Huffpo's Tom Edsall: Hillary Camp Presses Superdelegates Not to Take Sides

[flpoljunkie]

Hillary Camp Presses Superdelegates Not to Take Sides

February 27, 2008 12:03 AM

For weeks, the Barack Obama campaign has warned that Hillary Clinton would try to use her ties to the Democratic establishment to muscle 'super delegates' into backing her presidential bid, overriding a popular vote majority and Obama's plurality of pledged delegates elected in primaries and caucuses.

Now, however, as Obama has gained steadily in the polls, the Clinton campaign has reversed field. Top Clinton aides are pleading with uncommitted super delegates to hold off making any commitments, fearful that any commitments they make would be to back Obama, not Clinton.

A set of talking points emailed to Clinton supporters within organized labor describes the arguments to use on uncommitted super delegates. In the email, the Clinton campaign suggests telling the uncommitted delegates that "it would be unfair and unjust to cut off the nominating process now. There might come a time when the process needs to come to a close, but that time is not now."

In language that could have been lifted from the Obama playbook just a few weeks ago, the email says Clinton backers should make the case to super delegates that: "If House, Senate and DNC members try to end this process now, it would be very damaging to those institutions, the Democratic Party and our chances in November."

~In the Clinton campaign's talking points email, Clinton supporters were told to argue that "late momentum in the primary may be an important factor impacting the perception of a candidate's strength going into the general election. If, as we expect, Hillary Clinton wins Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania, the current dynamics of this race will shift dramatically."

[cali]

1. Pitiful. Just pitiful. And misleading.

they know that they no longer lead in TX and they're unlikely to win it. They know how close it is in OH. I hope his steady stream of SD endorsements continues over the next few days. She's now only up by about 70 SDs. It'd be great to see him cut that to fifty by next Tuesday. And he's on schedule to do that.

[OhioChick]

2. Pitiful is Right. n/t

[Window]

5. Don't take sides, unless it's my side.

[CoffeeCat]

3. Hillary thought that those Super Delegates would...

...fall in line for her--like dominoes.

Like everything else in this campaign, the Super Delegates are not falling in line
as Hillary planned.

[JVS]

4. But aren't SDs taking sides essential for her to overcome Obama's pledged delegate lead?