With Hillary winning big states, Obama begins to backtrack on Superdelegate question

[KennedyGuy]

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/2/10/13514/0028

With all the talk about superdelegates, I must admit I am more than somewhat confused on what Barack Obama's position is. First Read reported:

Obama would not commit to a position he had put forward previously that superdelegates should vote the way their states did -- should the Democratic nomination come down to their votes.

"I think those superdelegates and elected officials and party insiders would have to think long and hard about how they approach the nomination if the people they represent have said that Obama is our guy," Obama said the morning after the February 5th primaries.

(Emphasis supplied.) It is obvious why Obama will not stick to that position - having lost California, New York, New Jersey, Florida* and Michigan* - he would be guaranteeing a huge loss for himself among superdelegates. Having won in states like Alaska, Idaho and the like, he will be giving away the game with that position.

Thus he now says:


Asked . . . if superdelegates should vote the way their states votes, Obama hedged. "We haven't' had a lengthy discussion with all of our superdelegates -- our super delegates they should vote for me," Obama said.

. . . The question for those not yet committed and the superdelegates that are still out there … trying to make up their minds -- my strong belief is that if we end up with the most states and the most pledged delegates from the most voters in the county that it would be problematic for the political insiders to overturn the judgment of the voters. . . .

Well, there are a lot of contradictions in that position. Why make that cutoff now, as opposed to all superdelegates? Why not respect the wishes of the voters from the states these superdelegates represent? Why most pledged delegates as opposed to most votes across the country?

This is a mess and it is not clear that Barack Obama can in fact articulate a comprehensible position on the issue that will favor his campaign.

The moral of the story? Go fight to convince superdelegates to support you. I am not sure spin is available here.

[jackson_dem]

1. Obamites will ignore this

They are going crazy over Hillary possibly winning through superdelegates because she is EVIL and conniving but they can't fathom St. Obama doing the same thing.

[AX10]

3. That fits the pattern.

1) Obama can do no wrong.
2) Hillary can do no right.
3) Everything bad that was said about Hillary is coming to life in Obama.

[John Q. Citizen]

9. Oh I can fathom it. But my guess is the super delegates are going to want to keep their jobs. I

expect that a lot will look at the turnouts Obama has been creating and see the writing on the wall. Especially if he's leading in elected delegates I fully expect a movement to Obama.

Newt Gingrich took over Congress (and the Senate flipped as well) back in 1994 with an identical voter turn out as the Republicans got in 1990 (the last non-Presidential GE) The Dem vote declined from 1990-1994. The Clintons were partially responsible for this. Bill had pushed through NAFTA and Hill had failed, miserably, with her bulky, overly complicated, expensive and wasteful crafted-in-secret with community-groups and unions shut out and insurance Co. insiders cut in health care bill.

Is it any wonder people weren't all that excited to turn out and vote?

If I were a Dem Congressperson or a Senator, I'd think twice before returning to the mid-ninties. Same for state officials. They didn't fare well at all under the Clinton years in a whole lot of places.

[joshcryer]

21. Yes, of course, but Obama is now backtracking on his pledged delegates position!

This is utterly ridiciulous!

[John Q. Citizen]

29. It doesn't matter what his position is or what Hillary's is. Their positions are assumed to

favor their own campaigns. It's whether others buy their positions that really matter. After all, the super delegates can pretty much do what they want. Obama wants them to vote for him. Is that ridicules?

You know that if Florida did a do over and Obama won Hill would be trying to throw it out and Obama would try to count it.

If MI had gone to Obama he'd be trying to count that and not Florida, and Hill would try to count FL and not MI.

It's to be expected.

Obama supporters will look at it just like Hill supporters look at Florida. It won't shock many.

[BlackVelvet04]

12. No, they'll do the W.O.R.M. game. n/t

[rodeodance]

34. What Obama Really Meant---stay tuned-get your popcorn

[populistdriven]

18. This fits a Pattern - HRC supporters would pick apart minutia rather than talk about the issues

If they are contradictions I don't care - I wouldn't care if HRC did same.

[joshcryer]

22. This is a huge issue in such a close race.

If you cannot be consistant, then you have issues.

[IndieLeft]

37. You need to stop with that word. Really.

[UALRBSofL]

2. Well, as you can see he is posturing to win

By changing his mind about the superdelegates. Thanks for posting. :)

[KennedyGuy]

5. Of course they will ignore it..

they are all over in the "superdelegates better not vote" threads, unaware that their own candidate is saying a different thing now...
very amusing...

[Saturday]

4. He's on which ever side will get him the most delegates.

It's saying what you have to to win at any cost.

[anamandujano]

6. Would it be dirty politics to put together an ad on this?

He and his followers are poised to start trouble no matter how he loses.

[rodeodance]

38. oh-----i think they are very much so.

[JackORoses]

7. It's not about States, it's about home districts

Superdelegates should go the way of the people who elected them.

Hillary didn't win everywhere in NY and CA, or she would have all the Delegates from those states.

[Yael]

8. Both sides are making their case to the SDs (and JRE). Its a concept called "politics"

[anamandujano]

11. except that Obama won't take a position until after the votes come in

[BlackVelvet04]

13. LOL..... n/t

[rodeodance]

32. BINGO

[ElsewheresDaughter]

10. he has a lot to learn yet

[tandem5]

14. reminds me of the 2000 election with regards to the popular vote...

republicans were making a big stink about how bush was going to win the popular vote, and, was the electoral college antiquated?... but then when gore won the popular vote oh how the tune changed!

[SOS]

15. Backtracking on superdelegates? Sounds familiar

"you now hear Clinton operatives talk ever more brazenly about trying to reverse party rulings so that they can hijack 366 ghost delegates from Florida and the other rogue primary, Michigan, where Mr. Obama wasn’t even on the ballot.
So much for Mrs. Clinton’s assurance on New Hampshire Public Radio last fall that it didn’t matter if she alone kept her name on the Michigan ballot because the vote “is not going to count for anything.”" - From Frank Rich in today's NYT.

Last fall Clinton said the FL and MI vote "is not going to count for anything", now she "want(s) their voices heard".

[ElsewheresDaughter]

25. "crawdaddying"....god I miss molly

[Blue State Bandit]

16. Super "D"'s up for election may want to choose wisely...

who's coat tails they want to be riding in the general election.

Do the math. What good would a Kennedy endorsement of Clinton do for some senator who's going to be missing votes because they just stayed home because they voted in the face of the popular vote or the committed delegate count. Or that junior Congressman from Nebraska that can't find volunteers cause they all lost hope and stayed home.

All of those Red States that many Hill supporters say that we will never win in the first place have congressional, and local races tied into the Presidential GE. The Obama campaign has been leaving behind infrastructure in those red states that will become valuable resources to congressional, state, and local democratic candidates in the future, if they are give HOPE that it is possible.

It's not just Hillary and Obama, and it's not just the White house that's up for grabs. And when Obama said that the Super "D"'s might want to think about how they choose to vote, this is the why.


By the way, this is how I ignore posts...

I read, and then I decide.

[MethuenProgressive]

17. "Obama would not commit to a position he had put forward previously" - as usual!!

There's a reason the Present button is YELLOW.

[ProSense]

19. Obama played the superdelegate issue perfectly

Obama played the superdelegate issue perfectly

[joshcryer]

20. NO, he backtracked and LIED. If Hillary has the pledged delegate majority, now he'll be AGAINST...

...them voting for her! FUCKING LIAR

POLITICAL OPPORTUNIST.

[ProSense]

23. "FUCKING LIAR"? Can't deal with reality, huh? n/t

[joshcryer]

27. Can't deal with his inconsisancy and lies.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

28. Are you really surprised at that? Where in his record has he ever shown courage OR conviction?

Never.

[rodeodance]

33. you did not play the schuster issue perfectly--you lied in you OP

[hill08]

24. he is just an opportunist flip-flopper on this

like he has always been

[Proud2BAmurkin]

26. Obama is for Obama. He doesn't give a shit about how it's done as long as it benefits Obama.

[rodeodance]

30. Obama will do anything to win---

[rodeodance]

31. REC

[rodeodance]

35. Obama was for it before he was against it

[IndieLeft]

36. He is realizing that he and the country are about to get screwed.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

If our candidate, whichever one that might be, is not the one who wins the pledged delegates. If the super delegates go against what the people decide, I am done with all of this. Because truly, if it isn't our decision, then what the fuck are we doing this for.

[bigtree]

39. complicated aint it?