Clinton: Committed Superdelegates Can Still Change Their Minds

[sabra]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/06/01/clinton-committed-superdelegates-can-still-change-their-minds/

Even with her decisive victory in the Puerto Rican primary Sunday, by some estimates Sen. Hillary Clinton still needs to win more than 80% of the remaining superdelegates to have a prayer of winning the nomination. That is, of course, if superdelegates who’ve already publicly endorsed Sen. Barack Obama stick with their pick. On a brief press conference held aboard her campaign plane Sunday night, Sen. Clinton hinted that options remain for superdelegates, even those that have already endorsed her rival.

“One thing about superdelegates is they can change their minds,” Clinton told a gaggle of reporters in the aisle of the plane. “With us in the front of the cabin is a superdelegate who went from me to Sen. Obama and now is back with me, in the course of, you know, a matter of weeks.” A campaign spokeswoman later informed the cabin that the superdelegate she was referring to is Kevin Rodriguez, a DNC member from the Virgin Islands, who was accompanying her on the flight from San Juan. The campaign had previously announced his support. “I think it’s only now that we’re finishing these contests that people are going to actually reflect on who is our stronger candidate. And I believe I am. And I’m going to make that case,” Clinton said.

Clinton also indicated that she considers the DNC’s new number denoting the finish line of this historic primary contest, 2,118, as contingent on her decision on appealing the Saturday ruling of the Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee decision on Michigan. The campaign reserved the right to do so following the ruling.

“We’re going to decide how to proceed and depending on what the outcome of that decision is we’ll either mount a challenge or not. But obviously it would have an impact on the number of delegates necessary to clinch the nomination,” she said.

[Colobo]

1. They can... but they won't. It's over, Hill.

[samdogmom]

8. How about the ones that decide to drop her?

Her behavior is so despicable. I truly hope a few will be so disgusted that they switch their vote to Obama.

[Yukari Yakumo]

15. Actually, they will

Except it'll be Clinton SDs switching to Obama.

[papau]

33. I hope not - given the treatment of Hill VP I'd like a fight at the convention.

[Colobo]

35. Ok, let's do Obama/Clinton ASAP.

Everyone will be a winner, OK?

[anonymous171]

2. The longer she stays in the more rabid her followers will become.

Obama needs to find a way to force her out and/or destroy her candidacy.

[DJ13]

6. The longer she stays in the more rabid her followers will become.

[movonne]

19. The more I'm reading about hillary supporters and how rude and

abrasive they have become, I'm beginning to dislike them more than her..although I think she has brought them to this frenzie...they sound like they are going crazy..I'm not talking about most of the ones on here but the ones that were at that dnc meeting and the different hillary blogs...

[anonymous171]

22. It's because they aren't given time to grieve.

[MadBadger]

3. Has any Obama superdelegate changed their mind besides that fickle Kevin Rodriguez character?

[FrenchieCat]

4. And there could be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

:eyes:

[napi21]

5. I've been thinking about this all day. It's true that the SD's can

change their mind, but that also means some that are currently supporting her can switch too! This puppy can go either way!

[kevinbgoode]

23. I suspect she plans to find some way to force this to a second ballot

and at that point, push hard for delegates to change their commitments. If she fails on that gamble, her career is over - she won't be able to win her own Senate seat again.

[napi21]

37. I don't think so. I believe there will be a difinitive decision before

the end of this week. My guess has always been June 4th, but it may go to Friday. I don't believe Hill will have the "majority popular vote" and enough SD's will have supported Barack by then that there simply won't be any chances left, and Hill will gracefully suspend her campaign.

[msallied]

7. And I could decide to replace the jelly with barbeque sauce on my PB&J sandwich...

but I wouldn't because that would be disgusting.

[izquierdista]

18. That's yummy!

Peanut butter + barbeque sauce = satay. Not for just plain bread tho, got to have some skewers with chicken or beef. :thumbsup: :P

[msallied]

26. Well thanks for ruining my point! LOL

When you put it that way, it does sound delicious. I do love satay. I just never knew what all was in the sauce other than peanut butter. lol

[Arrowhead2k1]

9. My gawd!

She's never going to help unite the party. EVER!
FUCK HILLARY CLINTON. I'VE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH OF HER SELFISH AMBITIONS!!!:grr:

This thing BETTER be over next week...

[99th_Monkey]

10. Clinton: "Monkeys will come flying out of my ass"

[bhikkhu]

34. Monkeys bearing gifts of ponies...

[scarletwoman]

11. And I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue.

Gods, that woman is insufferable! :banghead:

sw

[anigbrowl]

28. Be careful. My other half can actually do that. Actually, so can I!

[TahitiNut]

43. A square knot?

:wow:

[scarletwoman]

46. Nothing I do is square.

:hippie:

[PretzelWarrior]

12. Go.The.Fuck.Away, HILLLLARY!

just go crawl back under the rock you came from and leave us Americans to go about the orderly process of electing a president from the two presumptive nominees.

Hillary is actually giving perseverence a bad name.

[cliffordu]

13. Yeah, but not in this universe....

[baldguy]

14. Am I wrong?

But have the only SDs to change their minds have gone from Clinton to Obama?

[grantcart]

17. correct

[baldguy]

32. So, who are these 220 some SDs who are going to switch the other way?

Clinton is living in a fantasy world.

[tularetom]

16. That last paragraph is bullshit

Whether pr not she appeals would not have any impact on the number of delegates necessary to clinch the nomination unless the appeal was upheld. The magic number as it now stands is 2118. That will not change just because she files an appeal. Most likely it will not change ever.

Her little snit isn't having any effect on Obama and it's making her look like a raving lunatic. I wish she'd stop because it's uncomfortable to watch, but on the other hand it could be amusing to see the final flame out.

[movonne]

24. And she is also driving her supporters bat shit crazy...

[kevinbgoode]

20. I think her entire intention is to force her candidacy upon the party

by any means necessary. And in doing so, destroy the Democratic Party and fulfill the right-wing Rovian dream.

She is not going to quit until she is either the nominee or the party is destroyed. She cannot win the presidency at this point, and it's her own campaign's fault - even if she did manage to manipulate the superdelegates and somehow get the nomination. She cannot win in November and she knows it - and all of her supporters damn well know it too. Over half her own party does not want her in the White House. . .and there isn't any conservative who is ever going to vote for her in the general election.

[elleng]

21. Mario Cuomo said, on Face the Nation:

'the contests that have already been held did not produce votes. They produced pledges, which probably would be lived up to at the convention."'

[hendo]

25. appeal the ruling?

Is she hoping to pull a Bush and get another of those "one time" Supreme Court verdicts? I'm sure that a majority of the Supreme Court would rather see her running against McCain than Obama.

I wonder if the Supreme Court can force her onto the ticket, should it come to that.

[bigbrother05]

29. No, these are party rules, not a constitutional issue

Of course the RW only bashes an "activist" court when it's something they don't like.

[hendo]

38. I wouldn't put it past her to try though.

All they would have to do is allow the Clinton campaign to present the case.

[Mz Pip]

27. So why aren't they?

They are declaring for Obama or not at all. Gee Hillary, buy a clue will you please.

[AZBlue]

30. I am pleading directly to any DNC staff who read DU:

PLEASE stop this woman NOW before she hurts every Democratic candidate's chances in November.

[wvbygod]

31. Many of them may wise up and support Hillary

Many of the most rabid Obama crowd may stay home in November but Hillary would still be in
a better position to beat mccain than Obama is now with his campaign imploding like it is.

I just hope that the Obama folks come out to support Hillary like we plan to if the supers
don't make the right decision to give Hillary the nod.

[ToddinWI]

40. Hmm

I'm still not sure on why Clinton is a better candidate in November. First, it's currently June and the polls are not conclusive.

There are polls which have Obama up by eight in Ohio. Clinton is currently behind in Wisconsin with Obama beating McCain.

I'd like to know exactly why so many are sure that Obama will not be as strong a candidate as Clinton in November?

[AtomicKitten]

36. Ms. Flick can continue to plot from the comfort of her Senate seat.

[kwenu]

39. Hillary, they're just not into you. Move on with your life.

[candice]

41. All delegates can change their minds. Votes aren't cast until the end of August.

[Kool Kitty]

42. She's on CSPAN right now, a rerun of her victory speech.

Hillary sure doesn't sound like she thinks it is over.

[SoCalDem]

44. She's a pip..that Hillie.. Never lets reality affect her flawed optimism

First off, none of her "Hill people" took up her suggestion about how to "deal with Barack", and then the DNC meeting "dissed" her little buddy Ickes, and now she's got to hope for delegates to switch from a winner to a whiny, vindictive loser??

On Planet Hillary, there must be an atmosphere with very little oxygen content:rofl:

[my3boyz]

45. Obama needs enough super delegates to put him over the top so much

that it won't matter what the magic number is (in the event of an appeal). He needs it to be way above the magic number now. PLEASE let the SD's move in full force this week towards Obama.

[tekisui]

47. And switch FROM Hillary to Obama they will.