With all due respect Hillary supporters, do you really want her to win like this (see calculator)

[RiverStone]

The only way Hillary wins the nomination now is if Super Delegates go against the will of pledged delegates at the convention.

Obama already had a 99% lock on obtaining a pledged delegate plurality.

Please feel free to plug in your most optimistic/realistic scenario for Hillary on this delegate calculator:

http://www.slate.com/features/delegatecounter/

With all due respect to Hillary supporters, do you really want our convention to come down to this? I empathize with how damn tough it is to let go when Hillary still has a chance - and I do not diss her supporters for being loyal Dems. Oh, I'll rake Hillary over the coals, but my anger is directed at her. I respect your right to choose and as a party - we need you!

That being said, if Hillary goes all the way as she said last night, we are on a collision course that could destroy not only our chance in the GE, but alienate a HUGE base of dedicated new voters (as well as lots of old ones) who would see the entire primary and caucus process trashed. Folks would leave the party in droves.

This is the only way she could win and I ask, do you see her winning this way as good for the party or our chances in the GE?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. Whoever seems likelier to win in November will come out of the convention as the nominee

And it will be obvious to all observers that that is the case

Obama will probably win, and if he somehow loses it will be for reasons that are glaringly obvious at the time.

[KaptBunnyPants]

7. Because Clinton is absolutely certain to win.

Obama is easily the stronger candidate. Clinton has no cross over appeal, as has been verified by poll after poll, election after election. Guess what genius, if Clinton is winning Democrats, yet still losing primaries, Obama must be winning the independents. But the general won't be easy, given how the Clintons appear intent on sabotaging the nominee to make way for Hillaryis45.com. And the media will be friendly to McCain. I know you aren't capable of seeing media bias when it's against the (relatively) Left-wing candidate, but they like McCain and wouldn't be nice to Hillary after the primary, either. If little Hillary is going to break down every time somebody asks her a question first in a debate, how could she deal with the media-fellatio that will be heaped on McCain from day 1 of the campaign? Luckily she's already lost the nomination, and we will be spared the fate of watching her fall apart in the general.

[bigtree]

15. Obama lost the independents in Texas. I think their romance with him may be ending.

The problem with making these judgments about the electability of Obama is that he really hasn't been subjected to the rigors and hits of a general presidential campaign yet. Who knows what figure he'll cast later in the season; a week from now; a month from now? I think his inability to close the primary season out and put Clinton to rest this week is a warning sign that his appeal may be shallow and ephemeral. I wonder how much further he can be made to fall?

[MonkeyFunk]

2. If Hillary has more popular votes than Obama

then they certainly should choose her.

If she's clearly the better chance to win in November, then they should certainly choose her.

If she's clearly the choice of the most DEMOCRATS who voted in primaries, they should certainly choose her.

All of a sudden you guys are making up this new requirement that the SDs MUST vote for the person with the most pledged delegates. That's just a made up requirement.

[RiverStone]

4. As a general rule - the candidate with the most popular...

...votes, probably gets the most delegates anyway. But correct me if I'm wrong on that. I assume --- most of the time--- that is how it goes down anyway. Currently, Obama has about 600K more in popular votes nationally.

If Hillary had an AMAZING turn of events and won 65% of every remaining state - OK, she is still mathematically alive.

I'd vote for her - but what are the odds and is it worth another 5 months of bickering while McCain rests up his war mongering ass?

[lewis_in_fw]

6. Less than 300K in popular votes with Florida primary votes. Peace *NT*

[bigtree]

16. slight lead with Michigan included

[Beregond2]

3. Young people

I don't see Hillary's decision to fight-on being a huge turn-off for all the new young people brought into the process by Obama. Since when have young people not enjoyed a good fight? If she steals the nomination in defiance of the will of the voters, then yes, that will be a catastrophe for the party.

[RiverStone]

5. Then where do you see the end game?

Does she concede before August or will this play out all the way to the convention floor?

Yea, a good fight is great - but a prolonged march through the trenches could also be a tiresome clusterfuck.

[MichiganVote]

8. In this democracy she can stay in until the convention if she likes and Obama can too

[Rageneau]

9. Hey, our delegates in Congress go against the people's will all the time.

I don't think the reasoning behind the idea of superdelegates was for them to vote the same way as pledged delegates. Otherwise, there would have been no REASON to invent superdelegates in the first place.

Superdelegates are selected on the assumption that they will vote in the best interests of the party. By the time the convention gets here, it could be obvious to everyone that that means voting for Hillary.

[endelfam]

10. Reality....

The simple fact is this. If Obama is ahead with delegates and popular vote, and the superdelegates ignore that reality, they will tear the party in two and elect John McCain. That is unlikely to happen. A large proportion of the superdelegates are actually elected officials. What elected official would oppose the will of his or her district to vote for another candidate? He or she would find themselves out in the cold the next election. Most superdelegates are very aware of that.

Sheila Jackson Lee is already running that risk, and I have seen talk of "retaliation" from some very unhappy voters since the distict went overwhelmingly Obama. This is not just some minor vote. People are not going to forget, especially if their candidate is denied the prize when he has more pledged delegates and more popular votes.

[Lochloosa]

14. Welcome to DU endelfam. And your right.

:toast:

[BringBigDogBack]

11. K&R

[Orsino]

12. The other way is by seating Fl and MI.

Can anyone promise me that that won't happen? It's already being painted as disenfranchisement (which it is), while glossing over the unfair advantage Clinton took there.

I would applaud a real do-over. That's a way for her to win honestly.

[mmonk]

13. They really don't care how.