Democrats Look to Superdelegates for Early Resolution on Nominee
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is among those working to resolve the prolonged Democratic primary battle before the August convention. (AP Photo)
Democratic officials are rapidly concluding that their party won’t have a presidential nominee ahead of the August national convention, despite increasing concerns that the party could be torn asunder if it doesn’t settle its race soon.
Few are holding out hope that the remaining contests will offer a clear-cut choice between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton has 1,499 pledged delegates to Obama’s 1,620 and the 10 contests still to be held don’t provide either candidate a foreseeable avenue to the nomination. The nominee needs 2,025 delegates to win the Democratic nod.
With no expected solution at hand to hold new contests in Michigan and Florida — seen as states that could help clear a path to a choice — superdelegates appear more and more likely to be the only way out.
That means trying to pin down commitments before the Aug. 25-28 convention so that Democrats can remain competitive against Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain. But creating some kind of end-game ahead of the convention creates a new source of debate.
Prominent officials and lawmakers are discounting the idea of a pre-convention event that could be used to broker a deal among the superdelegates. That possibility gained wide attention last week when two-term Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen suggested that Democrats hold a “superdelegate primary” over the course of two days in a neutral city this June.
Bredesen, who fears that a long-drawn-out battle will jeopardize his party’s chances of recapturing the White House come November, has called for the party’s 795 superdelegates to meet to hear from the two Democratic presidential hopefuls one last time before making a decision.
“No one wants this to come down to the superdelegates, but if we get to the first week of June and there’s still no clear winner we need to break the gridlock well before the convention. A superdelegate primary is a logical last resort that gets us to a decision sooner rather than later,” Bredesen said in a statement to FOXNews.com.
Obama said Wednesday he liked Bredesen’s suggestion: “I think giving whoever the nominee is two or three months to pivot into the general election would be extremely helpful as opposed to having this drag on for two more months all the way up to the convention. I think that would be disruptive and hard on the party as well as the nominee.”
Adding to questions about whether some kind of face-off is in the works, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told The Las Vegas Review-Journal recently that Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and he spoke and “things are being done” to resolve the ongoing battle. He did not elaborate on what those “things” might be.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Reid said the two candidates are essentially the same so really it doesn’t matter who wins.
“I think this has been a great campaign. The Democratic problem will be over before the convention, and I think it will all work out well for America,” he said during an interview in his Reno office. Reid did not amplify to the AP how the race would be resolved before the convention.
Reid’s remarks have prompted questions about whether the contest will be sorted out by party higher-ups ahead of the convention. Reid’s spokesman said that is not the plan.
The call Reid placed to Dean was more “routine” and not about any specific plan, the spokesman said, adding Reid was merely getting “a lay of the land.” Asked about what Reid’s role would be in helping determine the nominee, the spokesman said he is sticking to his commitment to remain a “neutral observer” in the race. Reid is a superdelegate who has not yet endorsed a candidate.
Reid’s spokesman added that he suspects Dean is weighing some kind of pre-convention plan.
“I think it’s a no-brainer that he is,” he said, adding that Dean is also struggling with how to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates.
But a Democratic Party official told FOXNews.com that Dean has not endorsed the idea of an earlier event to decide the nominee and confirmed the mundane nature of Dean and Reid’s phone conversation.
Democratic strategist Steve Murphy, who worked on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign, told FOXNews.com that Dean needs to urge the party’s superdelegates to make a choice and soon.
“Ask the chairman of the party to play an active role,” he said. “There’s no reason why he can’t ask them to announce their decision in June.”
Murphy said he discussed the issue of holding a superdelegate primary with Bredesen, and agrees that they should reach a decision soon so that the party could “move forward into the general election.”
But Murphy cautioned it would be difficult to hold a formal gathering.
“It’s very difficult to have a formal meeting or have the superdelegates vote somehow formally before the convention simply because the convention is the highest authority in the Democratic Party and you can’t pre-empt it,” he said.
On Wednesday, more than a dozen wealthy donors who support Clinton wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, chiding her for suggesting in a television interview last week that superdelegates have an obligation to support the candidate with the most pledged delegates. They argued that the point of having superdelegates is so they can exercise their own judgment.
“Superdelegates, like all delegates, have an obligation to make an informed, individual decision about whom to support and who would be the party’s strongest nominee. … Superdelegates must look to not one criterion but to the full panoply of factors that will help them assess who will be the party’s strongest nominee in the general election,” the donors wrote.
“We therefore urge you to clarify your position on superdelegates and reflect in your comments a more open view to the optional, independent actions of each of the delegates at the national convention in August,” the letter continues.
The Obama campaign called the letter “inappropriate” and Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said Pelosi is “confident” superdelegates will choose one candidate before the August convention.
And the House speaker is standing her ground on the issue.
“The Speaker believes it would do great harm to the Democratic Party if superdelegates are perceived to overturn the will of the voters. This has been her position throughout this primary season, regardless of who was ahead at any particular point in delegates or votes,” Daly said.
FOX News’ Cristina Corbin, Trish Turner and Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Remember what the DNC said to Florida and Michigan? I believe it was: “The rules are the rules”!
The DNC’s rules say if there is no clear winner, then the superdelegates make the call at the convention.
No changing dates!
Isn’t that what the DNC said?
It seems like if the seated the Florida ballots and did something about Michigan this would be a fair fight but the democratic party, Howard Dean and yes Nancy Pelosi have done everything in their power to sway voters and the superdelegates to vote for that Anti-American, racist - Obama.
What are the Democrats and Republicans afraid of,
this election might break out a democracy, hevan forbid.
GOOD FOR THEM , she needed to be told. It’s clear to put it cleanly, she is sweating in her pants for OBAMA. I always thought that Super Delegates were supposed to go with whom the State Voters choosed until KERRY, KENNEDY, AND RICHARDSON, unless they are special.
Obviously the Democrats do not believe in democracy. I have never witnessed such an awful show. Scary. I also think they are plainly telling us that they have no intention of a black man being their candidate.
Ian Orwin
They can try that, but they had better pick Hillary, or she will cause havoc at their convetion. She is not going to go away a loser. AFterall, she is entitled to be President.
Revealed: Obama’s dad polygamist, alcoholic
Parent not hero portrayed in ‘Dreams from My Father’
How could they even think of allowing a racist to be the dem nominee? This is a outrage! If this man is elected we are moving down under.
The “Wealthy Donors” again telling the pols, “We bought you now do what we told you to do”.
And just like the Electoral College, the votes of the Little People don’t count. I love democracy, Don’t you?
It makes no sense to me. What difference did it make that Michigan and Florida held early primaries? The people voted and thats what counts! the deligates should go to the candidate who won the popular vote in eaach state and that would be Hilery Clinton. O’Bama was not even on the ballet in Michigan, so he should not get any of those delegates.
How many monkeys does it take…….?
Another stroke of genius for the Democrats. Hold a Super Delegate Peimary of the almost 800 Super - delegates to decide the nomination???. I guess the millions of Democrats that have already voted don’t count. Brilliant!!!
John Edwards and Al Gore are awfully quite. Is it possible that all the delegates will get together and relize that neither of the two running could possibly win and will nonimate Edwards and/or Gore…sends shivers down my spine to see Al again though.
Gotta love it.
Hillary’s big donors trying to buy America.
…” Reid said the two candidates are essentially the same so really it doesn’t matter who wins.”
“I think this has been a great campaign. The Democratic problem will be over before the convention, and I think it will all work out well for America”
Harry Reid is an idiot and is scary to have him in the position he is in.
No matter what the outcome is if the superdeligates are left to make the decision with FL and MI not being able to hold primaries, it will not be considered a fair contest. It will be Bush and Gore all over again. I for one will not consider it a legal and fair primary and the voters of FL and MI will feel the same way. The DNC has really messed up this time. First they should never have limited when states could hold their primaries, secondly the caucases should be ruled out of the nomination process all together, it enables only a small number of people in a state to have a voice in the primary process. There is nothing at this time that will make this a fair or satisfactory end result or that will make people think that the right person has been nominated. This is a very sad ending to a long and painful election process, and I think most people are feeling the same as I am.
Harry Reid’s comment about the two democratic candidates being essentially the same is unbelieveable. They are not the same. I am
a 70 year old Republican who voted for Obama in the Democratic primary
in Minnesota, and would vote for Obama (Democratic) again in the
general election if he is the nominee. If he is not, I will default to my
Rupublican heritage. There are huge numbers of republicans I know that
will vote for Obama, but will not vote for Hillary. Hillary cannot beat
John McCain, but Obama will win in a landslide if he is the nominee. And
he has the leadership to bring this country back from ruin, and the
skills to unite again at home, and abroad. It is unrealistic to say that
Obama and Hillary are essentially the same, cause if the Democrats want
to win, then nominate Obama. No one wants a 3rd term for Bill.
Obama is the clearest breath of fresh air since John Kennedy, and I voted
for Nixon, and lived to regret it. Lets elect Obama President.
If super delegates are left to decide the nomination good luck to the party. If Obama loses you will lose all the young people and black vote, not to mention a good portion of the male vote. If Hillary loses I think her base will support the party.
of course the superdelegates should exercise their independent judgment — that’s why they were established as a ‘check and balance’ in the first place — also, many of the superdelegates are members of Congress, which means that they will be able to trade votes for a Presidential candidate and gain political promises in return — all quite legally — so we have Democrat legislators potentially elected a Democrat executive — so what if that violates the separation of powers concept in the Constitution? — Democrats honor the Constitution only when it brings them cash and rewards.
I love it!! 795 elites get to choose the nominee. This advance decision should give the rioters about 2 months to prepare their spray paint can purchases - plenty enough time!!!
A little open, honest transparency please!!! Disclose the names of these “wealthy donors that support Clinton” as detailed in the letter to House Speaker Pelosi. They seem to anonymously pop in and out of the the campaign news as they insist on having their way. God forbid that the Democratic nominee be selected by the popular vote.
Blackmail by Clinton mega-Donors?….not surprising. ANYTHING to WIN.
The Dems are a mess. They can’t run the primary process without completely fouling it up.
How are they supposed to run the government?
I think Howard Dean should definitely get involved immediately and work something out because if there’s no D-nominee, the Democrats will not have a chance in November.
count the Michigan and Florida votes throw out Howard Dean
“On Wednesday, more than a dozen wealthy donors who support Clinton wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, chiding her for suggesting in a television interview last week that superdelegates have an obligation to support the candidate with the most pledged delegates. They argued that the point of having superdelegates is so they can exercise their own judgment.”
To translate this for the great unwashed masses: “We bought and paid for Hillary with our own good money and we’ll be damned if were going to let a minor little thing like Obama winning the majority of the votes of rank and file Democrats through primaries and Caucuses stop us”
Obama has more delegates and votes, game over.
Why don’t the Democrats just give it to the Clintons? It’s apparently obvious that the Clintons think they are godlike. In their minds they think we are all to dumb to think for ourselves. That we need their supreme intelligence to teach us how to function everyday.
It just tell how idiot is the democratic counting system.how it possible one win 26 state and the other won 13,and he still in the race?
Hurrah! Nancy Pelosi needs to be put in her place once and for all, including Reid, who is dumber than a tack. If Hillary doesn’t get the nomination, than it’s hello John McCain. After all, I’m just a “typical white woman.” That remark said it all for me.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Reid said the two candidates are essentially the same so really it doesn’t matter who wins. (except that one is a woman and one is black)
How goofy is the Democratic Party?
Operation Kaos is working great! You dems now get to experience a long nightmare, and I for one am glad to be observing it!
I can see it now. A large smoke filled room full of wealthy “superdelegates”, appointed by the
DNC and in debt to the former President WJC, all primarily concerned with their own re election and the Hell with everything else! Yes sir, that’s what the founding fathers intended all right.
To quote; “I’m in it and I’m in it to win”…HRC. Obama supporter’s; get ready for your day
cometh!
If the superdelegats override Obama’s lead and choose Hillary they will derserve the outrage that will insue
Come on, Democratic Party!!!!!!!!!! Look at your name! Democratic!
You decided to have proportional selection of delegates to give ALL states the chance to influence the outcome of the nomination and now you are eager to end the thing prematurely? There is no problem with going to the convention without a nominee. The base is energized, turnout is great, money is flowing in in record sums and the two candidates are in the press all the time. McCain has no idea who his opponent will be, so he has to wait before he can announce his VP. If he announces early, the Dems can react to that.
If the party thinks that a casting show à la American (political) Idol will help, why not. I think that the Democratic party has to make sure that all states have their say. Stopping the process before the convention means bad blood, putting pressure on either candidate to drop out will split the party. See how it all turns out in Denver.
If Pelosi, Dean, Reid or Bredesen are bored already, why not sit down and find a solution for Florida and Michigan? There is enough money and time to resolve the problem, so get going!!!!
And these same dems want to compel a universal health care plan for all people in this country. thats a laugh. they cant even run their own nomination process to select a candidate. Watching them try to resolve their mess is more fun then watching a barrel of monkeys.
The Super Delegates must vote their conscience. I know the Obama campaign says they should vote like their state went but then they don’t want Kennedy, Kerry or Richardson to do the same. They are not going to play fair in this so the Super Delegates have GOT to step up to the plate and do what is right for our country. They now know that at least 25+% of Clinton supporters will vote McCain if Obama gets the nomination. IF THEY WANT A DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2008, they must put their support behind Clinton. They’d have to be deaf, dum, blind and a little stupid not to see that. It’s quite a simple deduction.
Let us in Michigan and Florida vote or count our votes! This is the most unamerican thing i can think of that has or could ever happen to me as a proud american(Yes i have always been proud of America)! Howard Dean nees to get off his Obama KoolAid and do what is right for the party and what’s right for all Americans not just part of the Americans, LET MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA’S VOTES COUNT OR DO A REDO PRIMARY!
What’s the difference frick or frack,clinton or obama,two losers with nothing but the same old socialist garbage
So now we know how Hillary is going to STEAL the nomination. We also know how the DNC and our politicians feel about the will of the people. They don’t care who has the most votes (cast by the very people who put them in office). I can see the Clinton political machine doing thier under the table dirty dealings a pulling the nomination out from under Obama even though he is the people’s choice. I don’t care how slim a margin he holds at the end of the primaries, if the majority of people have voted for Obama he is the rightfull candidate.
We, the people, of the Democratic party didn’t have a choice in how the rules for the Primary elections we established but once done that should be it. Hillary nor anyone else should be favored just because it isn’t going the way they (the Clintons) want. Michigan and Floriday were not going to be counted, as stated a year ago, so leave them out. Instead of using the “Super delegates” why not just throw them out alltogether and who ever has the most pledged delegates and number of popular votes after the last primary gets the nomination.. I guess that would be way too simply democratic for the democratic Party…..
Nancy Pelosi is suppose to be neutral…Obviously she is not and has spoken out way too often with support of Obama…She is the worst type of woman leader, she cannot support another strong woman…ALL Women should be enbracing this historic campain of Hillary Clinton’s… Come on Ladies lets support one of our own!
“— superdelegates appear more and more likely to be the only way out.”
I still don’t get it. Who died and left these 796 Super Delegates in charge. I voted for the current leader in delegates and who will end up at the end with the most delegates.
I don’t want my vote NULLIFIED at the convention or worse yet before the convention by a Superdelegate.
The “Super Delegates” had better consider they need to uphold the legacies of Jefferson, Madison and Jackson. They had better ask themselves if Thomas Jefferson, James Madison or Andrew Jackson would ever consider overturning the will of the majority of people.
Nothing quite like making up the rules as you go along and then having 600+ insiders ready to cast deciding votes and nullify all the primaries. the democratic party is a total disgrace. They have been so overly concerned wit winning elections that they have forgotten to actually do any work. Wht is most amusing is that they are prepariung to disenfranchise the very voters who they said were disenfranchised in the last election.
How can the Democratic Party keep tripping the “sutpid” wire? Will they never learn? To have a meeting of super delegates to decide on a candidate PRIOR to ALL of the Primaries would be a slap in the face of voters in the remaining states! Yep - way to go dummies! You are showing people why they really shouldn’t trust the Democratic Party anymore - Florida and Michican voter denial has already left a bad taste in our mouths and now this! One could have blamed the DNC Chairman for this before, but now you all are acting like mongrel dogs after a soup bone! Can you spell M-C-C-A-I-N? Better learn, cause you are pushing people towards him!
Pat in MS
If Clinton throws her sleaze around and steals the nomination… I’m walking away from the part - for good.
They won’t clarify because they are Obama supporters who want to steal the election. 1st disenfranchise 2 Clinton states and then speak up and make Super Delegates appear to be something they are NOT. Then take away the convention with a meeting or phone survey to have them chose prior and take the choice totally away. Them DNC & Democratic party are nothing any more.
Why don’t the democrats leave it up to the supreme court? I’m sure one of those creative type lawyers could dream up an action to get this going.
There is no question that the longer this pot is left on the burner the more it will boil over. I support Obama so I will make that clear up front. That considered, he now leads in the popular vote, the delegate count and the number of states won. Realistically, that will not change without the intrusion of the super delegates. The states of Florida and Michigan are serving their sentence. They were warned, they defied, and now they are denied. Case closed. If not, what will prevent future incidents like this? Their respective voters are free to cast their vote in the general election in reflection of their mindset. The matter needs to be addressed however it needs to be honestly and openly resolved. No back-room tactics. And, it needs to be handled very soon. It may seem like ions until Pennsylvania but as we all know, June is just around the corner and August burns bright in the distance.
If the Democrats can’t manage their own party nomination how can they be expected to manage an entire nation? This race has demonstrated their incompetency.
As a Republican I always thought the Democrats were a national Joke who would sell this Country out at the drop of a hat. But I was wrong, The Democratic Party is a WorldWide Joke and Everyday I sit back eat some popcorn and watch this comedy unfold.
Barack Obama is clearly out for the Black Community as he struggles with his own identity crisis, whereas the “Black” man was no where around as usual to help raise him.
Hilliary Clinton, The socialist who has no clue what sniper fire is.
What of Michigan and Florida? They clearly voted for Hilliary, the fact Obama does not want re-elections there as he is on the record as of last week stating shows how scared he is of a bigger repeat.
The Democrats are so pre occupied with the losing fight they forget that come November they stand a BIG chance of losing the house and senate over unkept promisises and a most unproductive 2 years.
I hope Obama does become the nominee, If Kerry thinks he was swift boated in 04 wait till Obama gets pinned to his idiot pastor.
Its a good time to be a Republican watching the Democratic party in it’s Death Throes
“On Wednesday, more than a dozen wealthy donors who support Clinton wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, chiding her for suggesting in a television interview last week that superdelegates have an obligation to support the candidate with the most pledged delegates. They argued that the point of having superdelegates is so they can exercise their own judgment.”
Translated for the great unwashed masses: We bought and paid for Hillary with our own hard earned money and we’ll be damned if we will let something like Obama winning more votes and delegates than Hillary in the primaries and caucuses stop us from buying us a President!!
People like Pelosi and others have shown irresponsibilty by trying to change the rules in order to help Obama.
Very interesting.
The Money Bags in the smoke-filled back room are starting to get nervous, therefore pushing their wait around.
In the end the superdelegates plan is to get hillary in the white house and not obama.
That’s what’s between the lines in the dnc, harry reid.
I don’t understand how all these people are talking about a June pre-empt to the convention, when the first legal battles for the Florida and Michigan delegates haven’t hit the courts yet. What an idiot we have in Harry Reid who thinks that either of the two candidates would be willing to give up and concede to the other! Wow!!!!! Mind Boggling!!
It seems whenever Howard Dean’s name appears it is in the middle of a firestorm. From his “I have a scream” days until now Mr. Dean only seems to polarize Americans rather than unify them. He doesn’t seem to have a practical solution to unify his own party in the wake of the primary bloodbath. I wonder if Mr. Dean can really be neutral in this matter, or is he trying to help his favorite candidate?
HAHAHA - Democrats are soooooo freakin’ STUPID! They cant even rely on the average person to vote for a candidate. They think the average American is ‘too dumb’ to vote, so they made up this un-American system of voting where the ’smart’ ‘elete’ people will cast a delegate vote, and if the ’smart’ people cant figure it out, then the ’super-delegates’ will step in and settle it.
In other words for Democrats who may read this - YOUR VOTE DOES NOT COUNT!
Talk about Voter Fraud!
hillary wont quit. the pellosi,that croock REID, ANDBIG MOUTY DEAN,AND back room scums,are trying to get over with. GO HILLARY, WE ARE WITH YOU ALL THE WAY.
I wonder why anyone even bothered to try to be a delegate, when their input is nada. If the Super Delagates are the ones who decide who actually wins. The Democrats have sunk even lower than they ever had before
Ruth, WA State
Super delegates should be unconstitional–someone should check this out. Citizens should not be overridden under our form of government.
Just like Democrat Libs. Can’t trust the people to pick their nominee, they have to override the Lib’s wishes. Glad I’m a Republican. Potentially, none of the Democrats votes will count when the Clinton war machine twists the arms of the SUPERdelegates. Whoo, sounds frightning.
I fail to see the problem with the current state of the Democratic campaign between Senator’s Clinton and Obama. As someone who has voted Democratic for President in EVERY election since 1980, I am glad that it has lasted this long. If it had wrapped up on super tuesday, I’d not have learned that Senator Obama belongs to a separatist church and had a Pastor for 20 years who he had hoped would not have become widely known to potential voters. The only reason he gave “The Speech” was because of the Pastor’s videos being seen by the whole country. If he really intended to open such a courageous discussion on race, he would not have waited until the truth about him, his church, and his preacher became common knowledge.
What is the Democratic leadership afraid of? Are they afraid of the rest of us Democratic voters learning more troubling information about Obama??? I, as a lifelong Democratic votor, greatly resent this rush to nominate Obama, and promise that I will vote for John McCain if the process is not allowed to play out to its conclusion, either by one candidate earning the required delegates, or for one candidate pulling out of his or her own accord.
As for Florida and Michigan, it is the fault of the DNC, because it was them who stripped the delegates. The Republicans had the good sense not to strip delegates, and avoided the real risk of angry party votors simply voting for the other party in November’s general election. I know if i was a Florida or Michigan voter and had taken the time and effort to vote in the primary, only to have the DNC tell me that my state will not have delegates representing me at the Democratic National Convention, I would vote Republican in November out of spite!
Nancy Pelosi disappointed me very much recently by publicly commenting on superdelegates as well as dream team suggestion. She clearly biased towards to Obama with her own hidden agenda. Now I truely know what a “real” liberal dem looks like.
its true that super delegates have a responsibility to “not follow the leader” and make their own educated decision on who will be best to bring their party into power, and will also not embarrass the party down the road. Superdelegates should not follow the will of other voters. I know this election is ugly but thats just the way it is, nothing they can do will change that.
So, someone please remind me why we bother to vote in the primaries when the decision ultimately rests in the hands of these ’superdelegates’. In this day of near instantaneous communications, why can’t we have a Nationwide public referendum and all vote on ALL of the candidates on the same day? I know, I know. Too many people are raking too much cash throughout the entire process for the powers that be to want to kill such a huge cash cow.
I’m especially annoyed because by the time this obscenely expensive farce rolled around to Wisconsin there was no one left worth voting for. Why does someone from Iowa or Vermont have the right to have more say in who runs for president than me, or the guy in Hawaii, or the woman in wherever? Explain to me exactly how that’s constitutional.
This system is so corrupt and broken and all the sheep just keep bleating and soaking up the campaign promises. Maybe one day we’ll wise up and actually start holding these professional politicians to their promises. Maybe we’ll turn off reality TV for long enough to vote the bums out of office. Nah. What was I thinking?
Hilary needs to quit. She is squawking into the wind and nobody, not
even her advisors, but her and Bill want to fight this out against all
costs. There is no shame in Clintonville.
Wow! Pelosi is taking heat from others in her own party about how the super delegates should function in their role of selecting their nominee!
Now that’s good stuff!
I suggest the “Democratic (BOY ! There’s a misnomer !) Party” change their name to a more accurate one, such as the “Smoke Filled Room Hacks Party”.
This is very typical in America — no one wants to wait. You are all a bunch of kids that want mommy or daddy to buy this or that. Democracy does not run its course when its the back rooms that do the work. You’ve said all along that you want the PEOPLE’s vote and voice to count, why in the he.. don’t you let the darn primaries and caucuses take place where they are scheduled!.
You wonder why Michigan and Florida bucked the rules and held their primaries early?! Well, here’s the reason why, poor Pennsylvania and the other states can’t even get a chance to hear the candidates, let alone vote, and the pressure is being put on the superdelegates to make a choice.
Thought superdelegates were to make their choice after the people voted!
Perhaps we ought to have a discussion with changing the Democratic primary procedure and just let Dean and his groupies decide who the nominee is, and stop wasting millions of money and TV time to have the people vote. Doesn’t seem that it matters to those in Washington.
And by the way — both candidates are not “essentially the same” Reid — and THAT IS THE REASON PEOPLE VOTE!
One way to get the job done is to count the FL and MI votes!! That would be the fair thing to do
It looks like there is no way this is going to be settled even with the Supers. It would be bet that the Democratic party in general pull the plug and give up support of one of the candidates giving the other the nomination without additional bickering. The party is already split with Obama being the leader far in front of Clinton so he should get the nod from the Party Headquarters.
Clinton will continue to lag behind even if she wins in Pa.
Time for Hillary to Concede to B.H.Obama and revive the party before McCain takes all from these two candidates.
I still belive McCain will be our next President regardless of what the split party will do. The reason is that the party does not want to heal old wounds.Esp.the Clinton crowd.
Apparently, the Democrat party bosses are deciding the nominee! Perhaps the reason they do not want to have a formal meeting is that they will be accused of gathering in “a smoke filled room” and this would have the added result of offending the anti-tobacco wing of the Dem party.
If this keeps up, the Republicans who lost in 2006 because they imitated Dems will be back in control of the WH and Congress and we wwill have to worry about the 3 trillion in tax increases.
(we can only hope)
I honestly can’t see any pre-convention solution acceptable to the Rodham-Clintonites other than Hillary’s nomination. They’ll cry all the way to the supreme court, the same way they did when Gore refused to accept the fact the he wasn’t loved nearly as much as he thought.
Apparently the debate over which candidate should be the nominee is to be decided by the party bosses. I think this is a bit ironic since the theme’s of each candidate have to do with the need for CHANGE!. Could it be they don’t want to have a formal meeting lest they be accused of deciding in a “smoke filled room”, which could also offend the anti-tobacco arm of the Democrat Party. The reason the Republicans lost the 2006 elections is that they acted like Democrats.
If they lie low, they will probably be back in control of the WH and Congress as well.
The chickens are coming home to roost. (Thank you, Rev. Wright.)
As soon as I learned that Howard Dean and the DNC ruled out primaries in Michigan and Florida, I had a good feeling something like this would happen. Oh, happy day. Open season for Democrat foot-shooting.
This report shows, yet again, how arrogant the Democrat elite are. That the will of the Party rests with a few, and not with the whole. Of course, this behavior is consistent with nanny-state-itis.
Real Clear Politics has Obama with a plus 167 pledged delegate lead and a 132 total delegate lead (which includes pledged and super delegates). Please make that correction in the text to your story. Thank you.
The let the votes in Michigan and Florida count
My feeling is the media has exploited this “rush to nomination”.
Why have the democratic convention in august, but want an answer as to who the candidate will be before that?
What purpose does the democratic convention serve? (Obviously, I know the purpose; it was a rhetorical question).
I’m sick and tired of this media driven presidential election process.
So, if you all decide who will be the democratic candidate NOW, what happens to the people who have not had a chance to vote?
The votes from florida and michigan are not counting - why not just allow the big states to vote and the smaller states will just have to be satisfied by the choices of the larger states?
In fact, why not just throw away the democratic process itself - at least that would be REAL.
Like we worker bees have a say in the process at all anyway.
It just doesn’t matter anymore.
GO HILLARY !!!
Count FL & MI Votes - Hillary Wins - end of story!
Obama will never win the election with his radical, anti-American pastor who he will look to for advice and mentor. Americans will never let this happen - neither will the superdelegates.
Funny how the media is saying “Hillary does not have enough delegates to win the nomination- NEITHER DOES OBAMA!!! Neither one of them can get to the magic number to win the nomination without the superdelegates so let’s stop saying - not fair, back room, etc….
Just let the voters decide and finish out the rest of the states - then we count!
Ive been a democrat since regisering to vote in 19080… what ever happened to let the voters decide?
Count all the votes! Michigan and Florida and whatever states are left that have not had their say….
Regardless of what Obama thinks, he does not currently have enough delegates to be declared the winner either!
I agree with the comments made to Nancy Pelosi regarding her insane comments regarding superdelegates. I say to House Speaker Pelosi….seat the delegates like you did in 1984. Americans voted and these voices are OUR voices. EVERY votes should count!
If the superdelegates decide who will win the nomination, then both sides of the american people who voted for either one will be angry for being overridden. No matter how it comes out in the democratic party, it will be a disaster, which quite frankly suites me just find. Steve
Anything other than giving the last person the right to vote for their choice is and will be wrong.
Everyone should have their right to vote for their nominational choice. To stop it now would be distroying apart their constitutional right to vote.
I find it amazing that the so called “ELITE” of the Democratic party wish to pre-empt the rank and file of the Democratic party. It is disgusting to me to see these people acting more like Republicans then the Republicans themselves. The Democratic party is a party of the average Joe and Jane and if the ELITE vote in anyone other then the leader in pledged delegates whether it be Hillary or Obama, I will be forced to vote Republican.
We can all thank Hillary Clinton for this problem.
Her chances of winning are nearly a statistical impossibility, and yet she continues with dirty campaign tactics against Obama, even though he is almost guaranteed to win (based on his lead in the most pledged delegates, higher popular vote, and most states won).
Her thinking seems to be “If I cant win, Obama’s not going to win either”. Why else would she be repeatedly making favorable comments about herself AND John McCain within the same sentences, and then contrasting the two of them against Obama? Why else would she (and her husband and/or their surrogates) continue to try to inject race into the contest?
She is attempting to bring down a good and very special man, and its a shame.
As someone who supported Bill Clinton through two elections and in spite of a major series of sccandals, I now say enough. At first I even thought of Hilary for VP, but now seeing the continuation of the lies and the clear manipulation of the process by Hilary, I have little respect for her or for Bill Clinton.
Indeed I am already turned off voting for anything connected with the Clintons and their backstabging, manipulation threats and insults. ENOUgh HIlary, be gracious enough to keep the party intact.
ENOUGH hilary of the media manipulation, when you don’t have a prayer of winning unless Obama goes the way of Ron Brown. Enough with the lies about sniper fire, Enough with destroying a clear victory for the Democratics to feed your ego. Enough with lies of NAFTA.
ThougH I think McCain is too old and botoxed and should be enjoying retirment with his grandkids, I would rather see him in the White House than you Hilary, and the demons surrouonding you that would destroy the party’s chances of regaining the white house. And this is from someone who originally supported you. But better came along. YOu missed your chance in 2004. Its over.
And as for this hogwash about superdelegates voting in June, that is simply another manipulation. How dumb do you think the electorate is Hilary, Bill? You keep changing the rules, you keep turning off voters. All these new voters who have been awakened from lethargy by Obama just like me will turn away indifferent. You will be left with an empty echo. But perhaps that is what you want, you know the dog in the manger, ” If Hilary can’t have it, then Obama can’t either’. Seems like that is your strategy.
Trust me, I will campaign for McCain and contribute heavily to his election in everyway possible if you win the nomination. Do you REALLY THINK I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS THIS WAY???? You cant win, because