Clinton: Pledged Delegates Are "Like Superdelegates"

Attywood:

One final note from the Daily News editorial board session with Sen. Hillary Clinton today: Near the end of the session, I had the chance to ask her what essentially was a two-part question, based on recent stories in the Politico and elsewhere that have crunched the pledged delegate and popular vote numbers and found the odds that she can pass Sen. Barack Obama are very slim. I tried to ask her 1) What she would do if Obama still has more delegates and votes when the primaries end in June and 2) What argument could she make to the unpledged superdelegates to give her the nomination if Obama does end up the choice of primary voters and caucus goers.

To be honest, I didn't feel she answered either question and she also made an odd statement that I hadn't heard before, insisting that pledged delegates are free to vote for any candidate, just like the superdelegates. She said, "We don't know what's going to happen between now and early June," and she went into a riff about the unfairness of the Michigan and Florida situation. Then she said:

I just don't think this is over yet, and I don't think that it is smart for us to take a position that might disadvantage us in November. And also remember that pledged delegates in most states are not pledged. You know, there is no requirement that anybody vote for anybody. They're just like superdelegates.

Read the whole story: Attywood

Comments

[indiethinker]

I urge any of Hillary Clinton's pledged delegates who are disgusted with her lies, her divisiveness & her megalomania to take her up on her offer & switch their votes to Barack Obama. She just gave you permission to do that, didn't she? The worst she could do is label you a Judas & Bill Richardson seems to have survived that...

[armadillious2002]

Good - that means that none of them have to vote for Bullit dodging Hillary.

[Grannysue]

Let's see how can they change the rules in her favor this time?

[HumeSkeptic]

What Hillary really means is that she should be allowed to cheat because she dodged bullets in Bosnia.

[foreffectivegovernment]

Remember Bill "Judas" Richardson when you read this article.

THE FACTS: The Democratic National Committee has no rules requiring pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses to vote for the candidates who won them. However, there are safeguards to help ensure that pledged delegates don't switch sides.

When people are selected in each state to serve as pledged delegates, they must be approved by the campaigns in advance. The campaigns, presumably, would only approve delegates they could trust to support them at the convention.

Obama leads the overall race for the nomination with 1,620 delegates. Clinton has 1,499, according to the latest tally by The Associated Press.

The breakdown:

Pledged delegates: Obama, 1,406; Clinton, 1,249.

Superdelegates: Obama, 214; Clinton, 250.

By Stephen Ohlemacher

Note the operative words "they could trust".

[foreffectivegovernment]

"she also made an odd statement that I hadn't heard before."

Why is a factual statement considered "odd" just because you didn't know it was true? Why are you and the MSM and Huffington Posters blaming Hillary Clinton for knowing more about the election process than a bunch of young, college educated, first time voters who know less about the political process than an experienced political candidate and their parents do. I only suggest that all of you at least take time to learn the rules of a game before you enter the game and try to change to "Obama Rules". Why was it against the Obama Rules for John Lewis to support Hillary Clinton but not against the rules for John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, and Bill Richardson to support Obama for the same reasons. Besides, there are many voters who are having "buyer's remorse' and want their vote for Obama back and the only way is for the so called "pledged delegates" to switch.

[HumeSkeptic]

than a bunch of young, college educated, first time voters
-----
LOL. You make it sound as if being college educated is a bad thing. Try it if you get a chance. But, first, focus on finishing Middle School.

[2Nurselady]

This is very good to know because I have talked with so many people here in California and family and friends in Nevada and Texas who have so regretted voting for Barack Obama after learning about his church and his minister's racist and anti-American rants from the pulpit. They have been so upset, wishing they had voted for Hillary Clinton. I will be making some phone calls right now. I told them they should have voted for Hillary and now they will know they still can. One of my sisters is a pledged delegate as are a couple of her friends. She has been regretting her choice for Obama. Now, she can talk with the others and come up with a plan for the convention.

GO HILLARY!!!

[suekzoo]

Well, Hillary, I guess you just gave your pledged delegates permission to change their mind and go for Obama! Thanks!

[ThreeLittleFishes]

What we see from both the Clinton campaign and the McCain campaign is the result of the failure of our political system to advance to the highest levels of power those who are dedicated to improving the American experience. Both McCain and Clinton are egon-centric megalomaniacs who seek nothing more than power for power’s sake.

It appears as though there might be other agendas involved in the current presidential race. Clear, it is, that Clinton and McCain differ not in their approach to the international situation, particularly the Middle East. This is not surprising considering that Bush, the interests whom McCain represents, protected the Clinton’s in some of Bush's earliest acts as President by closing dozens of investigations of President Clinton. It appears that Hillary is now attempting to sabotage the Democrats chances of getting into the White House as, perhaps, some sort of ongoing reciprocity with the Bushes? Why else would Hillary not be stepping down.

The one silver lining in all this is that Senator Obama, who is not beholding to the internationalists, will divulge the myriad of criminal enterprises spawned under Bush 43. Hopefully, the good Senator will expose some of the issues that surrounded President Clinton, which Bush 43 kept from the public.

[BrooklynLager]

Hillary Clinton is presenting me with another "liar or fool" dilemna? Which is worse, that she doesn't know that she's wrong, or that she does, but wants people to think she doesn't?

[GBecker]

Either way, it's lose-lose for us if she gets to run the WH!

[BrooklynLager]

No chance of that - half her votes are limbaughs.

[kellygrrrl]

you're exactly right, Brooklyn. As to this issue and others, including her vote for the War, I would rather she admit she made a mistake, apologize and move forward. It is that exact feeling so many of us have, that gnawing in our stomach, something just doesn't add up ... that is the real turn-off.

[ProudLiberalDan]

The Superdelegates should vote for the NATIONAL popular vote winner. The Presidency is our only nationally elected official and we should nominate and elect that person directly via popular vote. The whole "delegate" system is a silly intraparty version of the antiquated, undemocratic and immoral Electoral College. We shouldn't be empowering delegates and electors. In the 21st Century we should be empowering voters and citizens. That person is likely to be Obama. Fair enough. Neither Clinton nor Obama were my first, second or third choice this year, but Obama is an acceptable nominee and is almost certainly the vote choice via popular vote. The superdelegates should be asked TODAY to either pledge their support or expressed how they will pledge their vote after the primary season is over. Empower voters and citizens, not "electors" and delegates.

[kellygrrrl]

so over her

[verlaine]

Hillary is a dirty, rotten, snarling, vindictive, venomous, swinish, thug

[vsign]

Where we are all equal as Americans - despite our differences - is in the voting booth. Our vote is sacred. I think she was in tune with how we feel now - with paying for Iraqies to vote, after 8 years of Bush, feeling our patriotism for this country after 9/11 - we really want to vote this year.

I live in a western caucus state. I felt it was Obama supporters who acted so aggressive in my caucus that a foreign army had invaded and I had only one choice. Caucuses are a terrible way to exercise one's vote. Very undemocratic really. A voting booth please.

Now if I lived in Florida or Michigan - I would be angry about the way my vote was being treated too. I don't care what the rules were - my vote is more important. If my party would continue to refuse that to me - it would devalue my vote enough that I would protest in some way.

Obama needs to be held accountable. Either he honors the American vote or not. It really is a matter of patriotism. This would be a way for him to redeem himself with American voters. Trust the process of voting Obama. Leave your future up to us. This is our time. My vote needs to be treated as a patriotic sacrament.

Think about the opportunity Obama is passing up. This year - Americans don't care too much about race - we care about voting.

[SeekerOne]

Carville's comments about Richardson reveal that the Clinton camp is setting this up as a civil war. It was a warning shot to superdelegates who might be thinking about supporting Obama; telling them that they can expect public derision,and private ostracism, from the Clintons and their cronies.

They've got to end it now.

[verlaine]

Hillary is a lying sack of manure who has poisoned the body and soul of the Democratic Party. The DNC needs an enema to flush Hillary out and cleanse the Democratic Party