Clinton supporter switches to Obama

[Hope And Change]

Jack Evans Switches to Obama, Opens Own Campaign


Updated: 5:19 p.m.
Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) knows how to party every now and then---and to send a message or two.

He threw a big cookout today to kickoff his reelection bid and to give a shoutout to Sen. Barack Obama, who's been busy lately trying to lock up the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

Evans, who had been a supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, followed the march of superdelegates who have begun to close ranks around the junior senator from Illinois.

The council member took the stage with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray in the early afternoon to announce the endorsement.

Evans said he switched his support because Ward 2 overwhelmingly voted for Obama in the District primary in February. He said he is most concerned about having a Democratic White House.

"There is an enormous difference in having a Democrat in the White House and a Republican in the White House," Evans said to the cheers of about 300 people at on the basketball court of the Kennedy Recreation Center in the city's historic Shaw neighborhood.

An earlier version incorrectly referred to Evans as a superdelegate.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/05/superdelegate_jack_evans_switc.html?hpid=topnews

[Aloha Spirit]

1. We're so on the same page. I checked the ol' DCW for Evans, and nada! Still, every voice counts.

[Support the ACLU]

2. ANOTHER ONE?!? What is that now? More than a dozen? With no flips the other way?

[Zachstar]

3. Cool!

[davidinalameda]

4. better late than never

[Scurrilous]

5. K & R

:thumbsup:

[mohc]

6. This is at least the second pledged delegate to flip from Clinton to Obama

While I am glad that Obama is gaining delegates, I am still somewhat uncomfortable with the precedent being set with pledged delegates going against their pledged.

[cali]

7. I don't like seeing it either.

[slinkerwink]

9. I don't like it when pledged delegates switch. It's wrong.

[mohc]

10. For one, it muddles the argument...

...that the pledged delegate leader holds the most right to the nomination. Obama's pledged delegate count from some sources now includes flipped Edwards and Clinton pledged delegates, and also includes delegates gained by outperforming the precinct caucuses at the state conventions. These caucus gains will include over the next month or so as the state conventions finally get under way, and most of the gains Obama will see is from effectively flipping state delegates from Clinton or at the very least getting superior turnout. I would really prefer if the media kept these counts separate, with an "earned pledged delegates" count as well as one that includes the flips. That way it can be shown that Obama leads by all metrics.

[Arugula Latte]

8. Hey, Silly! Superdelegates don't count anymore!

Delegates don't count.
Caucauses don't count.

Only an artificially inflated POPULAR vote counts now.

Got it?

[Zachstar]

11. LOL! Goalposts flying everywhere!