Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Superdelegates put win within Obama's reach

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

Associated Press

Latest comment posted at 7:07 PM EST 12/05/08

The math looks good for Illinois senator, even if he loses half of the remaining six contests ...Read the full article

This conversation is closed

  1. Ghengis Khan from Canada writes: How do you get 1/2 a delegate?
    The US system is so goofy....
  2. Kathleen Degelder from Tacomawashington, Canada writes: Ghengis Khan: You are right. I don't get it either .5 delegate (1/2)
  3. D M from Canada writes: Certain out of country delegates get 0.5 of a vote.
  4. A Better Canada from no-quebec, Canada writes: Very simple for getting half a delegate.. It goes according to the number of votes in each district, and each section has a % of the total number for the States, according to the importance received in the previous election. In addition, to simplify the process, the caucus is getting a different value of votes. Anyhow, just waiting to see the new rules of the Clinton camp, after June 3....Clinton team agreed with the process, last year...thinking this will be to their advantage...now, they do not like the score, and find ways to add a fifth quarter or a tenth inning or a third period of 25 minutes...
  5. Andrew Chong from Toronto, Canada writes: The bylaws committee cannot simply seat the Michigan and Florida delegates, or they will lose all credibility, and control of the next set of primaries. The most they could yield is go for the 1/2-delegate: give those delegates only a 1/2 vote each, so those states still have representation, but are also still penalized for breaking the rules.
  6. M OLD from Calgary, Canada writes: DM is correct-the 0.5 delegates are for out of country delegates (e.g. Guam, Democrats Abroad, etc)
  7. C C from Canada writes: Florida is one thing, but Michigan? You just can't seat the Michigan delegates, not as the vote went down anyway. Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot. In fact, Clinton was the only real candidate on the ballot. In Michigan, your choices were Clinton, Kucinich, Gravel and Dodd (and Dodd had already dropped out by that point). Say what you will about Florida (where none of the candidates campaigned) at least in Florida their names were all on the ballot. You can't possibly give Clinton her share of delegates according to a vote in Michigan in which Obama wasn't even an option (and nor was John Edwards for that matter).

    There's just no way.

    And the problem for Mrs. Clinton is that at this point, even if you accept the Florida vote as tallied (despite that fact that there was no campaign in the state) she'll almost certainly STILL lose, even with Florida.

    So, her only hope is to have the votes in BOTH states counted. One state where the candidates all agreed not to campaign, and one state where most of her rivals weren't even written on the ballot.

    Again, there's just no way.
  8. A J from Calgary, Canada writes: C C from Canada writes:.....And the problem for Mrs. Clinton is that at this point, even if you accept the Florida vote as tallied (despite that fact that there was no campaign in the state) she'll almost certainly STILL lose, even with Florida.

    ***

    I agree with this.

    Even if the DNC seats the delegates exactly the way Clinton has asked them to--the whole enchilada of full votes for everyone, matching the results in Florida, and giving Obama zero delegates in Michigan while recognizing her delegates there--Clinton would still be trailing in pledged delegates. And she would be far enough behind that she couldn't catch up by the time the remaining six primaries are wrapped up.

    I'm not sure how the Clinton campaign would make the pitch to the super-delegates at that point, since she would still not be the candidate with the majority of pledged delegates. But she'll think of something.

    And Clinton won't be able to convince the DNC committees to rule the way she wants to. The DNC has to be able to control the primary calendar, and they can't if they cave in on the violations by these two states. There has to be some penalty.
  9. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: Sometimes delegates from states are split in half to accommodate "too many" people who want to be delegates.

    If you have an "excessive" number of Big Shots, or children of same, or whoever who is "just counting on being a delegate," you can accommodate them all by splitting a delegate VOTE . . . in half.
  10. bruce weaver from Canada writes: These super delegates are like sheep being lead by the media. Obama cannot and will not win. The Democrats must win Florida and Ohio. Obama can do neither. Democrats must win Tennessee and Arkansas. Obama can do neither. They must win West Virginia. He has no chance. Special interest groups will make mincemeat out of Obama and his wife.
  11. Syed Abbas from Toronto, Canada writes:

    Ghengis Khan: Greetings

    " ... How do you get 1/2 a delegate? ..."

    Before the ballor you disable either his right brain or left, depending upon how you want him to vote.
  12. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: She can still win, but she needs to play the Gender-Victim Card as often as she can.

    There are lots of submissive men who will respond to this approach, but lately she's pulled back using it; odd.
  13. Peter Simpson from Vancouver, Canada writes: Someone just make it end......
  14. Maria Stewart from Victoria, Canada writes: I believe it's appropriate to refer to Senator Clinton as Mrs. Clinton, since she's married to Mr. Clinton.
  15. Chuck the Canuk from the east, Canada writes: You can try to justify it all you want, but the US system to pick a leader is silly, expensive, time consuming, and it hogs all the news every day. With all the dumb rules about superdelegates and the Florida and Illinois debacle, it's a wonder they can even pick a leader. McCain must be laffin his butt off every day at the way these 2 are dividing and destroying the Democrats. And, Maria Stewart, who really cares if people call her Mrs or Senator? Geesh is that all people have to worry about with the way the world is going?
  16. Beatriz Perez-Sanchez from Toronto, Canada writes: Although she will win the consolation prizes of West Virginia, Kentucky and probably Puerto Rico as well, the one thing that Mrs. Clinton won't win is Miss Congeniality. She has proven to be a petulant spoiled brat who wants to change the rules whenever they don't suit her. Take your skipping rope and go home, Hillary. You lost the game. Get over it!
  17. bob london from Canada writes: Hillary is like any boomer, will sell her parents, family and country to get what they are entitled to. BTW. They got the 1/2 delegate from Democrats Abroad.

Comments are closed

Thanks for your interest in commenting on this article, however we are no longer accepting submissions. If you would like, you may send a letter to the editor.

Report an abusive comment to our editorial staff

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top