Obama Set To Reach Delegate Milestone

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama will reach a significant milestone Tuesday as he marches toward the Democratic nomination for president _ a majority of pledged delegates at stake in all the primaries and caucuses.

Obama will still be short of the overall number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination, unless he were to suddenly receive an avalanche of endorsements from the party and elected officials known as superdelegates. But the Illinois senator's campaign is touting the delegate milestone as a big step in defeating his rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

"A clear majority of elected delegates will send an unmistakable message _ the people have spoken, and they are ready for change," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe wrote in a memo to supporters Monday.

"As we near victory in one contest, the next challenge is already heating up," Plouffe wrote. "President Bush and Senator McCain have begun coordinating their attacks on Barack Obama in an effort to extend their failed policies for a third term."

Obama picked up the endorsement of Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia Monday, less than a week after Clinton overwhelmingly won the state's primary. Byrd is the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate.

Obama has led in pledged delegates since he won the first caucuses in Iowa on Jan. 3. The two candidates stayed close through Super Tuesday, when Democrats voted in 22 states and American Samoa. Obama won 13 more delegates than Clinton that day _ out of nearly 1,700 at stake.

Obama built an imposing lead the following two weeks, winning 11 straight contests in states such as Louisiana, Maryland, Washington and Virginia. He led by 161 pledged delegates on Feb. 19, after victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii. The lead has been relatively unchanged ever since as the candidates spent the past three months trading victories.

Obama goes into Tuesday's contests with 1,610.5 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses. He needs 17 more to reach a majority of the 3,253 pledged delegates available. Clinton has 1,443.5 pledged delegates, according to the latest tally by The Associated Press.

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Clinton's campaign played down the significance of the milestone, accusing Obama of declaring victory without reaching the required number of overall delegates.

"Premature victory laps and false declarations of victory are unwarranted. Declaring 'mission accomplished' does not make it so," Howard Wolfson, Clinton's communications director, said in a memo to supporters.

Obama has a total of 1,915 delegates overall, including endorsements from superdelegates. Clinton has 1,721, according to the latest AP count.

Obama is a little more than 100 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination. He cannot make up that ground in the Kentucky and Oregon primaries because of the proportional way in which Democrats award delegates. The two states have a total of 103 delegates at stake Tuesday.

But winning a majority of pledged delegates could help his case with undecided superdelegates, who are free to support whomever they choose at the party's national convention in August. Obama argues that superdelegates should support the candidate who wins the most delegates in the primaries and caucuses. Otherwise, he says, they would be overturning the will of the voters.

Obama, who overtook Clinton in superdelegate endorsements a little more than a week ago, picked up six more Monday. Clinton added none.

Clinton argues that superdelegates should exercise independent judgment.

Her campaign is also trying to change the math by getting the delegates seated from the Michigan and Florida primaries. Clinton won both primaries, but the states had been stripped of their delegates for violating party rules by holding their primaries before Feb. 5.

The Democratic National Committee's rules panel is scheduled to address the issue May 31. If any of the delegates are reinstated, it would increase the number needed to clinch the nomination.

Comments

[Mitchell4A]

How long have Obama's supporters waited for this day! Yes, we can, indeed.

To celebrate, I have drawn up a list. "A Dozen Reasons Why Obama will be the Next President: Money-Back Guarantee"

#1. The Change Factor: Yes, you have heard it before, but it is for real. People are hungry for it, especially after the worst presidency in living memory. A key point here is that Obama has been on message about change from DAY ONE. He is the Change candidate.

http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[Shayrae]

Thanks for the link. Very interesting article.

[arkgrfx61]

Thank you for the baker's dozen!
Great stuff....m­akes me feel extremely happy and while not high on the hill yet (no pun intended..­:)) I have a very deep, intuitive feeling that this will go all the way!
Whooo hoooo.

[kendra]

West Virginia & Kentucky are such embarrassments to our country.

The media dances around the racist, low education factor that dominates those states with code words; --blue-collar, hard-working whites, fervent Hillary supporters, etc.

Love how Obama skates over muck by conceding these backwater states, without barely campaigning in them.

Doesn't need these hardcore racial rednecks' votes anyway. Thank god.

[KarateKid]

That's why he is still flush with cash and Clinton is $20 million in the hole.

[missjabez]

What does it say about HRC that many of her supporters are rednecks and bitter feminists? Not a cheerful crowd.

[almoguy]

Kendra: please do not make sweeping presumptuous statements about Kentucky. The people here , like everywhere, are much more complex then a sweeping "racist" statement. You are only doing harm. By the way, Obama has 18 election centers in Kentucky as compared to Clinton's 5. I believe Obama needs and cares about the people of Kentucky to carry forth his goal of change.

Embrace that which you so obviously hate and despise...­then you will be for change!

[TN60]

Cindyw and almoguy,

You are right and I have been wrong to accuse your state of KY or any other state of being bigotted. I stand corrected and ask you to accept my apology. There are good people everywhere and we are more alike than different.

When I went to Paris just after 9/11, the politicians in Washington told me how France hated us and even renamed French Fries, Freedom Fries. I didn't know what to expect, but I was treated with the utmost courtesy every where I went. So, people are people, here in the USA, and around the world. I hope we can start acting like we are part of the world community again.

You Obama supporters in KY keep your chin up, because we are going to need everyone to get out of this mess the Bush Criminals and the insane old coot has left for us.

[Shayrae]

Kendra, you are on the money. These people ( WV,KY ) are so ingrained by generations of viril racism that they would vote for a woman like Hillary before they would vote for some who promises to lead the fight to improve their lot in life. That is a really sad fact of life in Ameica in 2008. I admire Sen. Obama for his well run, successful campaign.

[almoguy]

Shayre: the people you find so vile are victims of extreme poverty. You show odious prejudice in condeming them because of their lower social standing. Do you feel the same towards the residence of New Orleans' lower 9th ward because of their poverty???? Find a way to meet and help these people...I think you would be suprised what non- condensenting help can do!

[cindyw]

I'm a Kentucky resident, a lifelong democrat and an Obama supporter and donor. I put three children through college. I may be an embarrassment to you, but I don't believe Senator Obama considers me to be "muck". George Bush won the last two elections, and if memory serves, he carried more states than West Virginia and Kentucky. Your generalizations are insulting and counterproductive. Grow up.

[init]

Anyone that can do anything about this finalization, please do it, immediately. Even Gore Vidal is perplexed over Hillary's refusal to leave. This country will not survive a McCain victory! Right-wing radio is praying for a race war. Listen to them. One said Nig... Stop it now!

[VolvoBirkenstock]

abby4ever
Obama '08
Posted 02:32 AM on 05/20/2008

BlueLight2
OBAMA ROCKS!~.
Posted 08:11 PM on 01/18/2008

Not the first time you have pretended to be an Obama supporter.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Interesting that abby, who claims to live in London, would be so familiar with what appears on the U.S. domestic broadcasts of CNN.

CNN International is what is seen in London.

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

Another step towards the De-Neoconization of America!

Obama 2008!

[VolvoBirkenstock]

ByeObama
HILLARY IS WINNING ALL STRAW POLLS ON POLITICAL MACHINE...
-----

Straw polls! How novel.

Reminds my my college roommate's mother. She never could understand how Johnson won in 1964. Everyone she talked to in her neighborhood had voted for Goldwater!

[Meah]

LOL!

[MrRavini]

And in conclusion:

McCain has age issues, health issues (cancer), mental-stability issues (which will become increasingly prevalent), wife issues (drug stealing, multi-millionaire), a losing war proposition, a campaign run by money hungry lobbyists, disaffection from within the military (wait til the retired generals who know this was has been a fiasco start getting some attention), faith issues (insane preachers, the fact that he isn't religious at all, and then -- lastly -- his incredible flip-flops on just about every major issue: taxes, immigration, spending. And the things that he's been consistent on -- trade, the war -- he's screwed big time. Time to get real folks and stay positive w/ the Dems chances. By the time this general election campaign is over, McCain will be beaten to a pulp...lit­erally and figuratively. Dems will have registered well over a million new voters, the Repubs will be demoralized (and could lose 10-15 senate seats, 20+ house seats) and a new day will dawn. If there is ANYTHING good that will come of the last 7 years it will be that the Republican nitwits and corrupt money grubbers will have written ruined their party's chances for the next decade -- maybe longer. It's a new world out there, demographically (sorry rust belt Reagan Dems) and psychologically.

[Kenji]

Well said. And we will NEED at least a decade to get this mess back in some kind of order, and that includes contributing to the health of the planet -- only project that is really going to matter for the rest of the century.

[Americanabroad]

You forgot the savings and loan debacle, the biggest grand theft in American history prior to the Iraq War, in which the straight jacket express was ass deep.

[MrRavini]

I'm confused about the whole "he can't win Penn, Ohio, Florida" attitude at this stage of the campaign. No one knows what's going to happen over the next 6 months, but I think it's pretty clear that this is shaping up to be a Democratic blow-out of catastrophic proportions. If McCain can't get above 45% NOW, after all the Hillary and Obama in-fighting, what makes you think that he will somehow start winning over independent and disaffected Republicans in the fall? Plus -- keep in mind Ron Paul and Bob Barr...two wild cards that could strip away what is already a very thin McCain base w/ the conservatives. If McCain tries to reach out to the middle, he's screwed w/ his own Christian right/neo-con base. If he stays to the right he'll never get the middle. And bottom line -- this is a change election, folks. 80% wrong track polls, the most unpopular President in the last 100 years, a Republican party (and Senate and House) that is in shambles.

[kcam44]

great analysis..­I think the Dems will come out in full force in Nov, despite the bitterness that's going on now. McCain is such a weak candidate, and there's absolutely nothing positive about the Republicans. I've said it a 100 times, and I'll say it again..The American people are hungry for change, and Obama just happens to be the candidate of 2008. The Republicans fear November.

[Shayrae]

kcan44, you are so right. The Republicans so wanted Hillary, with all her baggage, investigations, Bill, etc. to go up against McCain in the general. They have a battle on their hands and I think they are afraid, very afraid.

[Wingit]

The HRC thinking is that NONE of her supporters will vote for Obama ever. But to have any kind of political future she has to make sure those same voters support Obama. If she allows herself to be blamed for an Obama loss, her political future is in the trash bin. By running this campaign out like she has, she has created a "catch 22" for herself. The "I told you so" option is no longer there for HRC.

[buckygreen]

Just wait until Obama's campaign mobilizes for the general. A great candidate and excellent campaigner, strong organizations in every state, heavily financed by millions of regular people, awash in energized volunteers and new voters. 50000+ person rallies every week all over the country.

And then ask people if they prefer a tired old flip flopping warmonger with a hair trigger up to his eyeballs in sleazy lobbyists, that promises four more years of George Bush or worse, with the Iraq disaster dragging on, in the middle of a serious recession, with $4.00 gas all summer. Or do they think an entirely different course is needed.

I like our chances.

Obama/Webb 08

[Aleka4]

I saw Webb on Letterman tonight~!

I can see why everyone is so enthused about him. He'd be SO PERFECT!

[buckygreen]

Webb is very articulate, has a sterling military record, and will almost guarantee Virginia.

[kburlz]

Him or Clark.

[RButler]

Just wait till the Obama supporters tick off everyone else in the country like they did to Hillary's supporters. They can't help themselves. It's all in the name of 'unity'.

[buckygreen]

I'm from Wisconsin. Obama carried this very white working class state by 17%. Care for some cheese with your whine?

We will win with or without the troll demographic.

Obama/Webb 08

[CocteausTwin]

If you can't practice then don't preach it.

[Aleka4]

Pot....mee­t kettle.

You weren't childish enough to imagine it just went one way, were you?

[JhNyc]

He's winning because his supporters have ticked off everyone in the country. That makes sense.

[Ariesjill]

Which country is this again?

[CocteausTwin]

I like our chances as well. And I agree that Webb is probably the best pick. I was impressed by him in his 2006 campaign. I think he will be able to get a lot of additional support for Obama.

[ikkytito]

Obama -Edwards looks more likely to me

[buckygreen]

I'd like that too. I was originally an Edwards supporter. Although I'd rather see JE as AG. But I'll trust President Obamas judgment.

[GOREvolutionNOW]

Wouldn't be beautiful if Hillary and Obama could share the ticket. The first woman and the first African American Muslim could take turns being President and Vice President. Then the whole world could unite, having left the Karl Rovites quivering in the corner. The Bible, Nostrodamus and tendertenderer have all predicted this to be the time of 1000 years of peace. Could there be any more perfect scenario?
We all need to calm down and pray for these two pure spirits to unite, as was fortold. We will all come together - we will all rise above. Obamites listen to me, remember not long ago you were Hillarions. Remember the love and trust we all felt for our lady jesusa. Dont turn your back on her now. Her place is at his side. He works in mysterious ways. This mystery is unveiling itself to be a rainbow made of multicolored butterflies, with each glorious butterfly's DNA being made of tiny alternating strands of peace signs and luminescent unicorns.
We must all set an example to those on the right who will not have the capability to understand. There is also a place for them in this new reality...­on the other side of the wall.
Do I hear the second coming coming? Tag team style.

[ObamAtomic]

NO!

[Aleka4]

and todays "over the top" goes to.....

[TrueIndy08]

it wouldn't be beautiful.­.. it would be a tremendously horrendous sight... I don't trust HRC as far as I can spit... and that isn't very far!!!


Obama/Webb is the perfect ticket... Hillar on the ticket, I might have to sit this one out... I promised myself I wouldn't vote for anything with her name next to it!

[Wingit]

Hillary won't accept the VP positon. She is building seniority in the Senate and headed to being a driving force in the there. Remember Ted Kennedy tried for president also and settled into a very prominent spot in the Senate. Hillary could be destined to follow in his footsteps.

[Ariesjill]

Do not count on it! In some interview, when asked about VP.....her response was first the usual yadda, ydadda, yadda....f­ollowed by "It's PREMATURE.­" Hand to heaven. U need to get....and I know how no normal person has a reference for this.....s­he doesn't even care, has no normally evolved gameplan at ALL...she only wants to be some version of SOMEBODY. If it ain't anabolic steroids, it really is MADNESS.

[JoyceBains]

Are you from West Virginia? For the eighty billionth time, Obama is NOT a freaking Muslim!

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

PARANOID PREDICTION # 347 :::

THE (NEOCON REPUBLICAN) FIX IS ALREADY IN PLACE TO DENY OBAMA THE NOMINATION --

HOWARD DEAN HAS BEEN ROBOTICALLY REPEATING "WE WILL FOLLOW THE RULES" EVERY TIME HE'S ASKED ABOUT THE MAY 31 RULES MEETING OR FLORIDA & MICHIGAN -- IT WILL BE THE DNC'S "EXCUSE" TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR DISENFRANCHISING THEM FROM GETTING THEIR COUNTRY BACK --

CORRUPT FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN REPUBLICANS ENGINEERED AND EXECUTED THIS FIASCO WHICH HILLARY AGREED TO BEFORE SHE CONVENIENTLY DECIDED SHE DIDN'T --

HILLARY KNOWS THIS ( "I WILL STAY IN THIS RACE UNTIL THERE IS A NOMINEE...­" ) -- SHE'S PULLED EVERY DIRTY STUNT IN KARL ROVE'S PLAYBOOK -- HER (AND BILL'S FORMER) TOP DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE, HAROLD ICKES, WROTE THE RULEBOOK THAT THE DNC COMMITTEE IS GOING TO FINAGLE AND "INTERPRET" --

[MrRavini]

Ain't gonna happen. No how. No way. This would be akin to simply slitting your own throat. Howard Dean HATES the Clintons -- as do most of the new wing of the party. This one is just a bit TOO paranoid..­.

[ProgressiveBum]

I bet those mushrooms were good...

[KarateKid]

Bad coke can make you paranoid. And I ain't talking about the one you drink.

[vixen23]

John King on CNN just ran the electoral map numbers and they are completely stacked against Obama. I can't believe we will have a candidate that can't carry Ohio, has no shot in Florida and Pennsylvania might be lost. Forget about Missouri and Nevada. How can he win?

50 years of an extreme whacked out supreme court. Wonderful.

[ObamAtomic]

A vote for Hillary will be a soft Bush terms.
Stop the arguments,do you believe, she believe Karl Rove predictions,when you lost touch with your
reality,is a serious matter,Karl Rove Buff ,how she can win?
Do you want to steal the election!
McBush will hitting you fast ,hard and tied up!

[robXdion]

You think John King is God? The pundits have been wrong this entire primary. They moaned and griped because Obama failed to trounce Clinton on Super Tuesday. See how THAT turned out?

[Wingit]

After the last election the Democratic party created a rebuilding program to make the party more competitive in all 50 states. the party has the ability to field candidates everywhere and just not walk away from them because they are in red states. There is the old Hillary map and there is the new Howard Dean map. Maps, formulas, fuzzy math, are all unreliable this time. You'll just have to vote and see what happens.

[macbabe]

after hearing my friends remind me this evening,
if Hillary claims victory tomorrow after winning KY like some are claiming she will, and becomes the candidate with her popular push votes, there's always a box of the ballot that says "other" we can use. I feel better, at least I can still vote for who I want to if "fairness" is taken away.

Obama 08

[CocteausTwin]

You are still watching CNN? Why?

[Ariesjill]

Because real seekers chase all the data from all the sources and are not about venues where people only preach to the members of the choir. Is why.

[thepoliticalcat]

Won't happen if you vote for him, and get five members of your family of your friends to vote for him too. Tell each of them to bring in five more, and we can win this.

[RButler]

Why don't you also grow wings, then you can fly?

[GeorgeKaplan]

Wake me up when he gets to 2025 - that might end the election. After that we still have the rules committee and the fight over Florida and Michigan. And then we have to wait till they count the votes at the convention. He'll eventually get there, but it seems like the primary process itself needs an overhaul.

[RButler]

I still ain't voting for Obama. Now, it's 'Lay off my wife' but for the last 8 months the Obama campaign has been after Bill Clinton every step of the way. Ain't he special, Sen. Obama?

[metrext]

That's a really good reason not to vote for him.

[evekendall]

Yeah, I agree. It's too much mental strain to worry about the Supreme Court and an endless war. I'd rather pick on him for defending his wife.

[MichiganJFrog]

Michelle is a former President?

Learn something new everyday.

[rmetz74]

Do you really need the difference between Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton pointed out to you?

I'll give you a hint... It rhymes with Fast Fresident.

One of them is one of the most powerful political figures in the nation, and an unprecedented, active, aggressive role in the campaign. The other is a private citizen who has never held public office.

Don't vote for Obama if you don't want to. But stop inventing such ridiculous reasons. It makes it impossible to take you seriously.

[kcam44]

LOL!!!!!!!

[RButler]

Bill Clinton is a private citizen or didn't you know that? Obama wants it both ways. Michelle shouldn't be campaigning and her husband shouldn't let her campaign if she is also to be 'off limits'. Again, a double standard. That isn't the only reason I'm not voting for Obama. There are many but one of them is people like you and others on this site who have poisoned the debate with your attacks against Hillary going back to way before any primaries.

I recall Obama supporters supporting David Schuster's remark about 'pimping Chelsea' on this very site so all is fair unless it is against Obama or Michelle. Right?

I also recall Obama supporters making ugly remarks about the tragedy of Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby. Clean your own house first, rmetz74.

[kcam44]

Aint you special! How's WV? If the Republicans can only come up with these weak-ass attacks on MIchelle Obama, they are in serious trouble in November. People don't care. It's been proven in three states..us­ing Rev Wright and Michelle Obama backfired.­.they lost senate and house seats and will continue to lose, if they can't come up with a better plan for Nov.
They can't run on their horrible records, they haven't accomplished a damn thing in the last eight years, so I guess the attacks are all they have left. So sad.

[Aleka4]

Well actually continuing to diss Michelle after Obama told them to lay off will turn off voters from the repubs. If there is one thing your average american will identify with, it is protecting your family.

[Aleka4]

So, are you a vengeful and spiteful clinton supporter, a hate-mongering republican, or just a racist?

Because its clear you haven't educated yourself on anything. You seem ignorant and woefully uninformed to me.

[RButler]

What you just wrote will certainly get me and others to vote for Obama. You guys are so stupid.