Former DNC Chairman Switches Support From Clinton to Obama
Thursday Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Joe Andrew announces he has switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow superdelegates to make their choice for a nominee soon. (AP Photo)
A Democratic superdelegate and former head of the party who served while Bill Clinton was president said Thursday he’s changing his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama because of Obama’s skill in handling the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy and his opposition to a proposed gas tax holiday.
Joe Andrew had originally endorsed Clinton on the day she declared her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. While holding a conference call in support of Obama on Thursday, he encouraged other superdelegates to act quickly in making their choice.
He said he’s now convinced that Obama represents the promise for a change in the way Washington will work.
“What I saw this past week as Barack Obama answered the questions about his former pastor and as Barack Obama took on the heavy and difficult task of doing what is right on an energy policy and environmental policy and not doing what is politically expedient in order to give a quick pander to Hoosier voters to say we ought to have a cut in the gas tax reconfirmed to me in my mind that it is time for change,” Andrew said from his hometown of Indianapolis.
Andrew also issued a letter that he is sending to superdelegates that says he is switching his support because “a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue this process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists (Republican) John McCain.”
Asked for a response to Andrew’s decision, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said, “We support that Democratic process and think that every American should be able to weigh in and support the candidate of his or her own choosing.”Andrew becomes the second superdelegate this week to say he has switched his support for Obama as a result of the Wright controversy.
Indiana. Rep. Baron Hill, who represents a crucial swing district in the state, endorsed Obama on Wednesday. Clinton has the backing of Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who has a vast organization in the state and has been campaigning aggressively with the former first lady.
Obama initially refused to denounce his former pastor, but did so this week after Wright said Obama is just posturing to distance himself from a world view that could damage his campaign.
“He has shown such mettle under fire,” Andrew said in the interview. “The Jeremiah Wright controversy just reconfirmed for me, just as the gas tax controversy confirmed for me, that he is the right candidate for our party.”
Andrew’s decision — and the announcement of Texas superdelegate and United Steelworkers member John Patrick — puts Obama closer to closing Clinton’s superdelegate lead. Clinton had a big advantage among superdelegates, many of whom like Andrews have ties to the Clintons and backed her candidacy early on. But most of the superdelegates taking sides recently have gone for Obama, who has won more state contests.
Obama now trails her by just 16 superdelegates, 247-263. This week, he picked up 11 superdelegates, including three add-on delegates named by the Illinois Democratic Party, while she netted three.
Superdelegates are nearly 800 elected leaders and Democratic Party officials who aren’t bound by the outcome of state contests and can cast their ballot for any candidate at the national convention. They are especially valuable in this race since neither Clinton nor Obama can win enough pledged delegates to secure the nomination through state-by-state elections.
Obama now leads in the delegate count overall 1735 to 1597 for Clinton. A candidate needs 2,025 delegates to win the nomination. About 230 superdelegates remain undecided, and about 60 more will be selected at state party conventions and meetings throughout the spring.
Other party leaders are encouraging superdelegates to pick a side by late June to prevent the fight from going to the national convention in August. Andrews wrote in his letter that he is calling for “fellow superdelegates across the nation to heal the rift in our party and unite behind Barack Obama.”
Obama and Clinton are running close in Indiana and both need a victory there — Obama to help rebound from a loss to Clinton in Pennsylvania and to prove he can win Midwestern voters and Clinton so she can overcome Obama’s lead in the race overall.
In North Carolina, which votes alongside Indiana on Tuesday, Obama has been leading by double digits, but recent polls taken since Wright’s outspoken press tour began last Friday show Obama may have been damaged by the relationship. Clinton has closed the gap and even passed him in one poll in the Tar Heel State, according to RealClearPolitics..
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I love all you Clinton supporters. The Obama supporters must live in another planet!!!!! They don’t understand the English language Hillary speaks, only gibberish Obama speaks.
Andrews is a joke and he is making democratic party a joke. shame on you Andrews. Indiana is ashamed of you. Move out of the state.
I wrote a comment right after Pastor Wright ranted and raved and said I thought it was part of the game they are playing to win back Obama supporters. I said then that I felt all those things he said were said to make you people feel sorry for Obama. What you all don’t realize this is all being orchestrated by the DNC. They goofed a long time ago by grooming Obama to be a “change” candidate but look what has happened. Hillary was stronger than the Pelosi, Reid, Murtha, Kennedy’s thought. They have thrown Hillary under the train and now will have you believe that things will change in Washington. I’ve lived for 76 long years and and I will tell you this is not the Democratic party of Roosevelt, or Truman. They have thrown Lieberman under the train also. They are like the Mafia, the bigwigs that you would never vote for, groom a young attractive black man to run but guess who pulls the strings. You got it - the DNC, Howard Dean and his thugs. If you fall for this tactic they are using you will deserve all you get. More Taxes, more big government in our personal business. We will eventually lose all our freedoms. George Bush may be arrogant but he has kept us safe for 7 years. His faith is strong and so are his morals. Some weekly rag mags have tried to stir up trouble in his family but I know people who know him and they all say he is as honest as the day is long and his heart is in right place. He can’t be bought nor has he sold us out to China, Saudi, etc as Bill Clinton has done. Be careful what you vote for you just might get it. I’d rather be safe and secure under McCain than face the unknown quanity of Obama. Funny Pastor Wright has quieted down now hasn’t he.
I hope you post this as you did not post my comment about the Pastor last week.
Hillary is splitting the party, I think if Obama looses and runs in the General election anyway
in the Green party he could possibly take all his new voters with him and with it
the future and past of the party.
Obama was perfectly clear on his position now of Rev.Wright, the man he thought was someone else 20 years ago when they met. I am proud of him , especially the way he worded his position. He is a Man who admits recieving Christ, and as a worldly man has educated himself to be a great man politically as a leader. I am white and see greatness in this man, I hope he does not give up.
At this point, jumping to Obama equates to jumping out of the life boat back onto the Titanic.
Some people appear to be either living in the dark or some fantasy world as far as this campaign is concern. Others just won’t allow themselves, to except or, to see the truth in things, even as it smacks them in the face. Sadly, this election has brought out the racist element of the American population more than anything has in many, many years. That’s exactly why Sen. Obama is the right person for the time and the job, and will win this race. The time for change is now. Racism has no place in American life, anymore. So, people of this persuasion need to either accept the inevitability of it or live in isolation with hatred eating at their hearts. It’s their choice.
The fact is Obama is loosing, loosing, loosing very badly to Hillary, and the good ole boys of the democratic party who started propping Obama up in 2004, still refuse to allow a woman to be the nominee. If Hillary does well in the remaining primaries and the good ole boys continue to rig the superdelegates, as is evident here, then I am voting for McCain in the general election. Quit rigging things against Hillary. She’s winning and Obama is loosing, that’s a fact.
I agree with everthing Joe Andrews has said in his reasoning for making a change to support Sen. Obama’s campaign. It makes perfect sense. Sen. Clinton has run a totally negative and raced-based campaign in an effort to win, regardless of the consequences to the Democratic National Party or the Nation. In my eyes, both she and President Clinton, have lost much credibility during this process through their use of under-handed tactics, rhetoric, the media and out and out lies. They can no longer be trusted. They’ve become too big a part of the ugly Washington machine, and that should and I hope will be their ultimate downfall. They certainly don’t seem to be the Clinton’s of old. This contest should, and again, I hope will prove that their time has come and gone. Sen. Obama offers us plans for a new beginning in America. We’re ready to walk that road with him.
I voted for Bill Clinton but other than him I’ve always been an independent. All the negative posts I’ve read about Obama and Rev. Wright have now presuaded me to vote for him.
Why? Because Mr. Obama sat in church for 20 years he felt was helping the community. Not one of you have been able to state that Mr. Obama has said anything racist. And by the way, I looked the word up. It means when one race believes they are superior to another race. So how does this make Rev. Wright or Obama a rascist. Not one you who are against him mentioned this fact. Your only focus is Rev. Wright. What about all the other 8,000.00 members of the church are they racist to? I went to their website and it seems the church had done a lot of good for the black, brown and white community. But you people don’t care about that.
I would have voted for Mrs. Clinton but you people have shown me that is not the way to go.
Thanks a lot.
47 year old white woman.