Hillary Clinton: Pledged Delegates Can Switch Candidates

In an interview with Newsweek, Hillary Clinton raised the specter of pledged delegates, nominated by voters, switching their votes at the Democratic Convention.

How can you win the nomination when the math looks so bleak for you?

It doesn't look bleak at all. I have a very close race with Senator Obama. There are elected delegates, caucus delegates and superdelegates, all for different reasons, and they're all equal in their ability to cast their vote for whomever they choose. Even elected and caucus delegates are not required to stay with whomever they are pledged to. This is a very carefully constructed process that goes back years, and we're going to follow the process.

It was only a few weeks ago that the Clinton camp was accused of seeking the vote of pledged delegates. A Politico article in mid February suggested the camp was thinking about the strategy down as the convention drew closer:

"I swear it is not happening now, but as we get closer to the convention, if it is a stalemate, everybody will be going after everybody's delegates," a senior Clinton official told me Monday afternoon. "All the rules will be going out the window."

That article prompted the unequivocal response from the campaign:

We have not, are not and will not pursue the pledged delegates of Barack Obama. It's now time for the Obama campaign to be clear about their intentions.

UPDATE: Ben Smith is reporting that the Clinton's statements do not represent a change in stance on pledged delegates, according to a campaign aide.

Comments

[Denni]

What I will say for her is that she amazes me. No one knows how to get low like the Clintons. Just when you think they can't sink any lower, they exceed your expectations. It's so GOOD that we have Hillary to show us why women bring something 'new' to the leadership table and why men have been the problem all these years

[Bushgirlsgonewild]

.

Hillary, that was probably the last thing you should have let the pledged ones know.

.

[DennyCrane]

With each passing day, I despise this woman more and more. What I still don't understand is why so many people still support her. If Obama were out there saying that Clinton wasn't qualified to be President, that McCain would make a better President, talking about her past drug use, implying she was a terrorist, and threatening to steal her votes, there would be an uproar. I have no respect for people supporting Hillary Clinton. If you support her, then you condone her tactics. Maybe this sort of thing is just politics as usual. But that's why so many of us support Obama. Cause we're tired of this. If Hillary somehow won all the remaining delegates, I still wouldn't vote for her. Not after all that she's said and done.

[EvoMan]

This is just rich:

http://www.americablog.com/2008/03/terry-mcauliffe-sang-different-tune.html

[klondiker]

Wow, she has quite the nerve.

All I can say is that this is EXACTLY the person you need up against the Republicans. We tried "nice" a couple of times with Gore and Kerry, and it didn't work.

McCain is going to be advised by Rove. We need someone who is going to out-Rove Rove. And Hillary is that person.

[joeythetrollslayer]

Pledged delegates can switch sides. The Clintons said, you can do whatever it takes to get elected. If it takes climbing over the corpse of the late Democratic party, so be it. If it takes riots in the street, fine. If it takes switching parties, a la Lieberman, great. If it disenfranchises the blacks for another generation, let me find a few alligator tears for you. Hillary and Co. are the democratic mafia. Guess what, I think they're making more and more enemies at the top. I have a suspicion if Obama can fight off "the Monster", even on a trial run, he'll have proved himself-(his greatest weakness was not being a fighter), and the Clintons will get whacked, politically speaking. The DNC will end this thing-no revotes in Florida (is that a joke, FL revotes?)

[resonate]

Shes doing it only because she looses the caucus votes easy. When people actually have to talk and debate with each other about the candidates she looses.

Watch videos of Obama on the issues:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=900C5EDCAF3C292A

[useyourbrain]

Change the rules. If you are a member of the DNC then demand that they get rid of all caucuses for 2012 since they are undemocratic and have four regional super Tuesdays in March of 2012 and save a lot of us the years of 24/7 news coverage. Set the date of announcing for November 2011 and no campaigning or fund raising until then. Let the DNC raise money for the general election, Senators and Congressmen. Change the rules now and if you don't want super delegates, get rid of them and if you want pledged delegates who HAVE to vote for the winner of the primary, then change the rules.

As it is now, any delegate can vote for whomever they please. Dems the rules. Change the rules. Change the Dems.

[Davidb36]

There is no buy one get one free in this election. I just can't understand how so many people, who cried for years about the way in which Bush won the job, can now be supporting Hillary Clinton. Somehow people are actually saying that it is ok to be undemocratic as long as I am the one who wins. Screw that. Hillary cannot spin her way to power. Also, as a Florida resident I say there should also be no re-vote what so ever!!! Law, not force, is the basis of government. A government without law will be tyrannical. Democracy is government by laws which are arrived at after long deliberation by properly chosen representatives of the people. The "laws" regarding this election were set before it began and were agreed upon by all candidates. If Mrs. Clinton did not like the rules before she began she should have said so. I wish I could get out of a ticket by having the speed limit changed...boy that would make things easier.

[lvdragonlady]

Has there been an update on the NH recount for the Dem. primary?
Have we heard anything about the bourghs in NYC and the votes that were never counted?

Where are the updates to these issues??

[Independent voter]

I can't believe that this sleazebag has sunk to such new lows.

hillary clinton is not a Democrat. hillary clinton will never be my president.

hillary < Nixon
hillary < Bush
hillary < Cheney

FY HRC

[CheshireCat2]

Should I add you to the list of those of us that are moving out of the country once she does become President?

[Colonial82]

Don't have to since she will NEVER become president

[Independent voter]

Bora Bora looks nice!

[Denni]

Add me to the list who will be fighting for McCain if she gets on that ticket, top or bottom. Sometimes the Dems have to learn the hard way that not everyone will sit back and take the crap.

[JoeBeets]

Don't let the customs door hit you on the way out. If you didn't move out during 8 years of Bush, why would you move if Hillary gets elected??

[americandiaspora]

i already left because the i knew one the house of bush is no longer reigning then the house of clinton will do all it can to run the show

remember eversince florida 2000 (that turned out as the clintons hoped) happened, i would not be suprised if the democratic convention went her way

so all of you who are conemplating in joining the diaspora....tidy up your resumes since there are a lot of good jobs here, sell all you own on e-bay and pack now

[MPeter]

By this statement, Hillary thinks Obama delegates will be leaving him for her. Now let's see how she will react when those pledged to her begin to defect to the Obama Camp. After she loses Nississippi and she stambles in PA, she will start squealing.

[thebirdstheword]

Hillary is morphing into Katherine Harris as we speak.

[DMHendrix]

totally ruthless! works both ways Hill...people that voted for you could be looking at themselves right now asking "what the hell was I thinking?" Careful what you put out there!!

[lissielu]

Clinton is really not trustworthy as a person and as a candidate. If she ever had to answer the red phone
we are doomed-she is runs hot and cold at the same time.

[billflannigan]

Fellow Obama Supporters,

Let's all agree that we are all working toward a goal that Obama be our next president. The superdelegates are being pressured to switch, and I fear that with the right combination of events, that they will switch and Obama will be pressured to take the VP slot or look like a spoiler. Crazy scenario? Look at the evidence and read what the Clinton machine is putting out there. My point is simple- the Clinton's will say or do anything to get elected. They have proved it time and again- we are all clear about this. Also, let me say I voted for Bill twice, and would have supported HRC if she won the nomination fair and square- not my first, second or even third choice, but I would have supported her. And come Nov., I may very reluctantly support her against McBush, but I may also just sit out the election, so angry and disgusted am I with HRC's tactics and arrogance (suggesting he might be VP even when she is running 2nd? How much more arrogant can you get?!). Estimates of all Obama supporters show that around 20-25% will either sit out the election or even vote for McCain- so this petition is a real reflection on a real outcome if Clinton manages to steal this election.

And in my mind, the supers will be rejecting the votes of millions of people if they overturn Obama's lead in pledged delegates. So right now, I think we should let the leadership in the party and esp. the supers know that there is a real danger to the party's chances of winning in in Nov., and more importantly, the future of the party, if they do not support the will of the people reflected in votes cast around the country. She cannot win without the superdelegates (although the link above shows the attitude of the Clinton machine- the rules do not matter to them) and we must begin now to let them know that we will not simply switch our affections and loyalty to HRC. Otherwise, why bother with all these primaries- why not just have superdelegates get together in January and vote to select the nominee? I've heard commentators and those defending this system say this is why the superdelegate system was created- so that these party elders could evaluate the candidates and select those who are most "electable" in the fall. Such an amorphous and ill-defined concept should not be the basis for selecting our nominee. And even if it is, why should Clinton, with all her name recognition, party resources and big-money support be more electable even after running such a terrible campaign? SImply because she won big states and a couple of important swing states? Obama will expand the party and will put Dean's 50 state strategy into play- HRC will continue the politics of red/blue state division, so even if elected, she may (as did Bill) end up hurting the party by losing congressional seats or state seats around the country. Obama, I strongly believe, is the only candidate who can build a solid majority to pass the legislation needed to change our country, and in doing so, change the world.

They (the Clintons) have laid out their strategy and you can see it clearly. Win PA, get re-votes in FL and MI- win those three (they hope) and then go into the convention and say hey, we won the big, "important" states, and we have more popular votes (not now, but very possible if MI and FL are counted and Obama loses both- right now the difference not counting MI and FL is Obama leading by about 650,000 votes). Then will come the pressure on the supers to switch, along with quietly brokered deal that if they switch to HRC, she will pick him as VP. Everyone wins- except with this ticket, we all lose. God only knows what kinds of deals the Clintons are secretly offering superdelegates for their support. Again, I don't think HRC can beat McCain- she might, but her negatives are so high, and there is such antipathy among Republicans with regard to the prospect of the Clintons back in the White House (for whatever reason- however irrational or real, it is there) that she will energize and mobilize many, many more Republicans than would an Obama candidacy- so I think it must be stressed that Obama is more electable.

Obviously, the way to stop this is to do in PA what we thought we might do in OH and TX- winning PA will end HRC's chances. It looks daunting right now, but so did Iowa. He has time, but HRC will keep going back to the negative attacks and will try to dominate the debate and the news cycle. The idea that Obama can simply ignore her negative attacks is not possible- the MSM will continue to focus on the sensational, the question will be put to him at every event- How do you respond to HRC's latest attack Sen. Obama? She says X- why don't you respond? It must be that she is right and you can't respond. So he has to hit back, but only on the issues. His surrogates and supporters have to respond as well, and if that means raising honest questions about her "experience" or her lack of transparency (tax records, Clinton papers, etc), then so be it- even if it gets ugly. Pushing a petition that says I won't vote for HRC in Nov. if she wins the nomination is just one more way to convince the superdelegates that she is not the more "electable" candidate. We can't wait until the convention to let them know just how angry and motivated we, or at least 25% of us, will be if they support HRC over the will of the people- (and not just the people in a handful of big states, states Dems are likely to win anyway no matter who the nominee is).

Kerry was swiftboated by the radical right- he should have fought back, hard, immediately. That is really what this petition is about- let them know now that not only will they lose significant support if they choose HRC over a delegate leading Obama, but many of us will be so angry and disaffected by this type of politics that we will actively support a movement to replace a superdelegate who casts their vote for HRC over Obama. I think this will also lead, I hope, to a complete reform of the selection process, including an end to the superdelegate system. If superdelegates know that this will be a campaign issue, then they will think twice about their own political future and how it will look to their constituents if they supported HRC over a delegate leading Obama. Let them think about how they will defend their vote for her, esp. if she loses in Nov. Let them think about all the African American and young voters who have come into the party, many for the first time, and let them consider how they will explain to these new democrats, or newly revitalized democrats, why they should continue to support a party that disregards their votes. Let the superdelegates think about all these factors, but let them begin seriously thinking about all these things now, not in August. A petition like this at this time is a shot across the bow and I urge anyone who agrees with me to sign up.

Respectfully,

Bill

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?obama725&1

[NewGenXer]

Gov Spitzer may have his slot open in New York as Governor. Hillary go back and fill it. He has been with a prostitution ring. Now will Hillary go back to New York? Leave us alone. We want Change for our President.

[NewGenXer]

WE WANT CHANGE! A Clinton in a pantsuit is not change.