Ickes: Obama's wins "Irrelevant"

[B2G]

Top Clinton Adviser Says Superdelegates Will Decide Election, Obama’s Victories ‘Irrelevant’

A top Hillary Clinton adviser on Saturday boldly predicted his candidate would lock down the nomination before the August convention by definitively winning over party insiders and officials known as superdelegates, claiming the number of state elections won by rival Barack Obama would be “irrelevant” to their decision.

The claims no doubt will escalate the war of words between the campaigns, as Obama continues to argue superdelegates should vote the way of their districts. But the special class of delegates, which make up about 20 percent of the total delegate haul, are not bound to vote the way of their states and districts, as pledged delegates are.

Obama leads handily in the pledged delegate count and has won more states but trails Clinton in superdelegates, making them potential and controversial deadlock-breakers if the race ends up a dead heat come convention time.

Harold Ickes, a 40-year party operative charged with winning over superdelegates for the Clinton campaign, made no apologies on Saturday for the campaign’s convention strategy.

“We’re going to win this nomination,” Ickes said, adding that they would do so soon after the last contest on June 7 in Puerto Rico. “You’re not going to see this go to the convention floor.”

Ickes predicted Clinton and Obama would run “neck and neck” in the remaining states and that there would be a “minuscule amount of difference” between the two in pledged delegates.

But he said superdelegates would determine the outcome and side in larger numbers for Clinton, as they “have a sense of what it takes to get elected.”


more:

http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/02/16/top-clinton-adviser-says-superdelegates-will-decide-election-obamas-victories-irrelevant/

[w13rd0]

1. Oh no he didn't!

I don't fucking think so. Sorry, but if EITHER candidate attempts to snatch this via means of SDs, then they'll demonstrate that is more important to them to be the 2008 Democratic Nominee than President for the next eight years. I may vote for them, but many will not, and perhaps rightly so.

[SoFlaJet]

14. they seem to be operating

in completely different universe than the rest of the party

[liberalnurse]

16. Slow down; look at the link

it's foxx news for chrissake.

Next, they will say Hillary is pregnant with Ted Strickland's baby.

[B2G]

22. It's a FOX link

Because it's being reported there and elsewhere.

Are you disputing that he said it?>

[liberalnurse]

37. Yes, everything foxx reports is not a report

but a script. foxx is not American.

[B2G]

40. Click on the link below this one then

It tells the same damn story. Sheesh.

[tammywammy]

28. Here's another link for you

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/16/the_clinton_teams_long_view.html

It's the same basic story.

[displacedtexan]

18. How much party history do you know about?

Google "Ickes and Roosevelt" for some info on his father.

Here's a good place to start.

Even though Clinton (Bill) fired this Ickes in '96, Hillary chose him to help her win her senate
seat in NY.

Ickes is that important in the party. The name Ickes still walks softly and carries a big stick.

If he thinks the party is in jeopardy, he'll use that stick, and the party insiders will listen to him.

[roguevalley]

45. I think the SD will pull out of this, too afraid to deny the candidate

who actually wins their win. They won't want to face the wrath of people who will tar and feather them, me included.

[goclark]

2. HC camp thinks we are stuck on stupid

They ain't seen a March until they see the March they will see if they try to steal this election.

[CalGator]

23. to be fair, there are a lot of stupid people out there

Luckily those with college degrees overwhelmingly favor Obama.

[Mz Pip]

3. I don't know

how all of this is going to play out but I hope it does not have the appearance of backroom deals and arm twisting. Calling Obama's wins irrelevant is pretty crass and makes it appear that their votes never really counted for much.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[CatnHat]

technically votes don't count

Just look at FL and Michigan. Did they count. No., does anyone see the Obama people getting bent of shape for that. No.

[CatnHat]

36. technically votes don't count

Just look at FL and Michigan. Did they count. No., does anyone see the Obama people getting bent of shape for that. No. (mistake posted twice)

[Joe Chi Minh]

46. Well, it's important to them for you to vote, so that they can claim to

run a democracy, and reproach Chavez and other countries in South America now leaning to the left, together with the rulers of the Moslem world, for not being democratic. It's very neat, really, when you think of it.

We have a similar system in the UK. Of course, the media play a key role in choosing the New (putative) Labour leader, as they used to with the leader of the genuine Labour Party. It's a "fait accompli", and we just read about it afterwards. No, actually, Brown's coronation was reputed by the media to be by public acclaim, well in advance of the ceremony - as sometimes happens with the canonisation of saints. Our own dear noise machine.

[Cha]

4. Fuck 'im and the dlc

stick he rode in on..we'll see about that, mr ick.

[Pirate Smile]

5. Could they just show a bit MORE CONTEMPT for the voters in the Democratic Primaries and

Caucuses? Is that even possible.

Disgusting.

[BeyondGeography]

6. Seems he just handed Obama a campaign point

Hope he puts it to good use with all of those irrelevant voters between now and June 7.

[Cha]

29. Yes, because Obama knows

how to convey to the American Public what a contemptuous statement that is towards us..from harold ickes.

[madrchsod]

33. the gift that keeps on giving!

you know davey boy is jumping up and down with joy!

[BeyondGeography]

41. LOL...excitable guy that he is

[jefferson_dem]

7. Screw ClintonInc and all its shameful nastiness.

I'll be glad when her sleazy campaign is relegated to the dirty dustbin of American electoral history.

[SoFlaJet]

24. here here

even though I don't dislike Mrs. Clinton her "surrogates" are another story...Matt Taibbi wrote an article a couple of weeks ago where he described Mark Penn as Jabba The Hutt and all that was missing was the bowl of frogs at his side for snacks

[formernaderite]

31. there's an old saying " show me who your friends are...

and I'll show you who you are. Nuff said.

[SoFlaJet]

38. Dick Morris...

case in point

[Cha]

It can't happen too soon..the

months are dragging on with all their baggage of contempt.

[bilgewaterbill]

8. They're still claiming it's inevitable!

[southern_dem]

9. Ickes: We'll destroy the party to get the nomination

Shouldn't come as a surprise.

[tammywammy]

10. Harold Ickes, another reason to NOT vote for Hillary

I'm sorry but this is fucked up.

[VolcanoJen]

11. Clinton's "Insult the Voters and their Record Turnout and Unprecedented Enthusiasm" Strategy.

Keep it comin', Howard!!

And Howard... why did you, as a superdelegate and DNC Member, vote to strip Florida and Michigan of their delegates in August?

[blogslut]

12. And, let us not forget...no decision until JUNE

(CNN) — "One of Hillary Clinton’s senior advisers said Saturday on a conference call with reporters that the New York senator would have the nomination “nail(ed) down” after primary season voting ends in June, when Puerto Rico weighs in.

“At or about, certainly shortly after, the seventh of June, Hillary’s going to nail down this nomination. She’s going to have a majority of the delegates,” Harold Ickes said, thanks to a combination of pledged delegates awarded through primary and caucus votes, and superdelegates – Democratic elected officials and party leaders who are free to choose any candidate they wish. Ickes is himself a superdelegate.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe immediately responded to Ickes, saying in a statement the Clinton campaign was “attempting to have superdelegates overturn the will of the Democratic voters, or change the rules they agreed to at the 11th hour in order to seat non-existent delegates from Florida and Michigan.

“The Clinton campaign should focus on winning pledged delegates as a result of elections, not these say-or-do-anything-to-win tactics that could undermine Democrats’ ability to win the general election,” said Plouffe..."

link: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/16/clinton-adviser-the-race-will-be-over-in-june/

[Yael]

32. Wisconsin doesn't matter. Puerto Rico matters

Check. Will move Puerto Rico into the "you count" column.

:popcorn:

[TexasObserver]

13. No one who matters cares one bit about what Harold Ickes says.

Lanny Davis, either.

[DJ13]

15. The entire Clinton campaign is corrupt

Win at all costs will be a win at too great a cost, destroying our Party and alienating all the new voters who have turned out to support Obama.

Imagine the GOP being stupid enough to let Bush Sr. steal the election through back room deals at the convention over Reagan in 1980.

The GOP would have lost the opportunity to rebuild their Party, and would have been probably been ousted from power after just one term.

Thats what Hillary's naked ambition for power is going to cost the Democratic Party.

Our best chance to cement a permanent Democratic majority that might last for 20 years.

[Alhena]

17. The DNC knows Obama is far more electable- he WILL be the nominee

[NJObamaWoman]

19. Go ahead and then I wont be a Dem any longer. Independent here I come

[DB1]

20. We can add Ickes to Bill as the best spokespersons for Obama.!!!!

Keep it up boys, you're doing great!

[JTFrog]

21. Can't click the link. My mouse won't work after stepping in fox shit. n/t

[tammywammy]

26. Here's another link for you

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/16/the_clinton_teams_long_view.html

It's the same basic story. :)

[TheUniverse]

25. If Hillary Clinton wins the election through a superdelegate coup, I may never vote again.

What would be the point of voting if I knew the election was fixed.

[apocalypsehow]

30. The clear message from the Clinton campaign is: if you don't vote for us, your vote SHOULDN'T count.

n/t

[apocalypsehow]

27. The mask slips, and we see the true face arrogant entitlement and win-at-whatever-cost corruption

The flip side of what Ickes is saying is just as important as what he actually said: the clear implication is that if the Clinton's can't have the nomination, the nomination isn't worth having and to hell with the Democratic Party and the rest of the country. In other words, if it takes splitting the party in two and giving the Oval Office to McCain in order for the Clinton's to maintain control over the party machinery, so be it.

I always suspected as such, but never had proof. Now I do, because Ickes never utters ONE WORD without vetting it through the Clinton's first: this is coming straight from them, make no mistake about it.

[NMMatt]

34. So what makes this hack think he will be able to turn the tide on delegates AND super delegates?

I mean really? Currently Obama has created a sizable 140 delegate lead in pledged delegates. Clinton had a lead of 100 in super delegates, which has shrunk to something like 70 - depending the count. Unless they can over come the sizable pledged delegate lead, it is difficult to see how they keep a lead in super delegates. How does he think they will be able to convince over half the remaining uncommitted party officials to support the primary season loser?

Sorry Ickles... the ONLY way you will win this thing is to win a sizable majority of the oustanding pledged delegates, and then you still have to win more than half of the remaining super delegates.

[NMMatt]

35. "Have a sense of what it takes to get elected" - I call bullshit

If they had any sense of what it takes to get elected, they would have won this primary season election. Good luck with that argument in June.

[Neecy]

39. hmmmm......

If my vote is considered 'irrelevant' then I guess Hillary won't need it in November. And if she gets this nomination through chicanery like this she won't get it, either.

[Kurovski]

42. Vile. (nt)

[Joe Chi Minh]

43. Sounds like another Electoral College. Belt and braces. A failsafe.

Except in advance! You've been done like a kipper!

[City Lights]

44. I really wish someone would ask Camp Hillary how she plans to win

the GE without states she or one of her mouthpieces has declared irrelevant.