Howard Dean: Obama Or Clinton Must Drop Out In June

WASHINGTON — Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Monday that either Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama will know when it's time to drop out of the nomination race after the end of the primaries in early June.

"We want the voters to have their say. That's over on June 3," he said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Dean, saying he was speaking from experience as a candidate for president in 2004, said he won't have to force anyone from the race.

"Either of these candidates, if it's time for them to go, they'll know it and they will go," he said. "They don't need any pushing from me. You know when to get in and you know when to get out. That's just part of the deal."

"This is not about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama," Dean added. "This is about our country. It's about a better course for our country. ... We've got to move on and win the presidency."

Obama has more delegates and popular votes than Clinton, but she also is fresh off a big-state win in Pennsylvania.

Indiana and North Carolina hold primaries on May 6.

Dean also said that while party rules say superdelegates can wait until the August convention to make up their minds, that would be too late to unify the party and defeat the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.

"We really can't have a divided convention. If we do it's going to be very hard to heal the party afterwards," Dean said. "So we'll know who the nominee is and that'll give us an extra 2 1/2 months to get our party together, heal the wounds of having a very closely divided race and take on Senator McCain."

Comments

[Dan1967]

05:58 PM on 04/30/2008

BARACK OBAMA ONLY NEEDS 295 DELEGATES TO WIN THE NOMINATION­!

The voters in North Carolina and Indiana, with a win for Obama in their primary's, can put this marathon Democratic primary to an end by voting for Barack Obama.

Barack has 1,730 delegates as of today. He needs 2,025 to win the nomination­. I want every Democrat and Independan­t in Indiana and North Carolina to get to the polls and vote for Barack Obama. Don't let the media spin and the right wing conservati­ve media conglomora­tes win this election.

Barack Obama is by far the strongest candidate against McCain. Go to www.pollst­er.com (type it in if the link does not work) and check out the state by state polls. Barack Obama is leading McCain in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Oregon, Minnesota, and even Colorado. Hillary is losing to McCain in Michigan, Oregon, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Colorado and she is tied with McCain in Minnesota. If Hillary can't win Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Oregon in the general election, then she can't beat McCain.

VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA IN NORTH CAROLINA AND INDIANA, AND LETS GET A DEMOCRAT WIN IN NOVEMBER!

[SMAGGIE]

04:13 PM on 04/30/2008

Howard Dean you are a backstabbe­r!! You have deliberate­ly tried to break apart the Democratic party. YOU should be ashamed of yourself not letting the votes of ALL AMERICANS be counted. Regardless of who you would vote for, let the American people choose our President, not YOU. If I had a say, you would never be in this position again, ever. You have done every American an injustice!

[M.S. Bellows, Jr.]

04:46 PM on 04/30/2008

He didn't make that decision. The Rules Committee -- including longtime Clinton friend and advisor Harold Ickes -- voted unanimousl­y to unseat those two states' delegation­s after they advanced their primaries to a date earlier than the party's rules allowed, despite being warned in advance. What did Dean do wrong?

[LeftLeaner]

04:08 PM on 04/30/2008

Is that a command or just another one of your empty, irrelevant threats.

Howling Howie, haven't you noticed, no one is listening.

[LeftLeaner]

03:57 PM on 04/30/2008

What a disappoint­ment Howling Howie turned out to be.

He groveled to get this position, and now it seems all he can do is make non-bindin­g rants to flex his muscles.

The DNC would be quite fine if he stepped down.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr.]

04:48 PM on 04/30/2008

The DNC wouldn't have adopted the highly successful 50-state strategy if it weren't for Dean. Instead, they'd still be trying to triangulat­e their way into power -- the same DLC approach that lost us the Congress to Newt Gingrich's minions just two years into Bill Clinton's first term and never regained it.

[Steverino]

12:16 PM on 04/30/2008

It sounds peachy, but what if one candidate wins the popular vote and the other wins the delegate count (not including Supers)? Then what?

Also, what if the Supers publically "cast" their vote for one candidate and then that candidate royally fumbles and screws up (or their pastor keeps sticking around), and Supers decide to change their mind?

It's not over-over until the fat lady sings at the Convention­, unfortunat­ely. And I don't think that's such a bad thing. McCain Fever isn't exactly sweeping the nation right now, though he will be tough to beat regardless­. There will be plenty of time between August and November if it comes to that.

[dlscio]

04:13 PM on 04/30/2008

Steverino~

The points you make are valid in a fair and no-spin selection-­process. As noted, Superdelga­tes rarely, if ever go against populist*[­popular voters]. Agreed, McCain isn't sweeping our nations conservati­ve as he would like to, but, change is possible when you add in the Huckable factor.

Now, lets resume our crictism of Howard Dean, his handling of Hiliary's fuzzy math, a formula mixed-to-d­ivide! As stated; in a fair process your analysis make perfect sense - whereas; with Hiliary [please note: both Hiliary's Fl and Mich supporters­, each with voting rights to protect are responsibl­e for drafting and spearheadi­ng *challenge papers that are , presenting to DNC committee May 30, 2008] attempts to reverse her acceptance of Aug-2007 DNC rule, and Howard Dean's unwillingn­ess to stand firm only promote division in DemParty. Hilairy knows better then to try an manpulate process by spinning and pandering.

[Caramba]

12:12 PM on 04/30/2008

MATH is hard for some to grasp the numbers. Either Dean gets it or not. Hillary does not have good comprehens­ion of MATH 100 and Dean is getting confused with Hillary.

The reality of MATH is that OBAMA wins this Nomination period.
The superdeleg­ates are refrees which will seal the deal with OBAMA

NC Republican­s for OBAMA '08

[SMAGGIE]

04:23 PM on 04/30/2008

Do not try and make a fool of us. We know why the Repukes in NC will vote for Obama. We know you think that your McCain can beat him, but also you know McCain CANNOT beat Sen. Clinton. So go ahead and do yourself harm, that will do the Repukes a lot good.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr.]

04:49 PM on 04/30/2008

180 degrees backwards.

[Patriot0259]

05:07 AM on 04/30/2008

It sounds like Dean is saying that as soon as the primaries are done, the one with the most delegates better win. I agree.

[darthmaul]

12:41 AM on 04/30/2008

I don't know if it was in this interview, but I heard the latest from Dean is that he says "the super delegates will decide for the nominee on the basis of "electabil­ity" and not the popular vote. Sounds kind of ominous to me.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr.]

04:50 PM on 04/30/2008

Unless he's trying to help the party by reinforcin­g the (true) meme that Obama is electable, so that when he's nominated he won't be burdened by Clinton's perfidy any more than he is now.

[mimiow]

12:38 AM on 04/30/2008

It is so clear, you obama nuts would rather lose the presidency than have Clinton as the nominee.
This says a lot about your attitude and brain power.

[tryharder2think]

12:44 AM on 04/30/2008

So sorry dear. Your math skills are dimmed when we don't think but are led by lies and illusion.

Math.

Try harder 2 think

[hidorsey]

04:41 AM on 04/30/2008

the same could be said of you.

[TERRYKEITH4]

09:43 PM on 04/30/2008

Ha ha! Well said, hidorsey!

[Lisette]

09:16 PM on 04/29/2008

Hillary is still trying to smear Obama
But it does not match him, the man.
so it will blow over
The Rev is typical of religious people
to which I quote the Bible
"Rev, not all who say Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom

Rev, you lie when you say you serve God
NO, NO, NO------YO­U SERVE YOURSELF
SO YOU CAN GO TO H **L!

[whatsmyname]

09:37 PM on 04/29/2008

Lisette, that is excellent thank you.....No­w, if we could only find out WHY Dean. (How weird) is so afraid of the Clintons..­... Nobody should OWN ANYONE, IN THIS DAY AND AGE OR ANYTIME BUT CLINTON'S LOVE TO. Is that the Arkie Mind-set? Did Faubus, will that to Billy?

[pakean3]

03:09 PM on 04/29/2008

everyone else is at fault for all of Obama's fall from grace... There are more to come.. wait, wait and see when the Rep's get at him... We will just continue to blame everyone else.. Put the blame where it belongs.. Obama will get the nomination­.. Learn to stand behind him without pointing the finger at anyone else for his gaffes. Learn to accept and worship him even though he has been tarnished.­. No matter what, Obama is a better choice for president when it comes to choosing between him and McCain..

[dlscio]

06:09 PM on 04/29/2008

DEAN is a loser!!! All talk, no backbone! Ethics, most powerful unifier!! Aug-2007, 100% loss!

[kylie]

08:35 PM on 04/29/2008

No he isn't.

The Republican­s and Hillary could care less if this takes until November.

Dean is smart, thought of the 50 state strategy and he knows that it will take some time for the Party to heal after the nominee is chosen.

I wish all the people saying all the dirty politics does "no harm" would realize all the time lost in going after McCain, credibilit­y lost, and damage done to candidates­.

It will take the enthusiasm from all the first-time voters if Hillary continues on her tirades and make it easier for McBush in November.

[hidorsey]

04:43 AM on 04/30/2008

amen except for the worship part.

[mellene]

11:46 AM on 04/29/2008

My guess is that will be too late. I feel as if we're doomed for another four years of a republican in office as the dems continue to eat their own.

[soundfury]

09:42 AM on 04/29/2008

DID CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CONSPIRE WITH THE CLINTONS TO SET UP OBAMA BEFORE OHIO PRIMARY?

http://ope­nthread.da­ilykos.com­/storyonly­/2008/4/28­/11221/015­0/789/5046­62

http://www­.americanc­hronicle.c­om/article­s/54303

DID THEY CONSPIRE AGAIN TO PUT WRIGHT IN NEWS OVERDRIVE AGAIN?

http://dig­g.com/poli­tics/Hilla­ry_Support­er_ORGANIZ­ED_Rev_Wri­ght_at_Pre­ss_Club

IS EVERYONE GETTING DUPED OR WHAT!

[hidorsey]

04:44 AM on 04/30/2008

doomed doomed we are all doomed. oh, just kidding.

[soundfury]

09:34 AM on 04/29/2008

This is one of the articles about the Canadians setting up Obama for the fall on NAFTA:

http://www­.americanc­hronicle.c­om/article­s/54303

There's another article out there that gets more specific.

[soundfury]

09:31 AM on 04/29/2008

OMG! REV. WRIGHT WAS SET UP BY CLINTON SUPPORTER!

The majority of the Superdeleg­ates are getting sick and tired of the Clintons dirty politics! Hillary will be put out of her misery soon enough!

http://dig­g.com/poli­tics/Hilla­ry_Support­er_ORGANIZ­ED_Rev_Wri­ght_at_Pre­ss_Club

Should have know the Clintons were behind this! They obviously tried to sabotage the Obama campaign once again by propping up the Reverend again into the media.

What won't these people do to get elected? Screw the average working class? Oh I forgot, they already did with NAFTA and banking deregulati­on! Now the working class they hoodwinked not only lost jobs to China and India, they are losing their homes as well. Oh and they're not done yet...they­'re very busy promoting CAFTA with the Colombians­. Thank you, Bill and Hillary!

By the way, there's another article out there: the Canadian government lied about what the Obama surrogate told them about NAFTA, all along it was the Clinton surrogate who assured them NAFTA wouldn't be touched after GE. Someone in the Canadian press has been researchin­g this story. Turns out a dirty Canadian government official conspired with the Clintons to switch the story with the press! So the Clintons did screw blue collar workers in PA AND in Ohio afterall! HAAAAA!

That's what you get for continuing to trust the Clintons!

[hidorsey]

04:46 AM on 04/30/2008

yes, i read that too, but they may have done obama a favor. He now has had to be much stronger in standing up to wright. He has a much better chance of putting this aside now. all quite interestin­g. no matter what , this is an interestin­g time.

[TERRYKEITH4]

10:10 PM on 04/30/2008

I agree 100%. It makes me sick to hear black people call him 'the first black president! He's done nothing for anyone including blacks. NAFTA is just anoter screw in that big machine that is destroying middle and working class people. Then he turned around and did that Monica Lewinsky bs. Clintons are just sh**t around all day people who steal to be rich. If Obama does not when the nomination I'm going to the green party ticket. (But he will win) The media assassinat­ed Cynthia McKinney real bad. But they only destroy people they are afraid of. She was one of the main person to make Rumsfeld accountabl­e for his Iraq sh**t. She's running for president on th green party ticket.

http://www­.runcynthi­arun.org/