Bill Clinton: Under GOP Primary System, Hillary Would Be Winning

[IDemo]

April 21, 2008 4:42 PM

ABC News' Eloise Harper reports: Former President Bill Clinton, speaking to reporters after his wife’s event in Pittsburgh, PA Monday, said that under the republican primary system –- his wife would be ahead by hundreds of delegates.

"I did not actually get the delegates necessary to have a first power of the nomination under the crazy system the democrats have," Clinton said. "If we were under the republican system which is more like the electoral college, she would have a 300 delegate lead ...It's an eternity 'til the general election, an eternity."

ABC News' Political Unit did some quick math and added up all the pledged delegate counts for the winner-take-all Democratic contest. As of the most recent count on the eve of the Pennsylvania state primary, Senator Hillary Clinton has won 15 state contests and was awarded 1430 delegates, not including unpledged (a.k.a. "superdelegates"). Barack Obama has won 29, and has 1257 delegates.

According to ABC's math -- Clinton would hold more like a 173 delegate-lead if her and Obama were competing in the Republican primary system given the GOP system doesn't have superdelegates. President Clinton was correct, but overestimated what his wife's lead would be by about half.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/bill-clinton-un.html

[anonymous171]

1. Thinking of switching parties Bill?

[Pirate Smile]

2. The Clintons do seem confused about what party they are actually running in.

[roseBudd]

3. tough toenails

[PoliticalAmazon]

67. Yeah, and on the Moon Hillary would way 40 pounds less. Does Bill have a point? n/t

[meow mix]

4. rofl yes, we MUST change to republican rules.

its for the good of america
:eyes:

[Why Syzygy]

5. Is that why the Clintons are campaigning like crybaby republicans?

[DJ13]

6. Bitter whiner Bill

[beachmom]

7. Ah, more Calvinball from Clinton. nt

[City Lights]

8. NO WHINING, BILL!

You freaking hypocrite!

:puke:

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Bill Clinton honored 'The United Daughters of the Confederacy' in 94

[redqueen]

10. But... she's telling us to fear... Obama is telling us to THINK and HOPE.

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. I absolutely love that pic! Who's "whining" now? nt

[cbayer]

12. I see what is going to happen here

There is going to be a pile on with all kinds of accusations about the Clintons being Republicans and crybabies, etc., ect.

But I wish to point out that there has been post after post after post about how screwed up the Democratic primary process is and how it needs to change dramatically. Just because we don't like Republicans and their platform does not mean that their primary system may not be better than ours.

Looking at how it would be different if we were using that system is an interesting exercise. Nothing more.

Now proceed with your .....oh, never mind.

[anonymous171]

14. I have to admit, your post made me laugh.

Especially since you were right about the pile on.

[cbayer]

30. I am glad it made you laugh.

I was writing it when there was only one response. By the time I posted it, well you saw what happened. It's gotten way too predictable in here.

I am having friends over for dinner and enjoy some light hearted conversation in a bit. Maybe stay away tomorrow.

thanks for the kind response. :hi:

[Hippo_Tron]

24. Winner-take-all primaries are incredibly undemocratic

Our primary system sucks, but the Republican one is far worse.

[cbayer]

36. I am not advocating for that.

I don't have the solution and things are what they are at this point. It would be nice to have some uniformity in the democratic system though.

[redqueen]

25. So people here were advocating that we go back to 'winner take all'?

:shrug:

[cbayer]

40. Didn't say that

and IMO, he didn't either. Just an exercise in the theoretical.

[redqueen]

42. Well theory falls apart in practice many times...

which is what just happened here.

Cause while you're right that we've all pointed out ways in which the primary system should be improved, I don't know that anyone would advocate to returning to winner-take-all. Which is what ole Bill is whining about in the piece linked above... so... :shrug:

[CakeGrrl]

45. If it were merely an "interesting exercise", I doubt Bill would find any advantage in saying it.

He's appealing to that low information voter about how unfair this process has been to Hillary (since she's on the losing side of it), and doesn't that just make them all want to go out and fight the power and vote for her?

:eyes:

[cbayer]

53. Yes, he is campaigning for his wife.

Shame on him.

[motorcity]

47. Personallly, I think the D primaries are much better than the R primaries

I think primaries and caucuses have their advantages and disadvantages. I don't see any benefit to winner-take-all.

Why is Bill complaining about this now? He had some experience with the rules of the D nomination, correct?

[cbayer]

57. I didn't hear a complaint, just an observation.

But then again, I'm not looking for weapons every time one of the candidates or their surrogates say something, so I often hear things very differently than many people around here.

[endarkenment]

63. I'll just stick with crybabies.

Bill needs a ride in the WAAAAMBULANCE

The rules are the rules. After the game is over we can all discuss what the rules ought to be for the next game.

[cbayer]

66. As the only one in this thread who had the audacity to not use the OP as a weapon

I find it interesting that I am getting so many responses. My prediction as to what would happen was totally correct.

[endarkenment]

68. Your prediction that Clinton whining about the rules

would be characterized as Clinton whining about the rules was spot on!

[SoCalDem]

13. If only she had switched sooner, eh Bill?

What a crock o shit, Bill has turned into..

I never voted for him, but I did feel sorry for the way the republicans piled on him..and I did grow to like the guy..but.. this takes the cake..

[Umbram]

15. Moving the goalposts was one thing - now they've switched endzones altogether!

This game is confusing!

[The_Counsel]

58. Yeah, They're Not Even In The Same SPORT Anymore, Much Less The Same Stadium. (n|t)

.

[Zachstar]

16. So praise the republicans and WHINE WHINE WHINE eh bill?

[Hugabear]

17. Yes, why can't we be more like the repukes?

The Clintons would just love that, donchya know?

[npincus]

18. and if GOP had proportional system, mayber Grandpa McCain wouldn't be their nominee

[ourbluenation]

19. and if I bought google stock several years ago I'd be rich, but I didn't...

so whats the point?

[WA98070]

20. Winner take all ... very democratic Bill.

[npincus]

21. dupe

[DearAbby]

22. Is that why Hillary is running a GOP type Campaign

Bill? If I wanted to vote for a Republican, I would vote for the real thing, not one who is pretending to be a Democrat.

[wileedog]

23. And without Superdelegates this would have been delcared over a month ago

Shut up Bill. You had no problem with the system when you were winning with it.

[redqueen]

28. That's exactly right.

:thumbsup:

[ej510]

33. It's true though but, Terry McAuliffe wrote the rules. I maybe wrong but didn't Bill appoint him

there.

[stillcool]

26. Well there you go...

the rules all parties, and the Democratic National Committee agreed to in March of 2007, should be changed RIGHT NOW!! to the Republican Style of Politics, so Hillary can win. Or isn't that what is happening? Can't wait till someone shakes out those numbers. I'm mathematically challenged, but not so much so that I don't know who has the most delegates and the most votes.

[npincus]

27. so he ADMITS she's losing.

[ecstatic]

29. My god. Bill knows the RW playbook front to back

He's awesome when it comes to undermining the accomplishments of others.

[newmajority]

31. Then let her fucking run in the GOP primary then

Certainly would be more compatible with the BushClinton agenda.

[Shae]

32. AFAIC

She's perfectly free to try and run against Obama in 2012 on the GOP ticket.

[IDemo]

41. I think she needs to run with Nader in 2012

Neither the Democratic nor Republican parties will want to go anywhere near her after this campaign is over.

[Shae]

52. Or this year, she could do the Independent thing

with Bob Barr. (Wouldn't that be hilarious)?

:evilgrin:

[burythehatchet]

34. THEN GO...GO over there. They need Hillary. And I need her there.

[Radical Activist]

35. Bill Clinton's opponents had the decency to drop out by this point.

Bill makes a good point that the primary was effectively over long before he had the delegates needed to win. Other Democrats dropped out when it was clear they weren't going to win. Why is there a new standard for Hillary against Obama?

[redqueen]

43. Good question. (nt)

[SomeGuyInEagan]

Oh Bill, Bill, Bill ...

Just shut up. Just shut up.

You disappointed me with your inability to work with a Democratic congress after taking office to reverse 12 years of Reagan-Bush; you disappointed me with your move to right-center as president on labor issues, "Don't ask, don't tell" and other issues for which *you* should have been fighting for us; you disappointed me with how you treated the people around you with the blowjob and your inability to assume responsibility for *your* actions.

About all I can say is that of all the presidents of my adult life (beginning with Reagan), you actually did *some* good for anybody in the middle and lower class, but you also wimped out on some very important issues.

Settle with the fact that you were the cream of a shoddy crop of presidents closing out the 20th century and SHUT UP!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

37. If Obama supporters were 3/5 a person, Clinton would be winning.

:shrug:

[Catherina]

39. Oh Bornaginhooligan, Bornaginhooligan

They've all but said that out loud.

[Poll_Blind]

!

:rofl:

That was precious!

PB

[Poll_Blind]

70. !

:rofl:

That was precious!

PB

[Catherina]

38. Oh for fuck's sake. Join the damn GOP and get it over with n/t

[LSK]

44. so why didnt they run in the GOP primary???

They are using all their tactics, they would be right at home.

[hfojvt]

46. Proportional representation is such a screwy system

How about if candidates were just awarded one delegate for every bigshot they have on their rolodex? Then how far would she be ahead Bill?

Some of us think the electoral college, which awarded the Presidency to the candidate who had fewer votes in 2000, is kinda screwy too.

How about if the candidates got ten delegates for every year of age, then Hillary would be ahead by 130 delegates and Obama could never catch up.

That's probably too obvious, but there's gotta be some other ways that people could be disenfranchised so that Hillary could have the lead. Let's think about this some more. Think, think, think.

[IDemo]

48. "there's gotta be some other ways that people could be disenfranchised"

I think I've found the solution:

[hfojvt]

54. Now THAT's American ingenuity!

Always coming up with new answers to old problems. It's just amazing that nobody ever thought of that before. It's like Occam's razor. It shaves off all that messy stubble caused by counting votes and stuff.

edit: I suppose SOME people think there should be an R in Ameican.

[JVS]

49. It seem odd to me that the GOP seems so attractive to Hill and Bill.

I wonder why that is? :headscratch:

[Larkspur]

50. The current primary system was designed for Hillary, not insurgents

Terry McAufille set the standard for the primary schedule before he left as chair of the DNC. The purpose of moving a lot of states up close to NH and IA was to favor the establishment candidates like Hillary Clinton, not insurgent candidates, like Obama. The schedule was not changed after Howard Dean took over the DNC, so the Clintons have only themselves to blame, not the system.

What a bunch of sore losers the Clintons are!

[Joe the Revelator]

51. If we used the system that I use in my mind, then I would have a two trillion delegate lead

[Occam Bandage]

55. Is that why she's campaigning like a Republican?

[AldebTX]

56. Last Time I Checked.....

We weren't competing under republican Rules. We were using Democratic Rules. If Bill and Hilary want to compete under republican rules perhaps she should of registered and run as a republican.

I get SO..... tired of this argument. If you think the repubs are the best and brightest at everything maybe you are in the wrong party.

I am in Texas. I spent 16 hours at a state caucus that was organized chaos....but you know what? I met some of the nicest , like minded people...for both Hillary and Obama and I wouldn't of given up that 16 hours for anything. (Note...the republicans in texas didn't caucus the only had the primary)

[Hamlette]

59. I would argue Obama would have run a different race if the rules were different

Hillary would also be wining if she was a different person. This game is stupid, especially since Obama was an outsider when the rules were made up and the Clintons were insiders. I don't feel sorry for them.

[Vinca]

60. As the previous poster noted, Obama would have run a completely

different campaign. He ran this one - brilliantly - based on the delegate system. Hillary was running the "big state" strategy, which would work if you were in the Republican race. The Obama and Clinton campaigns are exact opposites. His will go down in history as one of the best run, hers as one of the worst. How could we trust the woman to run an entire country if she can't run a decent campaign?

[Harry Monroe]

62. And you hit the nail on the head

She's been running her campaign like a Republican.

[Harry Monroe]

61. So let Hillary join the Republican Party!!

Good riddance. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Hill!!!

[TexasObserver]

64. Why don't Bill and Hill both defect to the GOP?! They're there, already.

I am so sick of those two, and so sorry I ever spoke favorably of them. His presidency was OK, but he has completely wrecked his legacy by whoring himself the past 7 years for the very people we most oppose. He's no longer a Democrat, and he's no longer a person I will speak favorably of, or defend even one more time.

He's proved to be a complete whore for special interests, a money grubber of the first order.

[BeyondGeography]

65. And if it were a Third World country, Bill would still have himself in the White House

and he wouldn't have had to deal with all this "her turn" stuff.

[Poll_Blind]

69. "under the crazy system the democrats have" Yeah, Bill, those CRAZY Democrats, eh? n/t

PB

[PatGund]

71. Answer to that is simple....

After the primaries, switch party to the GOP. Start to position Sen. Clinton early on as a GOP challenger to President Obama in 2012. Problem solved.

[frylock]

72. then why not make it official, fignuts?

glad i never voted for that guy.