Dean on Meet the Press

[JamesA1102]

Howard Dean just stated that Super Delegates are no different than Delegates and if they nominate the candidate without the popular vote is fair and just.

It sounds like he is siding with Hillary and bracing for justifying why they are going to hand her the nomination.

[LakeSamish706]

1. And if they were to do that you can kiss the Democratic party good bye. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

2. The Democratic Party should not have a House of Lords who can exercise discretion. nt

[Kittycat]

3. That is the rules - how is that any different than what he has said in the past?

The rules are different than a personal opinion on what one thinks is the right thing to do.

Dean, shares rules...
Pelosi, states the right thing to do...

Why does this come as a surprise to so many people here today?

[writes3000]

8. Just nerves but Dean, once again, is showing how smart he is.

While he's telling SDs to pick their candidate now, he's also reminding people that there are no restrictions on how the SDs can vote.

We can all see which way the SDs have been trending. Dean's comments shut down the complaints the Clinton team are bound to make.

[writes3000]

4. Nope, I think he's trying to end the argument...by legitimizing the SDs votes.

It's a race for delegates. So the one with the most delegates wins.

By putting popular vote rules on the SDs, by legitimizing that argument, it opens up debate about how the SDs should vote.

[4themind]

6. Exactly, the popular vote doesn't win unless..

The superdelegates decide that it SHOULD matter, and vote in that way. Either way, it's all about the delegates. They are the "currency of this convention"

[BklynChick]

5. Did you see the whole interview because I did not get that impression at all.

Everyone needs to understand the context and how the questions are being framed. Russert kept trying to box him into a corner and get him to say something in that direction and he didn't. He was all about enforcing the rules. And technically the rules do say the SDs vote for whom they deem the best candidate and that can include electability but he was very careful to say that the SDs have never gone against who had the most elected delegates.

[Guaranteed]

9. THAT is what happened. Good report. nt

[femmocrat]

11. I agree. He was all about fairness...

including to the voters of MI and FL.... and about following the party's rules. He stated that the credentials (and another) committes will be deciding these issues in May.

[Guaranteed]

7. He definitely wasn't siding with Clinton.

He was very neutral.

[LWolf]

10. I hope he is looking forward

to a convention that nominates NEITHER.

[madfloridian]

12. Not true. Here's the video...make your own decision.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24338024#24337977

It is in segments on the left of the video. This first one is about superdelegates.

Don't some people get tired of spin?

[Bad Thoughts]

13. No, he's just describing the role of the SDs. eom.

[mdmc]

14. He bests get rid of the SD after this year - the lil-Dems don't need

Super Delegates any more.

[Evergreen Emerald]

15. Clyburn is sure shilling for Obama.

He talks about how all the blacks are angry at Clinton. How does he know that? Is he suggesting that black people are not individuals with unique thoughts and ideas? Has he talked to every one of them? He talks of getting e-mails? From who? How many? Who decided he can speak for all black people.

This is a load of crap that Obama camp is feeding us JUST IN TIME FOR NC. More "Racism!" shouts. I hope people pay attention this time to see these calls for what they are.

And then he suggests that the SD better not take away the "will of the people." Yet, the will of the people, shows nearly a tie (Some say Clinton is ahead in popular vote). What people?

He is a political shill for Obama and THAT FACT should be known to the television audience before he is allowed to go on anymore shows. Amazing the double standard and what the Obama camp is getting away with in this media.

[leftofcool]

16. They have already paid attention and no one is buying it this time

Clyburn cooked his goose the first time. Clyburn thinks he speaks for all Blacks like Sharpton does.

[Rageneau]

17. Speaking for all Whites, I think Clyburn is out of line.

[datopbanana]

18. How is he siding with HRC when he is saying SDs can override the only metric she has a chance of

leading in?

[Yossariant]

19. He's just stating the fact that "electability" is what counts -- not "pledged delegates."

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said superdelegates should make known their choices on the Democratic nominee for president by the end of June. Ultimately, he said he believes their decisions will be based on who is more electable, rather than necessarily who has the most pledged delegates, because that is what party rules stipulate.

"This is essentially pretty close to a tie here," Dean said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"What's going to happen in the last nine primaries is there's going to be some feeling at some point that one of these candidates is more likely to win than the other and that person will get the nomination. I can't tell you who that is, I have no idea who that is, but that's what's going to happen," Dean said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080427/ap_on_el_pr/democrats

[datopbanana]

20. too bad as soon as you override PDs, electability vanishes.

[madfloridian]

23. He did not say that at all. Video and transcript

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24338217/

He did not say that at all.

[Yossariant]

24. Read your link:

MR. RUSSERT: The candidate with the most ELECTED delegates is not guaranteed the nomination?

DR. DEAN: The rules say that the candidate with the most delegates gets the nomination, and I support the rules.

MR. RUSSERT: So that the superdelegates could, in effect, overrule the elected delegates?

DR. DEAN: That, you know, you shouldn't think of it that way. So-called "superdelegates" are, in fact, elected by exactly the same people who vote for the elected delegates. This is just--this is like an--a representative democracy. You elect a--80 percent of the delegates, and they have to do what you ask them to do. The others, the 20 percent you elect, essentially do what's in their best judgment, just like the House and the Senate does. Sometimes you like it, and sometimes you don't.

[Life Long Dem]

21. I didn't hear anything like that.

I heard the candidate that loses should feel the process was fair to them. But Dean said the rules are still going to be applied.
Sounds like a whole lot of wishful thinking and hearing what you want to hear.

[Bensthename]

22. Well that is the rules. All he was doing was stating facts..

I wouldn't look to deep into that.

[Swamp Rat]

25. Brought to you by: GE, Boeing, Dow, The US Air Force, et al ...........................

[justinaforjustice]

26. Obama the Likely Super Delegate Choice on All Metrics

Howard Dean has simply re-stated the voting rules long agreed to by the Democratic National Committee, which is that the "super delegates" virtually all of whom are themselves elected officials, have the right to use their best judgment in voting for the presidential nomination. If either Clinton or Obama had ready obtained the needed majority of pledged delegates, the super delegates vote would not even matter. But they will matter in this primary election.

There has been much discussion of whether the super delegates should vote according to who won the majority of delegates or the majority of the popular vote in their state or districts. I am sure these will be important factors in their votes, but there are other metrics which they will also consider.

Other metrics include:

1. Which candidate has raised the most money during the primary.
2. Which candidate is likely to raise the most money in the general election race.
3. Which candidate has brought the most new voters into the party.
4. Which candidate is likely to have more appeal to independent voters.
5. Which candidate has the lowest negative ratings.
6. Which candidate is likely to bring out the most voters in the general election, as
party candidates down the ballot will likely benefit from greater Democratic turn-out.
7. Which candidate has the best organized campaign organization to carry out the general campaign.
8. which candidate has the organizational strength on the ground to get out the vote

The super delegates are themselves dependent upon having the best candidate in place to assure their own re-elections, now or in the future, thus they are highly unlikely to vote in contradiction to what is best for the Democratic Party.

Given that, as of this date, Obama has a majority of delegates, a majority of the popular vote, and is clearly superior to Clinton in all of the 8 other metrics mentioned above, I find it highly unlikely that the super delegates could now be convinced to vote for Clinton simply because of "old school ties". This would not be in their self-interest.