Clinton Camp To Step Up Efforts To Count Michigan, Florida

The NY Time's Adam Nagourney writes about Hillary Clinton's dwindling chances and hopes for a final rescue after Tuesday night's vote tallies in North Carolina and Indiana.

Nagourney points out that the Clinton camp will ratchet up it's already aggressive attempts to have the results for Florida and Michigan - states both candidates didn't campaign in, but Clinton "won" - to be counted. HuffPost's Tom Edsall wrote Sunday about how the Clinton camp planned to carry out the "nuclear option" to get the Michigan and Florida votes counted.

With few states left, she and her aides said they would step up their efforts to count the disputed results in Florida and Michigan, where the states held contests in defiance of Democratic Party rules. If Mrs. Clinton can win the battle to have the delegations from those two states seated at the conventions on the basis of the vote there, she could greatly reduce Mr. Obama's lead in pledged delegates.

But neither candidate actively campaigned in Florida or Michigan, and Mr. Obama did not appear on the Michigan ballot.

Still, in a sign of where the Clinton campaign is going, her aides are asserting that the winner will need 2,209 delegates, not 2,025. That higher number reflects the full inclusion of Florida and Michigan, which held their primaries before the date permitted by the Democratic Party.

Comments

[fourex]

Lawrence O'Donnell said Clinton Aides told him Clinton will fold by June 15th. Can Clinton aides and those who quote them be trusted. No.

[SarahZim]

Ok lets just forget about having primaries and go by daily gallup polls?? How is that democratic?
Obama has had an edge before too, the wright thing has damaged him but all polls show him bouncing back..

[bobo209]

I DONT THINK SO..NUCLEAR OPTION??REALLY I THOUGHT IT WAS THE JEWISH OPTION..OYEE VEYY..OR WAS IT THE EARLY BOYD SPECIAL??I AM WEKLAMTP

[flyguy14222]

No one but HuffPo uses "nuclear option". Just the facts.

[Horst]

Hey Obama fans.....Mrs. Clinton wants YOU to pay off her campaign debts. Think twice about sending more money.

[justobserve]

Is this a ploy to dry up Obama's donations? Obama is not that stupid to pay her mismanagement of her campaign fund. Does he has a right to do it?

[aliceblue]

It's not a stupid idea.

If Obama has to spend another five or six weeks
campaigning, that's millions in tv spots, newspaper
ads, mileage on a leased commercial jet (how much
per gallon is jet fuel?), hotel rooms, maintaining a
bigger, rather than smaller, campaign staff, fewer
trips to each state. etc.

I wouldn't pay off the whole Clinton debt, but
donating half of it would probably keep a lot of
Clinton's vendors from going backrupt.until they
can recover from Marie Antoinette.

There's no law against this, Kerry ended up with
a surplus $30 million, most of which he donated to
down-ticket candidates in subsequent elections.

In fact, by law, the candidate can personally keep
any donated money, most of them probably do keep
it.

It would also give Obama a chance to organize his
general election voter registration drive, write his
convention speeches, meet with delegates, etc.

[e2008usa]

WHY TALKING ABOUT MICHIGAN - OBAMA WAS NOT IN THE BALLOT - ITS CRAZY TO CLAIM SOMETHING YOU DO NOT DESERVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE RULES

STOP TALKING ABOUT MICHIGAN - REJECT THIS ACCUSATION BECAUSE THE DM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OF THE MICHIGAN VOTE - THE MICHIGAN RACE ORGANISER ARE THE RESPONSIBLE ..... NOT THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC STYLE

OF COURSE THE PRESS AND MEDIA LOVE CONFLICTS AND KEEP THAT GOING ON AND ON AGAIN. BUT YOU THE PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING TO PAY - NOT MORALLY AS THEY TRY TO MAKE YOU FEEL UNFAIR...... ... OHOOHo .... They Go to FAR!

THE ONLY ONE TO BLAME IS ITS THE MICHIGANS RACE ORGANIZER TO COMDAMNE. THEY NEVER RESPECT THE RULES - THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME. HOW CAN THE RACE BE FAIR?

SO, IF SOME PEOPLES FROM MICHIGAN CAN SHOW SOME HONESTY. ITS TIME FOR THEM TO RECOGNISE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR TO DO SO ONLY BECAUSE HILLARY NEED SOME MORE POINTS. ..... SHAME ON YOU HILLARY !

[colbertnationfan]

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, I agree with the poster 'teacups,' Hillary's the most electable candidate and that's the reason she's hanging tight in this race. The polls I have seen repeatedly give her the edge over Obama to beat McCain. That's the goal here, remember?

Its possible the reason the polls reflect which way the "undecideds" will fall, and that's not hard to figure out. People will want to stick with the tried and true, and people by and large remember another Clinton president who brought 8 years of peace and prosperity to this country, and that's what we need right now. Also, unlike Obama she has more experience in working both sides of the aisle to accomplish things and get things done, and I think she knows Superdelegates are going to be debating this very thing at the Convention. Last but not least, she knows the Superdelegates will also look at the "Big Picture," i.e. foreign relations, and they'll think about how world leaders will more easily be "ready" from "Day One" to trust another Clinton.

As a woman I have more personal reasons for supporting Clinton (like, imho, for one thing, it's ALWAYS women who are out volunteering in the Democratic party), but I won't go there.

I just think she's the most qualified, and the Superdelegates will go with the best horse to bet on in the race.

[Ourrias]

Any candidate, man or woman, Democrat or Republican, black or white, who has consistently polled for the past two years in the 47% to 48% negative ratings range is NOT "the most electable candidate."

Hillary Clinton would need to win virtually EVERY SINGLE vote of that remaining 52% to 53% of the general electorate to win - and there ain't no way in hell THAT'S gonna happen!

Perhaps it would happen with a different female candidate,. Just not Hillary Clinton.

I don't know why there is such a widespread, visceral reaction against her - it's unfair and underserved, IMO. Nonetheless, there it is - and it is an insurmountable and fatal problem for any general election candidacy with her at the head of the ticket.

Sorry, but that's just how it is.

[Brooklynindy]

I'm an Obama supporter, but I agree that the visceral reaction against Clinton is unfair and underserved. It's a product of the nineties. To me it's just amazing that even we Democrats were totally manipulated into Hillary-Hating, and many younger Dems don't know where Hillary-Hate comes from, they just signed on. I think Gore Vidal did a good job in 1998 of summing up the situation. He refers to what happened after Clinton tried to reform healthcare:

"What the Clintons had done was challenge those insurance companies that, under our present costly private system, collect around a third of what is spent on private health care, for which they give back not even a Band-Aid.

To be blunt, the insurance companies are the cash cow of the richest 1% of the population. They are also sort of piggy banks for international conglomerates....

Methodically, the ownership has set out to destroy the Clintons. Since actual politics may not be discussed in freedom's land, the "crimes" of one's enemies are all that's left. The hapless couple were accused of murder, sexual perversions, larcenies both great and small...."

[ebbtide]

No , the goal is to win the primary nomination. She lost, but cannot admit that for whatever reason. The winner, Obama, is obviously, is the one who is electable.

[Brooklynindy]

Colbert, you say, "It's ALWAYS women who are out volunteering in the Democratic party, but I won't go there."

Please DON'T go there. Shame on you for going there without "going there" with your one sentence. MALE volunteer here.

[thirteen13]

Hillary and Bill are both losers. Did you forget that Bill Clinton was impeached. Bill Clinton's behaviour was the major reason Al Gore was denied the victory in 2000. While Bill was being serviced under the oval office desk, Osama bin Laden and company were planning the attacks.

Hillary is no more qualified to be president than Bill was. She voted to authorize the invation of Iraq. Her refusal to accept defeat is the same as Bush-Chaney failing to accept reality in Iraq.
Do we really want four more years of saber rattling.

Please name one thing Hillary has accomplished (besides losing the primary). I am an independent voter from NY and I am not impresed with the Clintons. The primary was theirs for the taking and they lost.

[liberal1976]

Wait a damn minute I thought she was going to use the Nuclear option on Iran.

[Horst]

You're correct....the Hildebeast is going nuclear everywhere.

[FlowerGirl]

Somerbody should tell that craazy woman that she trails in pledged delegates by 172. Even if she got her pretend wins in MI annd FL she would still trail by around 130 at leaast. With 217 left to be won and Obama favored in Oregon South Dakota and Monntana, how is she going to win? She will have big wins in little West Virginia and Kentucky which have old South menntalies. She will probably win in Puerto Rico, but the rest is Obama's. Honey, you are a sore loser. All you can accomplish are some vain hoorahs in a couple of states that blong to the type you used to say didn't matter (because you lost 11 in a row!) AND cause damage to the party and perhaps the nation -- as if you gave a good old Rhett Butler!

[Brooklynindy]

Give her a break. It's her right to stay in till the end. Remember Huckabee? He knew he couldn't win...or Ron Paul, who's still in.

Obama '08!

[thirteen13]

Just like Bush-McCain and company won't admit failure in Iraq, Hillary won't admit defeat.

Obama will impede his efforts if Hillary is selected as running mate. Nothing would be worse than to have the chaos of the Clintons undermining the campaign.

Obama has beaten both Clintons and their political machine.

[nodonjuan]

Hillary does it backwards. She was against it... before she was for it.

[billrott]

If Hillary does such a move, she is done. Her, Bill, Chelsea and their gang will be done. No one will vote for her and she will be more ostracized from a party than that of Richard Nixon.

[RicksterInGulfport]

I voted in the Florida Primary for Barack. I was told my vote would not count.

The turnout that day was extremely light.

In other states, where Democrats where outshowing Republicans 2 to 1, here it was 1 to 1.
There was an important tax issue on the ballot.

There is no way that the results from 'that' election should be used to allocate any democratic delegates.

This was done to us by a Republican Governor (Jeb Bush) and a Republican Legislature.

Jeb Bush also eliminated the state wide light rail system, the people voted for, as well.

It would have nearly been completed by now.

[e2008usa]

REASON WHY IT'S UNFAIR FROM CLINTON TO CLAIM A VICTORY - ITS JUST UNFAIR

[NetProphet]

I think we better ALL get ready for a very interesting and intense convention this summer. What the hell? .. .. .. I can't afford to take my car out for a drive any longer.

[MasterX]

WHAT ARE NUMBERS, IF FLORIDA SEATED? AND MICHIGAN? HOW MANY SUPERDELEGATES DOES SHE NEED?

And Why are Russert's percentages so off?

Regarding Florida, let’s calculate the popular vote: After NC and Indiana, Obama is ahead 710,000 votes. Hillary netted 288,167 votes in Florida, so counting Florida, Obama's ahead by 421, 833 in popular vote. Delegates?

Using CNN’s number, Obama is ahead by 166 pledged delegates and Clinton is ahead 10 supedelegates, putting Obama ahead in total by 156 delegates. She gains 37 from Florida, so she is still behind by 119 delegates, or 78.5% of the remaining pledged delegates.

What about Michigan?

There are a total of 128 pledged delegates in Michigan. Clinton won 328,151 or 55% of the popular vote there. This would give her 70 pledged delegates. Obama wasn’t on the ballot, so at least give him the “Uncommitted,” or 40% of the vote, giving him 237,762vpopular vote and 58 pledged delegates, netting Hillary 12.

With FLorida and Michigan, Obama is ahead by 331,444 in popular vote AND ahead in pledged delegates by 107. Hillary would need 75% of the remaining pledged delegates.

One further note, assuming the two split the emaining pledged delegates and we exclude Florida and Michigan, Hillary needs 231 supers of 272 not yet committed. Tim Russert said today that she needs 69% of the superdelegates to win but in fact she needs 85%. Why are his numbers so off?

You'll have to ask him.

For more goto wadesblog.com

c 2008 Marsten

[biased2]

I'm numb trying to follow these #s - but your breakdown seems right on with what I've seen.
As for the "Press the Meat" bobblehead T.R.- I'd lose more feeling in my brain enduring his spin.

[Manx]

The buffoons in Clinton's campaign know they can't win fairly so they want to resort to chicanery and artifice. Thousands upon thousands of Obama supporters in Florida didn't vote because they were told their vote wouldn't count. Obama supporters in Michigan didn't vote because Obama wasn't on the ballot. The best way to settle it is to split the delegates for both states 50-50.

[bratzilla]

I am appalled by her insistance that the fake vote count. She agreed to the rules before the vote, now because she didnt win she wants to change the rules? Who in the world would want this person as president someone that will twist and spin the rules to make them work for her? Isnt this the same Bush Admin tactics? Something we want desperately to get rid of?

[wolfi101]

Yes, appalling. Not surprising - but appalling.

Trying to force those elections to count 'as is' under those circumstances reminds me of the sketchy elections we hear about in certain foreign countries. It's completely Un-American to tell people to stay home and that your vote won't count ---- and then try to make the election count, because you like the results.

[NetProphet]

So why didn't Obama camp pay for the re-vote in FL or MI? He's got the dough. And the delegate and Super d's would get their rightful share of delegates. Never mind "40 %" uncommitted.

Fuzzy math!!!!

[DSully]

Because, as a basic rule of political science, politicans and countries never do anything to weaken their position.

[thirteen13]

It's not up to Obama to pay for ignoring the rules the canidates agreed with when Hillary thought she was "canadate apparent". Now that she is no longer apparent, she wants to pull a George Bush style takeover.