LA Times: Fight or not? Hillary Clinton supporters are split

[Douglas Carpenter]

link to full article:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/06/hillary-clinton.html

snip:"You'll recall that those two states broke party rules by moving their primaries ahead of the dates on the Democrats' schedule. Primary voters in Michigan and Florida were told that their votes would not count, and Democratic candidates did not campaign in either state. In Michigan, Clinton's was the only name on the ballot; the other choice was "uncommitted."

Top adviser Harold Ickes, a member of the rules committee, appeared on CNN's "Late Edition" Sunday and reiterated his threat to take the matter to the party's credentials committee at the convention in August. He and other Clinton backers are upset that the committee allocated 69 of the Michigan votes to their candidate and 59 to Barack Obama, who was not on the ballot. (By their count, Clinton should have gotten 73 delegates and "uncommitted" 55.)

He did acknowledge that after the final three primaries -- today's in Puerto Rico and Tuesday's in South Dakota and Montana -- Obama could be in a position ... "

snip:"But appearing on the same program, one of Clinton's most prominent supporters seemed to back away from a battle. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell started his comments by noting, "I'm not inside the campaign mechanism, but I believe she'll do the right thing for America."

"I don't think we're going to fight this at the convention, because even were we to win it, unless it's going to change enough delegates for Sen. Clinton to get the nomination, then it would be a fight that would have no purpose," he said.

That view was bolstered by an Obama supporter, Sen. Claire McCaskill, who also appeared on CBS. Asked about a fight over credentials, she said: "I think we all want to believe that will not happen. And I think Sen. Clinton will do the right thing."

link to full article:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/06/hillary-clinton.html

.

[Douglas Carpenter]

1. one kick

[SoCalDem]

2. When has she done that?? Not so far..

:grr:

[PeterH1969]

3. Hillary has to stay in

She has the most votes. So, how can she possibly think about getting out?

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Douglas Carpenter]

5. I'm sorry, but that claim by Hillary is either delusional of disingenuous

This wildly nutty claim by Hillary's campaign is ONLY true if you count two states that don't count and exclude all the caucus states that do count.

And no one in their right mind could possibly argue that a primary in which the Michigan and Florida electorate and indeed the whole world was told repeatedly would not count and this was repeated constantly by the media on the eve of and the day of the primary - and this was done according to the rules Sen. Clinton and all other candidates agreed to. and ONLY the Clinton campaign wanted to change the rules after the fact - that such a primary and in the case of Michigan which only Sen. Clinton was on the ballot, that this was an accurate representation of the will of registered Michigan Democrats and Florida Democrats. To believe this, one would have to believe that Sen. Obama had not even one single supporter in the state of Michigan.

Absurd would be the polite word that comes to mind.

Furthermore, given that all independent sources agree that Sen. Obama will be the nominee of the Democratic Party and it is a near mathematical impossibility - baring some absolutely catastrophic event - for Sen. Clinton to gain the nomination at this point. To support Sen. Clinton staying in the race and attacking the legitimacy of Sen. Obama as the nominee with wild and hyperbolic claims - at least after he secures the number of required delegates - is expo facto to actively campaign for the defeat of the Democratic candidate and the victory of the right-wing Republican candidate.