Obama Camp: "now just 49 delegates away" from clinching the nomination

[sabra]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/05/27/2008-05-27_hillary_clinton_still_sprinting_as_barac.html

<snip>

Obama's aides said Monday the freshman senator is "now just 49 delegates away" from clinching the nomination and making history as the first African-American Democratic nominee for President.

"We're very close now," David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist, told the Daily News. "When the primaries end, I think, we'll be where we need to be. ... We'll be at the number we need to claim the nomination."

[Kittycat]

1. K&R

[papau]

14. Don't tell amyone but they can change their mind at anytime -indeed O has "stolen" pledged from "H"

[MercutioATC]

16. It's funny that Clinton brought that up, but Obama benefited from it.

Clinton made it clear that she was going after pledged delegates, but she lost one to Obama.

[Kittycat]

27. Obama didn't 'steal' anything

They decided on their own that supporting Hillary is supporting a failed candidacy. She can't manage her campaign, there is no way she could manage the country.

[Hugabear]

2. Don't expect Hillary to drop out even then

As we all know, delegates are not bound by anything. I fully expect her to take this all the way to the convention, trying to convince delegates to switch over to her based on her "electability".

[mkultra]

3. hillary will be running even afetr the GE is over

[stratomagi]

7. Only because she might be run out of town at that point. nt

[SoFlaJet]

19. I already heard this morning on MSNBC

that they will "most surely" challenge any ruling by the rules committee on Saturday

[DemVet]

4. The Nomination isn't clinched...

...until after a candidate has the VOTES of the delegates...at the Convention.

On to August!

[Mike L]

9. Correct. Can't count superdelegates until they vote.

PLEDGED: Obama 1,647, Clinton 1,502

A long way from 2025.

[Hugabear]

10. I have never seen a more DESPERATE candidate

I was being somewhat sarcastic with my above response, but you folks honestly don't give a shit if you tear the party apart in order to get Queen Hillary her nomination.

If Hillary insists on taking this to the convention even after Obama wraps up enough delegates, then her career will be over. She'll be a pariah, good luck even winning back her Senate seat!

[Mike L]

11. I think she'll quit after the last primary. And with her will go our chance to win the GE. em

[SoonerPride]

12. Hillary can't even beat a black Muslim with a crazy preacher.

She is the most unelectable candidate in America.

[Mike L]

20. The far left and unified African American voting block sank her in the Dem Primary.

The general election would be an entirely different matter. She would win.

That's also why Obama will lose in the GE. No far left candidate has ever been elected President.

[Hugabear]

22. "Far Left"

Exactly which of his positions makes him "far left"? And why is that a bad thing?

[SoonerPride]

23. You are dreaming. Clinton had the majority of AA support until she imploded.

She ran a status quo campaign in a change year.

She lost because she was inept.

Period.

She has shown an inability to manage a large organization. Her GE campaign would also be a disater.

She's just not a good candidate. She's only done as well as she has because of her last name.

[unblock]

25. aside from the iraq war, obama and clinton are extremely close, policy-wise

there'a a world of difference between either of them and mccain, on what basis is obama "far left" while clinton is something dramatically different?

we're not talking kucinich, here....

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

13. Yup.

Go Ron Paul! RAWN PAAAAAAAAAHHL!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

17. Same goes for your guy McCain.

"Why can't he close the deal!?!"

[Hugabear]

24. Wonder if Huckabee and Romney ever regret dropping out of the race?

Or perhaps, even as repugs, they have more dignity than Hillary?

[cali]

18. Not technically but in real world politics, the candidate who reaches

the number required for the nomination, becomes the presumptive nominee. The party acknowledges him/her as such. He/she essentially takes over the party apparatus. He/she chooses a running mate. And that person will be Obama in a few short days.

[Marie26]

5. I hope they clinch it

This coming from a Clinton supporter - this endless limbo is just exhausting for everyone.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. "Several dozen" superdelegates will end their silence - June 3

The Democratic primary war will end within days of next week's final primary votes when "several dozen" superdelegates will end their silence and endorse Sen. Barack Obama, ABC's chief political correspondent George Stephanopolous reported today

When asked by "Good Morning America" what the chances are of Sen. Hillary Clinton continuing her fight for the nomination into the Democrats' August convention, Stephanopolous replied, "Zero."

"There's so many superdelegates out there who agreed with what Jimmy Carter said," Stephanopolous said. Former President Carter said last week that once the voting was over he felt that "at that point it will be time for her to give it up."

"Once these contests are done, you'll see several dozen superdelegates go his way following June 3," Stephanopolous said.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Vote2008/story?id=4936545&page=1

[Ichingcarpenter]

26. The Atlantic is now saying 3 Dozen supers on June 3 or 4th for Obama

Obama Campaign Banks Superdelegates

27 May 2008 09:08 am

In June of 1984, the day after California handed Gary Hart a last-minute victory and New Jersey, thanks to Hart's having insulted the state, voted for Walter Mondale by 15 points, Tad Devine, Mondale's chief superdelegate counter, was ready. Worried that Mondale would not meet his pledge to end the primary season with a majority of delegates, Devine and his team made a "frantic" series of phone calls to undeclared party leaders; by noon, a few dozen superdelegates endorsed Mondale en masse, taking the wind of out Hart's campaign forever.

Neither the Clinton nor the Obama campaign is clear what the DNC's rules and bylaws committee will do on May 31; depending upon how or whether they re-allocate delegates, Obama could wind up within to 20 to 30 votes of the nomination -- a situation rectifiable by a piddling performance in Puerto RIco, South Dakota and Montana -- or more than 100 delegates short, requiring solid performances in those states plus a few dozen superdelegate endorsements to put him over the top.

To prepare for that eventuality, the Obama campaign has, for the first time, really, begun to bank delegates. Sources close to the campaign estimate that as many as three dozen Democratic superdelegates have privately pledged to announce their support for Obama on June 4 or 5. The campaign is determined that Obama not end the first week in June without securing the support of delegates numbering 2026 -- or 2210, as the case may be.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/obama_campaign_banks_superdele.php'

[Perry Logan]

8. Too bad it's a much smaller Democratic Party than we thought it was going to be.

[gristy]

21. There's only room for one nominee, pal.

As far as supporters for the Dem nominee, that's their choice. I have a feeling that to make room for you we'd have to kick millions to the curb.

[havocmom]

15. I am ashamed to say I do not know the fromula for delegate assignment for MT

Anybody? How many delegates (we don't have a lot, but Bill seems to think they are important enough to drop in again and wag the finger recently) to percentage of vote?

Hillary will stumble here too. And it will be laid on the alter of sexism, even though MT sent the first woman to US Congress and has a long history of acknowledging the fact that the place would not have amounted to much without the women who worked alongside the men.