Obama cuts into Clinton's superdelegate lead

[kevinmc]

She trails him in fundraising and in pledged delegates. Now her superdelegate edge has shrunk to 30, from 87 in February. Even some who back her say they might reconsider.

WASHINGTON -- Nearly three weeks remain before the next Democratic primary, but the results are rolling in from another part of the presidential contest -- and they signify trouble for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Democratic Party officials and insiders known as superdelegates are jumping to Barack Obama's camp or signaling that's where they are headed, including such prominent figures as former President Jimmy Carter. Some superdelegates who back Clinton have begun laying out scenarios under which they would abandon her for Obama.

"My children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama," Carter told a Nigerian newspaper during a visit to Africa. "As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for, but I leave you to make that guess."

Clinton trails Obama in fundraising and in the total number of delegates awarded in state primaries and caucuses. One bright spot for her campaign had been the quest for superdelegates -- the nearly 800 elected officials and Democratic activists who are not bound by election results and are free to vote at the party's nominating convention for the candidate of their choice........



"Hillary Clinton is winning and Obama has been soundly defeated"

"Oh..... and Death to the Infidels"

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[Zachstar]

1. Wow I had no idea it was just around 30.

All Obama has to do is hold steady with the the gain in super delegates and perhaps a few Clinton supers changing sides and we will see her last lead in this race vanish.

Good and steady everyone! Let us continue to work hard and hope for the best. We may see Obama in the lead with super delegates soon as well as a possible delegate lead in PA!

[TheWraith]

2. Neither did I. That's stunning. The last time I saw it it was around 60 or something. nt

[tekisui]

11. Not to mention 80 SuperD's have announced they will not endorse

until the Convention. At which time, they will vote for the leader.

[mohc]

15. Keep the Add On delegates in mind also

Each state has some number of add-on superdelegates that are elected by the national convention delegates of the state. Very few have been selected so far, but many of the state conventions happen within the next two months. Obama is likely to net many add-on superdelegates because he has won more states (2 were selected today from DC and both appear to be Obama supporters). Clinton's superdelegate lead days are numbered.

[kevinmc]

3. Hillary Clinton Less Appealing Than Obama as Potential V.P.

From Gallup

Only 42% of Democrats nationwide want Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee if Barack Obama wins the presidential nomination, while 55% think he should pick someone else. By contrast, the majority of Democrats -- 58% -- would like to see Obama nominated as vice president if Clinton heads the ticket.








Thus, if the Democratic electorate has its way, Obama will be on the Democratic presidential ticket this fall, as either president or vice president. Clinton's chances of being on the ticket seem more likely to end if she loses the nomination.



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[kevinmc]

4. Hillary Clinton Unable To Recognize The Truth Anymore.

by Aaron Bruns


An hour after Senator Clinton seemed to deny telling NM Gov Bill Richardson that Barack Obama couldn't win the general election in November, a spokesman backtracked - telling reporters who'd been at the press conference that she misheard the question.

Asked at her media availability today whether or not she told Governor Bill Richardson that Obama can't win in November - as reported by ABC News - Clinton said she wouldn't talk about private conversations, then launched into an answer on why she feels she can win.

When the reporter followed up by asking "so that's a no?" Clinton said "That's a no."

While reporters interpreted that response as an answer to the original, direct question on her alleged comments, her campaign now says she thought she'd been asked whether she would give an answer or not. Spokesman Mo Elleithee says Clinton told him that her "no" meant she was continuing to refusing comment on that private conversation with Richardson.




Watch the video here and decide for yourself what she meant




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[MindMatter]

7. That's ridiculous

Her meaning was perfectly clear. There is no doubt that she was denying that she said that to Richardson.

But the bigger question is, did she actually say that to Richardson. Are we to surmise from the campaign's backtracking that she is now admitting she DID have that conversation with Richardson?

Not that it matters, but it just seems really petty for her to use that argument -- and truly disconnected from reality. I understand ambition, but does she really not understand that her negatives are far higher than Obama's? Does she not understand that he is polling consistently higher than her? Does she not understand she's never ever had a poll where she gets above the 50% mark with voters?

[DerekJ]

5. K & R

[Window]

6. K/R.

:kick:

[kevinmc]

8. Hillary Clinton suffered a blow Thursday

NBC News Channel



In the race for the White House, Barack Obama got a boost and Hillary Clinton suffered a blow Thursday from the nation's top ranking democrat, House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi said that her party's super delegates must not overturn the democrat's popular vote.

Pelosi's been dropping hints about how she and her fellow super delegates ought to vote.

On Thursday she made it crystal clear.

Which is bad news for Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton still hopes to pass Barack Obama and win the most democratic primary votes.

But she says she deserves the votes of super delegates even if she falls short.

Clinton said, "The whole point is for delegates, however they are chosen, to really ask themselves who would be the best president and who would be our best nominee against Senator McCain."

Should the nearly 800 super delegates, who'll cast the key votes at the democratic convention, decide based on electability, experience,
Who won their state or vote their personal preference?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "You're not asking me but I’m telling you."

The answer, said house speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday, is none of the above. It's who wins the national popular vote.

"It will do great harm to the democratic party if it is perceived that the super delegates overturn the will of the people," said Pelosi.


So far Barack Obama's won some 13 million four hundred thousand popular votes.

Clinton just over 12 million 7 hundred thousand.

And Obama says that's what should matter.

"Most of the super delegates who have not yet have decided I think will recognize we've earned this nomination," said Obama

Obama's getting the contributions he needs to keep his lead. His March number's out: 40 million dollars.

Clinton's March number is twenty million dollars.

But she vows to fight on, with less money and, so far, less of the primary season democratic vote.

The popular vote that the nation's top democrat speaker Nancy Pelosi now insists the democratic nominee must win.


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[TheDoorbellRang]

16. I'd like to see Pelosi's actual quote

The article said:

The answer, said house speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday, is none of the above. It's who wins the national popular vote.

Before she's said they should choose based on who has the most delegates. Wonder if anyone else has an exact quote on this, or if they've just paraphrased what she's said in ignorance of the implication?

[kevinmc]

9. Clinton Camp Feels Spent, and Outspent

Washington Post

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton spent a second straight day holding fundraisers in California yesterday as part of an all-out effort to keep pace with the record amounts of money raised by Sen. Barack Obama, whose campaign announced that it pulled in $40 million in March, double Clinton's $20 million take.

While her Democratic presidential rival took the day off in Chicago, Clinton held two fundraisers in Los Angeles and planned to raise money in New Mexico this weekend. She will leave the campaign trail on Wednesday to attend an Elton John concert in New York organized with a goal to raise $2 million.

In an attempt to further tap the online donor market that has largely funded Obama's effort, Clinton plans to launch a new Internet program today that lets supporters choose where their money will go, much as wedding guests select gifts from a registry. Instead of china and crystal, users can purchase campaign signs, van rentals, airtime on radio stations and doorknob advertisements.

Even Clinton's most energetic boosters expressed exhaustion by the call to raise more money. "I'll tell you, after a year of doing this, it's like asking me to run a half-marathon after I've run a marathon," said Mark A. Aronchick, a co-chairman of Clinton's Pennsylvania campaign, who is organizing five fundraisers over the next eight days.

Clinton, too, had a hint of resignation in her answer to reporters asking whether she is now being outspent "two to one" by Obama. "Sometimes three to one, four to one, five to one," she said with a laugh. "I'm getting used to being outspent."

Obama's immense cash flow -- he has raised more than $240 million to Clinton's $175 million -- allows him to compete as aggressively in the final primary contests as he did in the early days of the race. He is vastly outspending Clinton in Pennsylvania, with $3 million in television and radio ads, including a Spanish-language TV ad airing in the Philadelphia area, compared with an estimated $500,000 that Clinton is spending in the state, which will hold its primary on April 22.......



















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[DemVet]

10. Somebody needs to tell Obama....

...that his supporters on DU will be pissed if he wins using superdelegates. That's not going by "the will of the people."

[Rocky2007]

22. "the will of the people."

What are you talking about? He is winning all but SD now and will soon pass her gaining SD too. Seems to me he will then be leading in all ways and will be going by "the will of the people." Or am I missing something?

[Rocky2007]

23. "the will of the people."

edit to remove dbl post - got an error on the first post

[FatDave]

26. Once again, you seem to completely miss the point

If the superdelegates support the candidate leading in pledged delegates and popular vote, that supporting the will of the people.

If the superdelegates support the candidate losing in pledged delegates and popular vote, that subverting the will of the people.

Get it? Now go away until you can understand simple logic.

[Scurrilous]

12. K & R

:thumbsup:

[kevinmc]

13. McCain returns $3m in checks as he considers public funding

In another sign that John McCain is moving toward accepting public financing this fall, the Republican's campaign is returning about $3 million in checks to contributors who have given money for his general election campaign, funds he could not use if he opts into the public system.

McCain's campaign, in letters to contributors, is asking supporters to write new checks to a special fund created to help the Arizona senator pay legal and accounting expenses related to compliance with the public funding system.

The move is largely procedural, and McCain's campaign said yesterday that it has not yet decided whether to accept public funding or to raise money on its own for the November presidential election. But the decision to return checks - which was made as the Democratic candidates announced raising $60 million combined in March, nearly as much as McCain had raised for the entire campaign through February - indicates that McCain is laying the groundwork for doing so.

"Senator McCain has made it clear that he expects to participate in the general election public financing system, and he hopes the Democratic nominee will do so as well," Brian Rogers, McCain spokesman, said in a statement. "The campaign reserves the right to change course, but these developments reflect our current plans."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/04/mccain_returns_3m_in_checks_as_he_considers_public_funding/

[stillcool]

18. Now that's a keeper...

"he reserves the right" "has not yet decided".. I'm sure come the fall when he is tapped his words will be much different.

[ORDem]

14. k&r n/t

:dem:

[cliffordu]

17. I just LOVE Baghdad Bob.....Sigh.

[stillcool]

19. Super-delegates are 'Baghdad Bob'?

[cliffordu]

20. Picture in the OP.....

thilly.

[stillcool]

21. I missed the mark a bit...

thanks for straightening me out!

[comrade snarky]

24. I miss him too

I loved that guy, I actually bought a DVD of his greatest hits.

[azmouse]

25. K&R