Clinton's Convention Strategy In Doubt

Politico:

If the fight over whether to count the results in Florida and Michigan makes it to the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton will not have enough pledged votes on the 169-member Credentials Committee to deliver a majority decision in her favor, according to an analysis conducted for Politico.

Her only hope of getting the key committee to vote out a "majority report" supporting her position rests on her ability to persuade an as-yet-undetermined number of the 25 members appointed to the committee by party Chairman Howard Dean to cast votes for her position.

The DNC's Credentials Committee consists of 144 pledged members (Florida and Michigan are not included) plus the 25 party leaders and elected officials appointed by Dean. The 25 Dean appointees include a mix of Dean loyalists, Obama supporters and at least several individuals who have endorsed Clinton.

"If the formal process of seating a delegation cannot be resolved," a Clinton senior adviser said, "those 25 will be important."

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[Wasp35]

More of the same:

Watergate-Era Judiciary Chief of Staff (and lifelong Democrat) who supervised Hillary's work on the Watergate investigation says that he fired her at the conclusion of the investigation and refused to give her a letter of recommendation because she was a lying, unethical lawyer who wrote a fraudulent legal brief contending that Nixon was not entitled to counsel during the investigation. She wrote the brief after hiding Judiciary Committee documents that established the precedent for an impeached government official to have counsel in investigations (the precedent was established with Supreme Court Justice William Douglas who faced impeachment in 1970).

http://www.northstarwriters.com/dc163.htm

[lemonv]

And now that Obama has said that Clinton can run as long as she wants, lets wait for the Obamabots to follow the annointed one and start to not force Clinton to withdraw.

If this really happens, then it must be the 1st real evidence of the cult-like tendencies of the Obama movement.

[Aleka]

Why is it neccessary to call people who support "Obamabots"? Isn't this the "hatred" you guys are all screaming and crying about? Here is a newsflash for you: look in the mirror to see who exactly is throwing the stones. Do you really expect anyone to take your point of view seriously when you demean them like this? This is like expecting someone to be "respectful" to you after you address them as "stupid".

Is it really so hard to imagine that rational adults might be judging the person who planned better, organized better, handled his money better, and who isn't using a "kithcen sink" strategy, MIGHT be a better candidate?

[lemonv]

Blog and Newspaper reports have been surfacing up suggesting that Sen. Clinton has no chance of winning the democratic nomination.

However, there is a rule in the DNC laws for governing the 2008 democratic convention which states:

17. UNIT RULE AND SLATE-MAKING
A. The unit rule, or any rule or practice whereby all members of a Party unit or delegation may be
required to cast their votes in accordance with the will of a majority of the body, shall not be used
at any stage of the delegate selection process.

Rule 17A will allow the pledged delegates to vote for whoever they want after the 1st ballot has not decided on who is the nominee is.

All these reports may be just a way for the Obama surrogates to crush the enthusiasm of Clinton supporters by telling them to vote Obama for the nomination because Clinton have no way of overtaking Obama.

The only problem with this scenario is after the nomination, then what? If Obama wins, then his run for the presidency is doomed because of the Wright controversy and the Rezko scandal. That to me is a reason for Clinton to go on up to the Denver Convention.

Then there is Mich. and Fla. where Obama has succeeded in blocking the revotes, thus ensuring protest votes in those States, and the possibility of sympathy votes from other States. Thus, the Obama strategy is to win the nomination process in without thinking of how to win the GE.

[richardsgirl]

Sixty-percent of Republicans believe that Senator Obama can defeat John McCain in the general, while only twenty-two percent of Republicans believe that Senator Clinton can defeat McCain. On the other hand, more than fifty-percent of Democrats believe Senator Obama can win in the general as opposed to only thirty-percent who believe that Senator Clinton can win.

Senator Obama has not blocked the re-votes, and I'm confident that the Democratic Party will find a way to fairly resolve this; but if there was a re-vote, Senator Obama will clearly win in Michigan with his name actually on the ballot, and Hillary's margin of victory in Florida would be diminished as well. The Wright controversey has apparently not only not seriously affected Senator Obama's candidacy, but has had even less effect than Senator Clinton's sniper fire fairytale has had on her candidacy; and there is no Rezko scandal!

Finally, the Republicans insiders, Fox News, Sean Hannity's smear slideshow, and Rush Limbaugh's influence in the Democratic primaries, are working in a concerted effort to dismantle Senator Obama's campaign. Why? The Republican Party wants Senator Clinton to win the nomination because they know they can defeat her, and know that Senator Obama will be much harder to compete against.

This is a doomsday scenario for Senator Clinton, not for Senator Obama.

[lemonv]

If Obama is very sure that he will win the revotes, then why is he very afraid to go on with the votation process? And, if Obama has not blocked the revotes, then are you suggesting that it is Clinton who is blocking it? Because if there is no one blocking the revotes, then this would have been resolved a long time ago.

And it is the Republican led State Legislatures that started all this. In the case of Florida, they attached the early primary date with the bill that requires a paper trail for the GE. So the democrats in the State Legislatures could not do anything but vote for it. See this article for a full disclosure of the shenanigans that the Repubs did:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-barrett/could-the-republicans-pic_b_94158.html

[Aleka]

Yes. Because the candidate with the approval rating similar to Bush, who is tanking on credibility, is MUCH more likely to win the GE!

Newsflash: Obama did not block the votes. I don't suppose it occurs to you, that Clinton people might be lying to you about this? She's been *so* truthful and ethical, after all. /eyeroll.

[lysistrata]

Obama's remark Hillary can run as long as she wants to, is condescending. It is not up to him to give her permission.

As for the Hillary haters, I can't believe Democrats could unload so much bile upon a candidate.

Why should Hillary step aside to make it easy for Obama? He should have to work for the nomination like anyone else. You can't believe McCain will step aside and let him ahead of the line?

As for Chelsey, she deserves the same courtesy as Michell Obama. She is no more fair game as Michell.

[SCG]

Lectures about condescending behavior is rich coming from Hillary supporters.

[atila]

yeah....po­or hillary...­"she didn't do nothing"..­....she just throw the kitchen sink ,she just said that Mccain is better qualified that Obama.....­..she just declare that "as far as she concerns" Obama is not muslim....­.....they (bill and her) just start to play the race card against Obama.....­.she just run the 3 a.m. ad and said that reverend wright never could be her pastor....­......and about chelsea...­...she is FAIR GAME......­.

[Nochnoi]

~~~~~~~ BREAKING NEWS~~~~~~~

Hillary just announced she is dropping out of the race today!!!!!

Hehe...... ; )

[Jacee]

Hillary was against MI and FL voting until she was for it. Then she felt passionately that they follow the rules, now...

Now her deeply help conviction is that rules are meant to be broken, opponents need to be blamed and lying about breaking rules is allowed as long as you can wrap it in fake patriotism.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

She has deeply held convictions that we need to get out of Iraq and that the country needs universal health care.

This is what we know....if her convictions they do not fit her currently reality, she ditches them.

Getting out of Iraq and universal health care do not fit her Republican base. It does get her votes now, They will not fit later as she sits in her right wing prayer circles, her elite dinners.

Hillary has manged, as Bush did, to get working class whites to be believe that she is for them. She isn't, her politics are elitist right wind republican. She voted for the Iraq war and voted again for aggression against Iran for a reason. Its what she believes in and what she wants.

I hope she continues her Republican based campaign, I hope Bill continues to endorse McCain, I hope that she has another one of her now famous break downs. I think that the voter will now see it for what it is...she isn't being 'human' she is actually nuts.

One can hope.

[SCG]

Yes, it does sound familiar, but then again, lobbyists are bipartisan.

[LivingStardust]

Lobbyists are unipartisan. They worship their own greed before any principle.

[andyboy]

Hillary sure is feisty. I admire her spunk and grit. She ain't going nowhere. She's gonna turn this Democratic Party Convention on it's ear. The things she'll do will be legendary in the annals of political science. Case studies will be performed. Thesi written. Taking the nominating process all the way to the Supreme Court is not at all out of the question here. Hillary must attain the Presidency at all costs. She's a fighter by God. A scrapper.

I'm somehow vaguely uncomfortable with Barack Obama. It's nothing racial of course. Although if pressed I might have to admit to a certain degree of fright regarding the Rev. Wright. Could he be dangerous? Maybe Barack should drop him as on of his closest advisors. Perhaps if Barack could repeat over and over ad infinitum that he doesn't agree with Wright's views maybe at some point I'll start to believe it. I hope so. Oh there it is. That fuzzy unpleasantness again.

[Nochnoi]

It is early, and I have not finished my coffee yet... so I have to ask.... are you being serious?

[Jacee]

Satire, I hope?

[Aleka]

I think the first one was, the second kind of misses though, and sound legit, I think....

[debwarot]

Ah........­.that fuzzy unpleasantness, that vague feeling that something just isn't right. I know exactly what you mean! I really like Senator Obama, kinda, and I realize his actions, words and deeds have all been honorable but still.....­When I think about him attending ‘that’ church I just have these questions, you know? He has said he doesn't agree with Wright's views over and over, but I have to let that sort of sink in for awhile. And he did give such a really nice speech about race in America, but who really wants to think about those things? I mean, isn't it really rather unpleasant, not to mention impolite?

Senator Clinton, on the other hand, you really gotta admit, you always know where Hillary and Bill stand. As Bill said himself, 'Saddle Up' and get ready for some fightin'! I think perhaps I can sleep better in my bed at night knowing that she is out there ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes to win! Who do you want as president? I want someone who will fight, fight, fight and not take any prisoners along the way! Not that is a real commander in chief!

[fixbone]

at least now i can see a method to her madness, an actual strategy and reason to push this to the convention and hope she can get the credentials committee to rule in her favor, and overturn the peoples verdict - but what - that is what she is campaigning on now - let the people decide, let everyone vote and have their say - except the only plausible way she can win is to disenfranchise those voters and get either pledged delegates to change or the SDs to overturn the pledged delgate decision - i'm confused!!

[Aleka]

Yes but her demographic appears not to notice this inconsistency.

I've really been annoyed by how she clumps her demogrpahic into the stupid pile, but by gosh. Maybe they are.

[MIKEBC]

HILLARY REFUSES TO ACCEPT DEFEAT AND HAS RESORTED TO THE NASTIEST OF POLITICS.

[Jacee]

most republicans do.

[Nochnoi]

True...

[FirstShirt]

What I don't understand is what is the big deal about rules? The rules are fiction and made up by a group of party members. Why not let each state decide when they will have their primary and forget about the folks in New Hampshire. If they want to have the next primary tomorrow so be it. Who really cares? What democrats have now are two powerful states being left out of the equation.

[Nochnoi]

My new favorite thing about Hillary...­.. She goes about talking on her Universal Health Care Plan.... and she doesn't even pay the Health Insurance bill that covers her employees.­.. LOL!

[polish]

You know, I am just so sick and tired of the media constantly bashing Hillary on everything she says and does. I'm a Florida resident and disgusted at the fact that my vote isn't going to count. You call this Democracy? Everyone is crying they want democracy and votes to count in Iraq but what about us US citizens? Where is the democracy here? Where is my right to have my vote counted? I am sick of the media and their biasness towards Obama. People can't see what is happening. The great push for Obama and the negativity towards Hillary is happening because they know McCain is going to be able to crush Obama in the general election but not Hillary so easily. The Obama camp is consistently refusing to have the vote count here in Florida. They won't agree on any type of solution. Why? Figure it out everyone. It's not that difficult.

[leftintheoven]

I too am from Florida. When I cast my vote in our primary, I knew what the rules that had been established were. I accepted that just likeand voted anyway. I also accept that the delegates elected in all primaries may not vote the way I want them to anyway. That is life. And if both candidates accepted the rules the DNC established, then why should they now want them to be different?

I think what bothers you is that the results you personally wanted did not happen. That is what Hillary's issue is too. It is unfortunate for you but it is the way it is. Just suck it up and deal with it.

[andyboy]

McCain couldn't beat an egg. I'll wager 1 bilion US Mccain gets walloped into fertilizer.

Your vote was counted. We got the totals. Your voice was heard. The delegates can't be awarded though. Surely you understand Obama didn't campiagn and wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan. How can you support cheating someone out of delegates? The only fair way would be to re-do the whole thing but you have financial and time constraints. And then there's the RULES as well. It's just not turining out ot be do-able. Oh well. You win some you lose some. Hillary wil take it in stride just like she did her other losses all over the country. She'll be fine. If she needs to she can always sue for victory. Like Bush did.

[Nochnoi]

Well said andyboy...­.

I think it will be obvious to everyone after the very first debate between Obama and McCain, the McCain has no chance at all.... and that is a debate I can not wait to see!!!

[Jacee]

Hillary signed a pledge saying that your vote didn't count. She did not care about your vote at the start of this because you did not matter to her then.

Now, because you and your vote is her last resort, she is willing to lie and say that she is all about your vote. You are being used, can't be a good feeling.

You that easily manipulated? Good lord. Obama has nothing to do with it. He keeps his word and is not manipulating YOU for some votes. Do you think for one minute that Obama wouldn't take the entire state in a primary? He would have loved to campaign there, but he is a person of his word.

Your quibble is with your state. Stop whining and blaming, get involved and get YOUR state to get their voting act together, It is a mess and has been a mess, I might add, it is a mess that gave us 8 years of Bush.

[Nochnoi]

Step away from the Hillary spin machine...

First off.... There is no media bias... secondly..­. Senator Obama has nothing to do with the delegates from MI and FL being seated.... The two states broke the rules... and you have to follow the rules... Third.... anyone can beat McCain....­.

[unenrolled]

Read more...tal­k less......­get your story straight..­.......You sound just like Hillary...­......conf­used!!!!!!­!!

[victoriajubilee]

I think Senator Obama and Chuck Hagel would make a great ticket . ObamaHagel 08 . On Morning Joe today Hagel was asked if he would endorse Obama. his answer was "yes ,its possible".

[Jacee]

I think that he is going to endorse Obama, he has been hinting about that. I also think that the VP spot has been floated to him. Hagel has a compromised history.

Not my 1st choice for Obama.

Obama needs a governor, like Brettison of TN.

[andyboy]

Victoriajubilee,

But you have to admit Hagel is sort of a funny sounding name. No? Is that Nordic or Swedish or something? It sounds kind of weak. Like if there was a fight Chuck would want to hagel first. And then maybe someone would get the jump on us. I don't know. You have to consider all the kooks out there.

[Nochnoi]

Obama Hagel sounds like something you would have for breakfast.­... heh

[FairyTale]

Hillary's strategy is not really working:

In a new Rasmussen Poll, in Pennsylvania, Clinton has got 47% to Obama's 42%!

[CommieKazi]

the whole dem convention strategys in doubt
sharpton says riots, codepinkos same
dont matter,whcihever one aint knocked out
is gona get stomped by pres elect MCCain