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Obama Battles Back
In fact Obama probably emerges from Tuesday night even further ahead in the delegate count than he was when the voting began. Now the Obama camp is arguing that he can secure the nomination, perhaps as early as May 20, the day of the Oregon and Kentucky primaries. They hope that by that date Obama will finally have an insurmountable majority of pledged delegates from the primaries and caucuses, and that this will trigger a stampede of undecided superdelegates in his direction, giving him the 2,025 total delegates needed for nomination.
In response, the Clinton campaign has been once again, changing the parameters. In recent days they have newly emphasized the number of delegates they believe are needed for nomination: 2,209. This includes the currently barred Florida and Michigan vote totals (as her supporters chanted during her Indiana speech, "count the votes! Count the votes!"). But with the National Democratic Committee rules committee in charge of the decision whether to sanction those primaries, which were disqualified because they held their votes in violation of party rules, it's questionable whether that argument will persuade undecided superdelegates.
The Clintonites could take the battle to the convention floor by appealing to the DNC credentials committee, which gets named eight weeks or so before the convention. Clinton's team could ask the credentials committee to take up the issue of the Florida and Michigan delegates and make a recommendation to the convention floor. If she is close enough to Obama after all the contests end that Florida and Michigan votes could make a difference, she could choose to take her fight all the way to the convention floor.
Now the Clintonites are simply begging the superdelegates not to "short circuit" the process, as strategist Harold Ickes puts it. And they continue to make the argument that Obama is still so unknown and untested that, just as the controversial comments of Wright haunted him late in the primary season, new unsavory facts could come out if he runs against McCain in the fall. "We don't need an October surprise," Ickes said. "We know a great deal about Hillary. There is no October surprise with her and the last five or six weeks speak for themselves not only through momentum, but a number of other issues have arisen."
Yet even as Obama contemplates his long-awaited victory, he must question whether it will prove to be Pyrrhic. One disturbing result out of Tuesday's election was how divided the traditional Democratic base has become after three months of negative campaigning since Super Tuesday. In North Carolina, a stunning 92 percent of African-Americans went for Obama, while white non-college-educated workers went decisively for Clinton. Either candidate will need the full support of the other part of the base to win in November. The question is whether feelings have become so bitter that either candidate can rouse them.
Obama, in his victory speech, insisted that would not happen despite the "bruised feelings" on both sides. "This fall we intend to march forward as one Democratic Party," he said, because "we can't afford to give John McCain a chance to serve out George Bush's third term." It was, perhaps, the beginning of his general election campaign. And it was appropriate, perhaps, that at Hillary's rally a broken confetti machine failed to spew shredded paper and instead just sputtered smoke, which quickly disappeared.
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: Chantal1959 @ 05/20/2008 12:06:51 PM
Comment: The foreign policy debate between Obama & McCain, goes far beyond Iran. This Administration & their surrogates have treated the American people in the same way as they have treated Iran. Finally, someone is willing to Challenge the Bush/McCain foreign policy publicly. Yes, Obama is speaking for those of us who have been muzzled.
Over the past 8 years, any one who challenges this administrations foreign policy has been accused of being Un-Patriotic and Un-supportive or our troops.
I have seen co-workers threaten as Un-Patriotic, by other co-workers, when some one showed any disapproval of the Bush policy. Therefore, I'm so glad that Obama is speaking up and battling this muzzling policy.
This Admin has STOPPED diplomatic conversations with our adversary in the same way as they have STOPPED conversations with the American people and have muzzled the American people from speaking up.
The days of NO talk with our adversary and NO talk with the American people, who appose this administration, are OVER.
Posted By: griffin1 @ 05/14/2008 5:12:23 PM
Comment: To all you Hillary supporters let me say one thing, I am a democrat first and I supported Barack Obama because of his message for change and I felt deeply that we needed someone without all the political ties and dirty politics that is going on behind close doors. Behind these doors no one is fighting for us Americans who is going through foreclosure or can't pay there gas bills and pay for medication. It just so happen that Obama is in the lead and this is fair game if Hillary was to beat out Obama I would stand behind her and support her candiacy before I would ever put my vote behind John McCain, we should be smarter about the decisions we make as democrats, If Hillary wins the nomination Obama will campaign for her as well, If Obama wins Hillary has said time and time again she will support him. To be a democrat and switch to McCain over Barack that is total nonsense especially if you think we can take another 8 years of this administration.. GIVE ME A BREAK PLEASE - THIS IS COMMON SENSE
Posted By: Illinois Voter @ 05/13/2008 12:27:52 AM
Comment: WASHINGTON, February 13, 2008 -- Accuracy in Media editor
Cliff
Kincaid disclosed today that a hugely expensive bill called the
"Global Poverty Act," sponsored by Democratic Senator Barack Obama,
was quickly passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on
Wednesday and could result in the imposition of a global tax on the
United States. Kincaid said that the major media's cover-up of the
bill, which makes levels of U.S. foreign aid spending subservient to
the dictates of the United Nations, demonstrates the media's desire
to see Senator Obama elected to the presidency.
In a column posted on the AIM web site, Kincaid noted that Senator
Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was
trying to rush Obama's "Global Poverty Act" (S. 2433) through his
committee without hearings. The legislation would commit the U.S. to
spending 0.7 percent of gross national product on foreign aid, which
amounts to a phenomenal 13-year total of $845 billion over and above
what the U.S. already spends. It was scheduled for a Thursday vote
but was moved up a day, to Wednesday, and rushed through by voice
vote. Kincaid learned, however, that conservative Senators have now
put a "hold" on the legislation, in order to prevent it from being
rushed to the floor for a full Senate vote.
The House version (H.R. 1302) was suddenly brought up on the House
floor last September 25 and was passed by voice vote. House
Republicans were caught off-guard, unaware that the pro-U.N. measure
committed the U.S. to spending hundreds of billions of dollars.
Kincaid's column notes that the official in charge of making nations
comply with the U.N. Millennium Goals, which are prominently
highlighted in the Obama bill, says a global tax will be necessary
to force American taxpayers to provide the money.
Enough reason for me not to vote for him!!!!!!!!!