Round 2 for Iowa delegates could shift race

[sueragingroz]

By Thomas Beaumont, Des Moines Register
DES MOINES — Jan. 3's caucuses were only the beginning for Iowa's Democrats.
On Saturday, representatives at 99 county conventions choose 358 delegates to the state's district and state conventions.

Usually, these conventions are pro forma. But with Barack Obama narrowly ahead of Hillary Rodham Clinton in an all-out scrap for national delegates, the county conventions now have new meaning and could put one candidate on course for a greater share of Iowa's 57 delegates than projected on caucus night.

"It's like we're running the caucuses again, just with a smaller number of people," said Tom Henderson, chairman of the Polk County Democratic Party.

For the first time, candidates have hired staff to whip up turnout.

more at http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-14-iowa-delegates_N.htm

[anamandujano]

1. Hmmmmmm.

[grantcart]

2. Anybody want to take a wild guess which way it will tip?

[LSparkle]

3. They're both going after Edwards' delegates big time

C'mon, John -- if ever there was a time to endorse (Obama!), it's NOW!

[sueragingroz]

4. If there was ever a time for John to run screaming into the wind... it's NOW

[Inspired]

6. If there was ever a time for Edwards delegates to stick with Edwards, it's NOW!

[sueragingroz]

7. That's an interesting angle indeed!

[Khaotic]

5. Obama Campaign Ready

Paid staffers still on the ground here in Iowa.

E-mails going out to every Obama supporter they have an e-mail address for.

Web site set up: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/iaconvrsvp

I'll be there @ 0800 tomorrow morning.

Here's the content from the last e-mail I received:

====================

Dear Friend,

Thank you so much for your hard work for the Obama campaign this past year.

Now, you have another chance to help Barack Obama here in Iowa.

The Scott County Convention is this Saturday, March 15th.

Barack is counting on you to attend your County Convention because you have a possibility to fill in an empty delegate spot if someone doesn't show up, because you caucused for Obama in January.

Make a difference for Barack Obama -- attend your County Convention. Here are the details:

Scott County Convention
Clarion Hotel & Conference Center - Center A
5202 Brady St, Davenport
Saturday, March 15 at 8:00 AM

If you live in a different county, or if you'd like more information, click here to look up your convention location:

http://my.barackobama.com/IAcountyconventions

Please share this information with your friends and family -- the involvement of all our delegates, alternates, and supporters across Iowa will be crucial to the outcome of this race.

Thank you, and we'll see you Saturday,

Michael

Michael Fitzgerald
Treasurer, State of Iowa

====================

The main effort is to fill in the spots where Obama delegates don't show up as promised, not to steal away Hillary delegates pledged on caucus night. That is the Hillary campaigns strategy I'm sure, especially since she has torn apart the pledged delegates and given created a new category of "caucus delegates." I'm sure in her mind these are delegates that are still up for bid so to speak. The Obama campaign wants to keep the number of pledged delegates the same as caucus night.

They shouldn't change because a delegate can't make it to the convention due to their kid having the flu, or some other reason. In a case like that a Hillary supporter would l-o-v-e to fill in for the pooor soul who can't make it right? It's the least her supporters could do.

I will NOT be filling in for a delegate who is supposed to represent Hillary, as I would not in good conscious represent her campaign.

I suppose if there is a huge lack of people there to represent delegates, and there's a Hillary delegate who needs a physical person to represent or that delegate goes unrepresented, I would not let Democracy and the will of the people down. I would, as a member of the Democratic Party, step up and fill in that delegate position to make it valid. My goal will NOT be to make the county convention misrepresent the caucus from Jan. 3. It should continue forth and mirror what took place that night and should not give Obama any more delegates than what he earned that night, minus Edwards' delegates which might switch to Obama.

It should be interesting.

I hope Democracy is not denied on either side.