Read Between the Lines – Clinton Super Delegates are Packing their Bags and Moving On

[grantcart]

Read Between the Lines – Clinton Super Delegates are Packing their Bags and Moving On

Type A: ‘Count Me for Hillary But I am Really Voting for Obama’ Super Delegate

Example: Senator Maria Cantwell (WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03242008_Cantwell-supporting-Clinton--for-now.cfm


U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, one of Washington’s 17 Democratic super delegates, isn’t ready to shift her allegiance from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama — yet.
But in an interview with The Columbian’s editorial board Monday, she said the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season in late June will have the strongest claim to the party’s presidential nomination.

“If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,” the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.



Type B: ‘Sure I Endorsed Hillary a Year Ago but I am not Walking across the Street for Her Now.’ Super Delegate

Example: Governor Patterson of New York.

He could have resigned his DNC seat to the convention gone as Governor and gotten another New York Clinton Supporter appointed. He refused and it cost Clinton a Super Delegate.


Type C: ‘The No Hillary I am not Going all the Way to the Convention ‘ Super Delegate.
Exhttp://www.observer.com/2008/schumer-avoiding-self-destructive-end-clinton-vs-obamaample: Senator Schumer of New York

"The number one thing that people worry about is that the candidates will cut each other up and make it harder to win the general," he said. "But I think that is not going to happen. Because everyone cares about winning so much. Not only the candidates, but the electorate. So if one candidate is doing something that is regarded as really self-destructive, of the ability to win, that's really going to hurt them."

"It would widely be regarded negatively in the electorate," he said.
Schumer also suggested that the current system of awarding pledged delegates is flawed. "The delegate counts are so close, and you can win a state by quite a lot and you still don't win the delegates by quite a lot,” he said. "Maybe that's a flawed system. But that will be for the next election, not this one.

"I think if you win a district 55 to 45," he said. "The delegates shouldn't be three to three. Yes, I think proportional representation makes some sense but they sort of overdid it."


Type D: The ‘I Can Count’ Super Delegate

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine hinted Thursday he might defect from Hillary Clinton if she continues to lag in the popular vote - a blaring red danger sign for her presidential hopes.
Corzine said he was reserving the right to switch if she doesn't catch up. "I'm a very aggressive supporter of Sen. Clinton," he said on CNBC, but then added, "I think you need at least the popular vote."
A second Clinton super delegate, Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, told the Huffington Post: "She has to be ahead in the popular vote to have any chance at all of getting this nomination."

And on Friday he said again she needs a BIG BIG win in PA

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/04/corzine_says_clinton_needs_big.html

Gov. Jon Corzine today said Sen. Hillary Clinton needs a big win in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary to remain a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.
A loss in Pennsylvania would be a "door closer" for Clinton, Corzine said. The New York Senator needs to win the popular vote, Corzine said.


Beyond these examples are the dozens of Clinton Super Delegates who no longer appear on talk shows, are no longer surrogates and are just quietly packing their bags.

[SpiralHawk]

1. The consequence of Hillary's negativity

Such a disappoitment. I used to admire her, and thought I might vote for her in the primary, but wow did she turn me off with her Republicon Homelander-style campaign. I literally wince when she comes on TV now with her tone of voice and Scorpionic stinging....

Please sit down, Hil. Your 15 minutes are totally over.

All you are doing now is making a mess.

[grantcart]

6. its the numbers these guys can count

[flpoljunkie]

20. "Snipergate" alone makes Hillary unelectable against John McCain.

[grantcart]

27. thanks

[PoliticalAmazon]

42. Consequence of Clintons pandering to racists and neocon war-mongers....

...Hillary's threat of using a nuclear attack to obliterate a region in the Middle East has to have shocked many SDs.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. I guess the title super

only applies to their egos, and not their powers of observation then.

Or else they would have done been unpacked, settled in and moving ahead.

[grantcart]

5. In the end they will earn the title

[olkaz]

3. k/r

Nice work putting that together.

At least this thing is winding down.

Can't wait for everyone to be united in teeing off on McSame.

[grantcart]

12. yeah but we can't let up for a minute

[Scurrilous]

4. K & R

:thumbsup:

[grantcart]

13. thks

[liberaldem4ever]

7. I think it is just a matter of time

Before this thing is over and it won't be a moment too soon for me. Great analysis in your post, btw. K&R :kick:

[grantcart]

8. tks

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. but but how will the media pump up its ratings?

you want that the MSM should have to cover real news instead of
manufacturing a mythical campaign for Hillary?

[lyonn]

14. Wanted to kick this post and your comment is a good enough

reason. The media wants this fight to continue. My main reason for backing Obama is Iraq. I believe him when he says he wants us out. He understood the ramifications of going into that country years ago. Hillary didn't. He seems to truly understand that Lobbyist are running this country. Once a President works for the people and not corps. we can make real progress with the economy. The hell with whether one is a female or one is black (1/2). The media makes issues out of goofy stuff like bowling, mind boggling. Hopefully the super delegates are opening their eyes. I'm holding my breath. Let's hope Pennsylvanians get it. Let's hope those damn voting machines are not tampered with......Ugh---

Gawd I'd like to trust in someone or something after 8 years of dumbass.

[grantcart]

33. 8 years of dumbass for any country.

[grantcart]

29. good question

[WA98070]

10. Cantwell is beholdin' to Hilary for fundraising but her state is 2 to 1 for Obama...

Washington has been Hilary country since the early 90's. She's been here often supporting our local democrat and fundraising for them. She has been the keynote speaker at many party functions.

Unfortunately her handling of her war votes and her overall corporatist attitudes left her out of touch with the voters in Washington State.

Cantwell needs to get in touch with her constituents not her wallet.

[grantcart]

11. she is voting for Obama

[WA98070]

18. Source please? I googled her and she is still officially for Hilary but in typical Maria fashion

has found a comfortable seat on the fence. As the winds blows so blows Maria.

[grantcart]

23. the link is in the OP

she has made it clear that she will vote for the candidate with the most pledged delegates.

[Diane R]

30. Clinton helped Cantwell pay off campaign debt after dot.com bust. Murray's endorsement was tepid.

[grantcart]

15. afternoon kick

[anonymous171]

16. The "I can count" Superdelegate

:rofl:

[grantcart]

17. lol

[psychopomp]

19. There are a lot of SD's with their fingers in the air

waiting for the wind that has changed to become a gale.

[grantcart]

21. and the other hand covering their butt

[thevoiceofreason]

22. Playing football for the conference championship in H.S.

Many years ago. We were good. So were they. Hard fought game. We had our moments, but by the mid-fourth quarter, it became evident they had too many weapons. We needed a miracle, because even though the score was close, we were running out of time. Bit by bit, they wore us down. No miracle ever came. The game ended with them running out the clock on our defense. I was sad after leaving it all out on the field.

But I rooted for them to win state, and they did.

Hillary's campaign is like our team that night. Good, but not good enough for that time, that place, that opponent. So, on one level, I have almost first hand knowledge of her pain right now.

Peopple sense it. If it is not a miracle for her tomorrow, the clock is running out.

[grantcart]

25. thanks

[MagickMuffin]

24. Excellent work, grantcart

:thumbsup: :applause:

I think the SD's will be forced to make their decision know, especially after a couple more primaries. At least that seems like the logical next step.

:kick: & RRRRRR

[grantcart]

26. thanks

[grantcart]

28. evening kick

[McCamy Taylor]

31. But you have spent months telling us the SDs are worth nothing, so what does it mean?

I am so confused? Is this what everyone here talks about when they refer to goal posts? Can we please talk about McCain or the war or hungry people?

[grantcart]

32. Take your pick either you have diminished reading skills or your memory is gone

No one at DU has published more about SDs including almost daily updates than I have. I have never been the least bit worried about Super Delegates doing the right thing. The hysteria that some in the media and even some Obama supporters are worried about is not going to happen.

We are talking about the nomination, you are free to talk about media conspiracies or other crackpot theories.


I have already posted about the food riots and Carter's trip in other forums. This is the "General Discussion on Primary" forum. You can go to the top of the page click on other forums and find forums dealing with issues that will not troube you so much. This forum is for people interested in following the primary. Maybe you would be more comfortable in Clinton's Supporters Group.

I understand that with the thousands of hours you have invested in HRC's fading campaign you are disappointed but we are very focused. First step is securing the nomination. Second step the General Election. Obama's campaign has already started massive unreported efforts to change the landscape of the general election. But first we have to run out the clock because in a constested race it is impossible for any candidate to get enough pledged delegates to secure the nomination. The Super Delegates are not going to overturn the results of the primary/caucus system.



FYI there are a large number of add on delegates - like Maine to give one example that have not been selected but the state democratic party has already determined are going to be Obama delegates.

[Ken Burch]

36. That's what we WOULD have been talking about for the last three months

If the permanently unpopular conservative candidate you support hadn't stayed in the race bashing our frontrunner for no reason.

Does your statement here mean you admit HRC has been wrong to drag us down?

[powergirl]

34. And no Obama delegates are switching to Clinton

Does her campaign ever think about that?

[grantcart]

35. and none are saying well if she wins the popular vote I may think about her

its all one way and there are more

[skyounkin]

37. Again

kick'd cause I really like Original Message and recomended due to your follow up.

[speedoo]

38. K&R. Thanks for your work on this post.

Great job, grantcart.

PA tomorrow will mark an acceleration of the end for Hillary. The current trickle of SD's to Obama will become a steady stream, and the numbers, already indisputable, will make everything very clear.

[grantcart]

41. tks

[eridani]

39. Add Norm Dicks (WA-03) as another possible switch

http://www.horsesass.org/?p=4711

Speaking before a crowd of about a hundred Democrats at a fundraiser yesterday, U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks (WA-06) reportedly said that if Hillary Clinton wins “big” in today’s Pennsylvania primary, he believes the nominating contest will go all the way to the convention, but… if she does not win big — and given the current polling he has no expectation that she will — there would be no way the math could work for her, and he’d flip his endorsement to Barack Obama in order to help end the contest sooner rather than later.

Dicks did not provide details, but he left the impression with attendees that he has discussed this scenario with several of his fellow Congressional superdelegates, and that he is alone in neither his analysis nor his intentions.

So think of Dicks as the canary in the coal mine of the Clinton campaign; if he flips, other superdelegates will likely flip with him. And that would signal the end of Clinton’s presidential ambitions.

[grantcart]

40. thanks and we may see a lot of flipping in the next few days