were pledged.

[phrigndumass]

22. Ditto ... that's why they're "pledged" n/t

[MissWaverly]

24. I am turned off by O'Malley and Mikulski refusal

to acknowledge that Obama carried Maryland, doesn't the vote and wishes of the Maryland people resonate with them. This is what
is wrong with the Democratic Party, I am a loyal democrat and I have donated to both of them, but I don't understand this. Why
have they grown tone deaf when listening to the people that they are supposed to serve.

[rodeodance]

25. ..Johnson's call was rejected by some Clinton's other supporters in the state.

......Johnson's call was rejected by some Clinton's other supporters in the state. Melissa Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Mikulski, said the Maryland senator "remains 100 percent behind Senator Clinton."