Stick a fork in her: Clinton's done

[Spoke]

@Marley23

The way I was calculating it in my head went like this: if she wins the superdelegates by about 500 to 300, then he needs a margin of more than 200 pledged delegates. Given what’s left and his lead of about 120, I think that’s more than doable.

The problem is, you have to worry not only about the superdelegates, but also the possibility that Michigan and Florida delegations might be seated, and also the possibility that Edwards might endorse Hillary.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@ArchiveGuy

From Drudge:

I saw that too and thought it was interesting but I’ve got to think that if she was getting ready to make an announcement Drudge wouldn’t bury the headline like that.

I think if she DID decide to withdraw early and clear the way for Obama it would generate a ton of good will towards her in the party. She would go from goat to hero in seconds flat.

[Marley23]

Edwards has a grand haul of 26 delegates, which I don’t consider an issue, and I don’t think Michigan and Florida are going to be seated as they are. Obama wasn’t even on the ballot in Michigan! If they are that determined to throw the thing to Clinton, frankly, it doesn’t matter what he does. But I think that at this point, Virginia probably blew the election open, and he’ll win by a large enough margin that the superdelegates won’t realistically be able to reverse it. And I still think the final score will be clear enough that the superdelegates will opt to fall in line with the majority of voters. If Clinton doesn’t score some big wins next month, how is she going to keep going into May or June anyway?

[Shayna]

@Diogenes the Cynic

I think if she DID decide to withdraw early and clear the way for Obama it would generate a ton of good will towards her in the party. She would go from goat to hero in seconds flat.

Make no mistake, she has no intention of doing anything of the sort. She plans on fighting this until the bitter end and taking the nomination come hell or high water.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/02/clinton_counts.html

WASHINGTON – Hillary Clinton will take the Democratic nomination even if she does not win the popular vote, but persuades enough superdelegates to vote for her at the convention, her campaign advisers say.

The New York senator, who lost three primaries Tuesday night, now lags slightly behind her rival, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, in the delegate count. She is even further behind in "pledged’’ delegates, those assigned by virtue of primaries and caucuses.

But Clinton will not concede the race to Obama if he wins a greater number of pledged delegates by the end of the primary season, and will count on the 796 elected officials and party bigwigs to put her over the top, if necessary, said Clinton’s communications director, Howard Wolfson.

"I want to be clear about the fact that neither campaign is in a position to win this nomination without the support of the votes of the superdelegates,‘’ Wolfson told reporters in a conference call.

"We don’t make distinctions between delegates chosen by million of voters in a primary and those chosen between tens of thousands in caucuses,‘’ Wolfson said. "And we don’t make distinctions when it comes to elected officials’’ who vote as superdelegates at the convention.

"We are interested in acquiring delegates, period,‘’ he added.

Clinton advisers rejected the notion that the candidate – and the party – would be badly wounded in the general election if the nominee were essentially selected by a group of party insiders.

–more–

I suspect, however, that as this attitude starts getting spread around amongst the supers, they’ll turn on her faster than you can blink your eyes.

They’re already starting to fight back. It’s official now. . .

Bill Clinton Campaign Chair Goes for Obama - The New York Times

Bill Clinton Campaign Chair Goes for Obama

David Wilhelm, who was Bill Clinton’s campaign chairman in 1992, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president.

Mr. Wilhelm lives and works in Ohio, which will be a major battleground for the Democratic candidates come March 4.

After Mr. Wilhelm helped him win the election, Mr. Clinton made Mr. Wilhelm the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Now a venture capitalist who focuses on neglected regions of the country, Mr. Wilhelm is also a superdelegate and said he expected the Obama campaign would want him to get on the phone to lobby other superdelegates.

He said in a conference call today that Mr. Obama was more electable than Senator Hillary Clinton. Mr. Obama’s campaign is evidence of his leadership, he said, calling it “masterful.”

[Klaatu]

Simplistic to be sure, but the American people are in “Fuck it!” mode. Tired of political dynasties and goofy old white dudes. They will throw the dice on Obama.

[rikc]

@Siam Sam

I have to say that to me, Hillary comes across as extremely insincere and sounding like an old-time politician. Obama at least SOUNDS sincere. I cannot listen to Hillary speak without rolling my eyes. When I hear Obama, I think, “Yeah, I could vote for this guy.” I’ve decided I would like to see Hillary defeated by Obama.

This really bothers me, especially after she loses a state. It sounds very insincere when her message is always “I LOVE you guys here in Texas MY TEXAS FAMILY ^____^ YA KNOW IT’S SO COOL TO BE BACK IN THIS STATE THAT I LOVE SO MUCH MMM YOUR FOOD ROCKS GUYS,” especially considering she quickly dismisses any state that doesn’t vote for her as either unimportant or black as soon as voting closes. I understand you need to work a crowd, but the whole act of being buddy-buddy with these states comes off as very insincere. Barack has handled his defeats graciously and respectfully, which makes it look even more immature when Hillary pretends that her defeats didn’t even happen.

[Damuri_Ajashi]

@tim314

So the current trend will continue indefinitely? As a liberal, I’d be happy if that were true, but I don’t see the evidence. Looking at the link you posted, in a lot of those indicators the Democrats seem to have done little more than regained the ground they lost in the early '90s.

In terms of “party identification”, it looks like the Democrats have made some sizable gains in recent years, but how much of that is just due to the extreme unpopularity of the current president? The summary even comments that it’s not so much a case of increasing support for the Democrats as it is dwindling support for the Republicans.

The political pendulum has swung as far to the right as the laws of physics will allow and it will swing towardds the center and hopefuly stay there (of course that will require a suspension of the political laws of physics).

[Kevbo]

@Siam Sam

I cannot listen to Hillary speak without rolling my eyes.

Mere eye rolling won’t get you through This (WARNING: video, audio, cluelessness)

[Jolly_Roger]

@Shayna

Make no mistake, she has no intention of doing anything of the sort. She plans on fighting this until the bitter end and taking the nomination come hell or high water. I suspect, however, that as this attitude starts getting spread around amongst the supers, they’ll turn on her faster than you can blink your eyes. .

If the Superdelegates decide to nominate Hillary despite the popular vote, the dems won’t get my vote. I suspect that if they did they would turn away a lot of voters…geez, that would probably make Clinton even more unlikable and tantamount to giving the white house to McCain.

[casieispretty]

She’ll definitely win Texas, no question as far as I’m concerned. I think Pennsylvania will be very close, but I think Clinton may have the edge there as well. Ohio I just don’t know about. Regardless though, Obama is sticking around. After such an impressive run for the candidacy, even if he lost the nomination, Clinton would have to at least offer him a position, possibly as VP. Whether he would accept or not, I don’t know. However, as close as this thing is, he may be the next POTUS.

[Spoke]

@Kevbo

Mere eye rolling won’t get you through This (WARNING: video, audio, cluelessness)

L7. Very L7.

[Phlosphr]

@spoke-

L7. Very L7.

She’s got no rhythm - non. In the race either!

[Ludovic]

@rikc

“I LOVE you guys here in Texas MY TEXAS FAMILY ^____^ YA KNOW IT’S SO COOL TO BE BACK IN THIS STATE THAT I LOVE SO MUCH MMM YOUR FOOD ROCKS GUYS,”

I stumped in Oklahoma yesterday, but nobody rocks like … [checks card] … TEXAS!!!

[Billdo]

And in the latest development: Black Lawmakers Rethink Clinton Support:

In a fresh sign of trouble for Hillary Rodham Clinton, one of the former first lady’s congressional black supporters intends to vote for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, and a second, more prominent lawmaker is openly discussing a possible switch.

Rep. David Scott’s defection and Rep. John Lewis’ remarks highlight one of the challenges confronting Clinton in a campaign that pits a black man against a woman for a nomination that historically has been the exclusive property of white men.

[Spoke]

Good to see my rep John Lewis reconsidering.

[Shayna]

@spoke-

Good to see my rep John Lewis reconsidering.

Done

MILWAUKEE — Representative John Lewis, an elder statesman from the civil rights era and one of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most prominent black supporters, said Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Senator Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention.

“In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit,” said Mr. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who endorsed Mrs. Clinton last fall. “Something is happening in America, and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap.”

Mr. Lewis, who carries great influence among other members of Congress, disclosed his decision in an interview in which he said that as a superdelegate, he could not go against the wishes of the voters of his district, who overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama.

–more–

[Spoke]

Lewis makes the jump!

Rep. John Lewis, an elder statesman from the civil rights era and one of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most prominent black supporters, said on Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Sen. Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention.

“In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit,” said Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who endorsed Clinton last fall. “Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap.”

ETA- Damn, you’re fast, Shayna.

[tnetennba]

I kind of liked him when he was on American Idol. I didn’t know he was a congressman now.

[Siam_Sam]

@casieispretty

After such an impressive run for the candidacy, even if he lost the nomination, Clinton would have to at least offer him a position, possibly as VP. Whether he would accept or not, I don’t know. However, as close as this thing is, he may be the next POTUS.

I started this thread asking about the possibility of an Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket. Most posters thought there would be no way that could happen. But I’m starting to hear this possibility in the news a lot now.

[Siam_Sam]

@Kevbo

Mere eye rolling won’t get you through This (WARNING: video, audio, cluelessness)

Oh, good Lord! That is truly putrid. :eek:

If anything can turn someone into an Obama supporter, this is it.

Go Obama! Go, Man, Go!