Clinton Superdelegate Defects to Obama: "I'm Not That Important to Them"

Christine "Roz" Samuels, a former Clinton superdelegate from New Jersey who announced this morning she was switching her support to Barack Obama, provided this exclusive interview with HuffPost's OffTheBus member Beverly Davis.

"This is America. I have freedom of speech and freedom of choice and I'm free to change my vote. I don't have to answer to anyone except God and my conscience," said Christine "Roz" Samuels as she switched her SuperDelegate vote from Clinton to Obama.

Asked if she had heard from the Clintons before or since she made her SuperDelegate switchover, Samuels said, "I haven't heard from the Clintons and to be truthful, I guess I'm not that important to them. I'm only one of 13 SuperDelegates in New Jersey and I'm following my heart."

A member of the Democratic National Committee since 2004, Christine "Roz" Samuels said that she hasn't been answering her phone all day - trying to avoid just this type of call - but by chance she answered her cell phone and explained that her adult children (all Obama supporters) influenced her decision to join the Obama delegate count column.

"I committed to Senator Clinton nearly a year ago because she's a very brilliant woman and I thought we'd have a big change in the White house if she were a presidential nominee. As a woman, I also wanted to see her elected," said Samuels from her home in Montclair, New Jersey.

But as the campaign started heating up, Samuels said, "I started tuning in and listening to all the Democratic candidates. I liked what I saw and heard from Barack Obama and my opinion of him [as a presidential candidate] began to slowly change. He energizes the younger people and gives them hope."

The former Secretary-Treasurer of the Newark Teachers' Union, Local 481 and former Commissioner of the Essex County Board of Elections, Samuels is also a member of the Montclair Democratic Committee, and remains active in the Montclair and state-wide NAACP.

"Montclair is a stone's throw away from New York City and it's funny because it's a very diverse town. My union supported Hillary Clinton but Obama won Montclair by a landslide on Super Tuesday," said Samuels.

Samuels said she was supporting Senator Obama instead of Senator Clinton and cited his ability to support and unite the country as additional reasons for her change of mind.

"Barack Obama has brought about a new wave of hope and energy to this country, especially among our young people, who represent our future. I want change and Barack can make that change," said Samuels.

Beyond change and unity, Samuels is against the Iraq War and Obama's anti-war stand "from the start" was a better fit than Clinton's for her.

"I also like his education and health care plans and being a minority, a lot of kids don't get that, so I've been doing some soul searching and voted with my heart."

Samuels's positive feelings for Obama stretched back to his keynote address at the National Democratic Convention in 2004.

"I heard Senator Obama in Boston and I thought he gave a terrific speech. I liked him then and after listening to him and the results of the primaries for the last couple of months and the straw poll in Montclair, where he won again, I started changing. And then listening to his energy and how he attracted young people, that's the most important thing he has going for him."

A turn-off for Samuels was the "stuff that the Clintons did down in South Carolina." It didn't make her feel good about handing Hillary Clinton another vote. "I didn't like what I saw down in South Carolina and how the Clintons were running their campaign."

"Obama is a good role model and he's turning out the votes, not only in Montclair but throughout Essex County. Most of my family and friends are voting for Obama. That's the biggest reason I've switched over to Obama is because of the kids. They're our future and Obama gets them excited and involved," she said.

Samuels ended our conversation when a television crew arrived outside her home.

"Sorry, but I've got to go outside. I've promised them an interview."

In the race to gain and to keep SuperDelegates, Samuels' switch is a wake-up call for the Clintons. A lot can happen between now and the Denver Convention in August as another front in this battle opens up - for real - the fight to gain and to keep those illusive SuperDelegates.

Comments

[Wanod]

It's disgusting, all these chicken liver democrats, that don't have the gut's to say they're leaving the Clinton's because Obama is Black. They come up with the excuse their kid's made them do it, a bunch of sad, coward's. My kid's are for Obama too, and i'm still for Hillary. I'm the adult in this family, and not Obama, this is my house.

[afgail]

Obama is black and so is "Roz" couldn't be any more simple than that. Don't bother with the excuse making just say it straight. You want your bro in the White House qualified or not.

[Owlygirl]

No offense to the many outstanding young people out there, but I'm really tired of people citing the impassioned youth as reason to pay attention to Obama. What are the rest of us, chopped liver? I'm quite concerned with having my own issues addressed, thank you very much. I'm sure my daughter will understand.

[rachaelisacancer]

Yeah, I'm about ready for officials (elected and otherwise) to start making decisions with their heads as opposed to their hearts (or pocketbooks or whatever).

[Snikta]

I don't think anyone should be surprised by these ship jumpers. Very few politicians tend to have lasting loyalty. The waters get a little rough and they look for a life boat. Voters should remember, they will do the same to them when a vote for their benefit becomes unpopular, they will go with the easy, popular thing. To hell with the little person.

[user168]

"I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama," said McCain adviser Mark McKinnon in an interview with NPR's "All Things Considered." "I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign."

That said.

OBAMA WILL BEAT CLINTON AND McCAIN BECAUSE NO EDUCATED PERSON WANTS TO ATTACK HIM.

"Only once in a very long time does politics become more than politics, that is something more than partisan struggle, vote bartering, or arena of ambition...

... on rare occasion, old arrangements and conventional wisdom come unstuck. This happens in periods of rapid if not revolutionary change. We find ourselves now in one of those periods. The forces of globalization, information, eroding sovereignties, and transformation of war ensure that traditional leaders and conventional politics can only muddle through at best and fail badly at worst."

"Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics."

"There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands."

So let it be that our YOUTH sees HOPE in UNIVERSAL TRUTH:

"Love each other or perish."

“From caring comes courage.”

"LIVE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD."

GO! OBAMA!

[Blackbird]

"I'm voting my heart"? That's wonderful. You go, girl, especially since you're voting for Obama. But more important than following your heart is following the wishes of your constituents who elected you. We didn't elect your heart. We elected you for your ability to represent us to our government.

[rachaelisacancer]

Mark McKinnon is just yet another Repugnican supporter of Obama because he believes Obama can be beat in the general election with or without negative campaigning.

If it were about hope, change, ethics and personal moral obligation to not be a bad guy, he wouldn't support McCain's undue attacks on anybody - whether it be Clinton or Obama.

Wake up people!

[afgail]

Mark McKinnon is like any other political consultant. He is a rat jumping from a sinking ship. Obama may win the nomination and the general election and God pray he picks a good, competent person for VP. But given his propensity for ducking tough choices my hunch is Obama picks a weak one so as not to be shown up as the emtpy suit he is. His first two to three years he will need training wheels. Doesn't bode well for the country.

[Dajo]

Obama cant have his cake and eat it to.
He cries about the super delegates yet is happy to gain the caucaus delegates even though they were not chosen by popular vote.
You can't have it both ways. I believe that if you don't allow the super delegates , then you should not allow all the delegates won at the caucuses.
no new caucuses or re-votes, the people have already spoke in FLA and MI. It's too back their local party officials chose not to play by the rules but the people already had the right to express their popular vote. Those that were too lazy to vote and those who voted in the republican primary don't deserve to vote again.

Let the populary vote RULE, I will stand by it and support who that person is. So must every Democrat if we are to win in November.

IMO , the best thing is to go by the popular vote period.

[jcwtts1]

Yeah,

Uh we don't live in a popular vote democracy... see 2000... we live in a representative democracy. The caucus states are decided as is the presidential election by winning regions. Now the regions weight either electorially or by delegate is decided, in general, by population. That is, New York has more electoral votes, and more delegates than Montana, and within PA for example, Philadelphia has more delegates than the middle of the state. The population controls total numbers of delegates. So Hillary Clinton wins more actual votes in Nevada, but loses the wider regional, county, election and Obama wins more delegates in the state. This, along with a proportional system, means that Obama is probably going to win. Once you get a big enough lead, say a hundred pledged delegets it is impossible to come back. Hillary lost super tuesday, for example, wining the big states by big margins, because they weren't big enough to shut Obama out of the delegates. On the other hand, Obama won by about 5-8 percent more per state which gives him a much bigger pot of delegates. What I mean is that Hillary got 15 more delegates from California than Obama, but from Kansas, Obama got 20 more delegates than Hillary because of the margin of victory. (those numbers are wrong I just needed an example off the top of my head) What that means is that taken togeather, Obama actually wins both states. He wins Cali by 2.5 and Kansas by 2.5. So overall, even though Clinton won the biggest states by good margins they were not enough when Obama won the smaller states by very large numbers. He won the night, he is winning the delegate count, and he will eventually win the nomination unless a super delegate deal shifts it to Hillary.

J

While you may not think this is fair, it is reality.

[afgail]

All the manipulation of the delegate counts is exactly what the party insiders have been tinkering with since the McGovern campaign. It is unfair the same way the electoral college is unfair. I was a Dukakis delgate many moons ago and it was as unfair then as it is today. Some rich asshole bussed in three busloads of out of county residents to the caucus from a half-way house to vote in a block to secure a delegate slot for himself.

[Nic]

Why no sanctions against Obama who ran an ad on cable in FL after agreeing not to? All delegates in FL and MI should go to HRC since she's the only one w/the balls NOT to remove her name from the ballot.

[Amberlass]

Nic: Obama's name was on the ballot in Florida.
We just did not vote for him.

[KidMeNot]

Why are the Clintons so afraid of a re-vote? Just have a fair election, that everyone knows will count settles this matter. The Democratic Party rules were no Florida primary before Super Tuesday. So just do it right this time.

[Donk]

I did! In the Repunklican stronghold NW.

[treadway123]

There are many place to Get information onthis. First let me ask you if you think the President should look for every avenue to save money for us, and put that money he finds to good use? Now that's what happened in Florida! It was cheaper for him to buy and run a National Ad that hit many states instead of state by state. So upon buying an saveing money for his campayne trail--That Natioknal ad he bought haplpened to include Florida. He removed his name from the ballet because he is a Demacrate and an American! We have rules and laws we must follow! He can't go against those or look at it this way-------­---Hillary broke those same rules and laws set up that all demacrate in that party was to abide by. It had nothing to do with haveing Balls or no such thing. She did what she did, because she thought she might have to fall back on your states to win this Election--------and for no other reason. She just threw Ohio out with yesterdays trash by proclaiming their vote is not important as Texas now that the polls are showing Obama pulling ahead. NOW she's looking toward TEXAS (like she once did Ohio) as her Fire Wall to stop Obama's march forward. Maybe this info can help you and maybe it can't. It depends if your open for the trueth-----or just want to keep being used by the Clintons. It's your choice, always has been as a free American who can vote thier own choice. Just hope you you go to the trouble of being informed about who you vote for. and good luck!

[RudyV]

Why no sanctions against HRC for running in Michigan? Obama and Edwards played by the rules by pulling out after our dim legislators bumped the primary up too early, then they got screwed over by HRC when she didn't follow suit.

[WillfromSF]

I'm an Obama supporter so I'm happy to see more delegates in his column, fewer in Clinton's but I'm an even bigger admirer of integrity and the defection at this point of superdelegates such as Roz Samuels and Congressman John Lewis smacks of opportunism mostly. I guess you can't collect a political favor if your candidate doesn't win so stab them in the back when things start looking difficult, switch sides and claim you're doing the right thing. I could understand it better if it was just before the convention and neither candidate had enough delegates and Obama was ahead, but the convention is six months away (absurd). Why not let it play out at least till the end of the primaries? Also there's the issue of whether unelected superdelegates should even be voting or at least they should vote other than for the overall leader in a deadlocked convention. Apparently these two are only in it for themselves.

[ACunningham]

I lived in a third world country (in Asia) for a few years and even there the public were far less trusting and more cynical of their government than what we see here! We really need to snap out of it and stop falling for the classic DIVID & RULE politic of old Washington that are tearing our country and (Democratic) party apart!
Bush/Clint­on/Bush/Ro­ve/Clinton­(?)...

[basta]

continued:
Has had a following as nearly as great as Obama.

[basta]

I am amazed at how so many people put race into the equation. Obama won in Idaho and Iowa. How many black people live in those States? Not too many. Andy saying that black people are voting for Obama only because he is black is idiotic. No black presidential candidate, and there has been Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Lenora Fulani, Alan Keyes, Al Sharpton

[claudiam]

Ms. Samuels, thank you for supporting Barack. I believe that you are now thinking about what Barack has brought to our country this election. I appreciate it that you are not just supporting The Clinton's based on the fact that they are "The Clinton's." Way to go.

[Snikta]

Ms. Samuels is only looking out for her own self. I'm always suspicious of people who can't stay the course and at the first sign of trouble ... jump ship. Where is any loyalty? I hope people who are running for office will realize now that no one group of people who start out on your side will be there at the end especially if it is a racial group and especially if that person is the same race as them. In the end they will go with their own. So politicians, stop trying to do anything for just certain people, do it for the good of everyone. Stop catering, in the end it will bite you in the butt. There are also those who just have to be on the side of the most popular at the time. To hell with loyalty.

[Anne1776]

In regards to Sen. Clinton and her "ready on the first day" mentality- is it true that she missed her first vote as a Senator?

[tandys]

Ms Beverly Davis -- Great piece, and good news. One small friendly edit: In the final line, did you mean to write "illusive," or is "elusive" what you meant to say?

[koolwoman]

Anne, that's a lie that hasn't been passed around much. Maybe you can help it along. Hillary must be a lot stronger than most of us. She just shuns all the dirt thrown at her, and keeps her eye on the prize, and she is doing this hideous race for all of us. Go Hillary.!!!!!!!!!!

[KidMeNot]

All the dirt?? Eye on the prize?? Clinton the victim and her blind followers who enable her personal ambitions.

[seattlerock]

I wonder how much money Christine Samuels was promised from the Obama Campaign. Word has it he has been buying Superdelegates left and right
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/02/superdelegates.html

[tandys]

FOUL BALL.
The article you cite says CLINTON as well as Obama have been paying superdelagates. If true, this is shocking news, apparently all the more so as it would seem to be legal.

HOWEVER, your post is BLATANTLY fallacious, as you suggest that this is something only one side is doing.

[LoriAnn]

If that is the case then I am glad to know Senator Obama is making good use of my many contributions. You do a great dis-service to those who were chosen to be Super delegates since they were chosen for their devotion to the party. If thats all you got then I would say your pathetic attempt at skull duggery is laughable!!

[pbarba1969]

I'm real curious to have the Obama supporters address what Jesse Jackson Jr said. I've yet to see one Obama supporter say "thats out of line" or "thats wrong." Its a typical double standard. One set of rules for the Hillary Clinton and another set of rules for Senator Obama.

Had Bill Clinton said that most of the Obama people would be screaming racism from the top of the highest rafters.

This might win the nomination, but this stuff doesn't play in a general election....

[Fabienne]

I'm an Obama supporter and I think he's done a lot that's wrong -- just a lot less than Senator Clinton has done that's wrong. No one who is part of the political scene today has clean hands. It is up to us to change the system; it's far more important than supporting individual candidates.

[rcozad]

She is acting as if Obama had won the popular vote in NJ. He didn't!

[ladyhawkke]

Not only that-how about David Schuster saying that Chelsea was pimping votes for Hillary? You can bet your a** that if he had said that about Michelle Obama, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would have demanded he be fired. Also, I just heard on MSNBC that the superdelegates are being bought, $900,000 paid by Obama and $200,000 by Clinton. Apparently, you can buy the presidency. I'm hoping Hillary can win, Obama is not qualified to run this country. Once the Republicans start attacking him, he will be chopped liver.

[LoriAnn]

Uh...no, no and no. Senator Obama was a law professor, has been elected to offices and is a sitting Senator. How is he not qualified! That old argument is rediculous especially seeing the wreckage from the Idiot in Chief that holds the office now....education bought and paid for by Daddy, military service manipulated by Daddy and never having held a job outside of defunct oil businesses propped up by foreign investors (arabs). I dont buy the fairy tales anymore....someone needs to expand their reading lists!!!!!!!!!

[KidMeNot]

Give me a break with this reverse discrimination bull****. It's tired and so 1990s, just like the Clintons.

[pbarba1969]

The fact of the matter is Jesse Jackson Jr, the same guy who said of Senator Clinton right before thre SC primaries "where were her tears for the Katrina victims?" is once again playing th race card by saying to African American delegates "do you want to be the one vote that causes the first African American to have a shot at being President to lose? And he acknowledged saying that. So once again Jesse Jackson Jr, and the Obama campaign are playing the race card...

So to African American delegates who are jumping ship to Senator Obama please stop saying that's its because of what she said about Dr Martin King being disrespectful, which it wasn't (Senator Obama said it was "unfortunate") and that Bill Clinton is some sort of racist along the lines of "Bull" Connor". Step up to the plate and say "I'm African American and I am going to support the first African American who has a shot at bring President because my district voted for him or I think he's the better candidate."Simple as that.

But please, please stop saying whites and Hispanics (I'm Mexican American) aren't voting for Senator Obama because of racism. Stop holding others to one set of standards while the Obama campaign surrogates are telling African Americans another thing..

[AdLib]

Hypocrisy from a Hillary supporter, how novel.

You can't avoid reading or hearing every where you turn, "It's time a woman was president", "I'm voting for Hillary because it would be great to have a woman as President".

Do I find any of that in your "principled" attack on African Americans for voting for Obama because he's black?

Your selective principles, which only apply to those not voting for Hillary perfectly reflect her "convenient" principles too.

Talking about principles, how bout one far bigger, Hillary's stance that democracy, the majority vote of the people, should be thrown out in favor of having a small group of Super Delegates make the decision (because that now looks like the only possible way she can win)?

Or how about her making an agreement with ALL the other Dem candidates that the FL and MI elections would not count...then when she's in trouble, trying to break her agreement and shove through flawed elections, one of which had only her name on the ballot (was she planning this betrayal of the DNC and the other candidates all along?).

The whole concept of democracy is challenged by Hillary and you're "outraged" that people vote for Obama because he's black in the same way people vote for Hillary because she's a woman.

Very disappointing that Hillary and some of her supporters put winning ahead of true principles, democracy and the threat of tearing apart the Democratic party.

[RunningForHillary]

If anyone knows hypocrisy, you do, except you see it where it isn't. Pbarba1969 wasn't saying it was wrong for blacks to vote for Obama, just that he wishes they would call it for what it is. There is nothing wrong with blacks feeling justifiably proud of Obama as the first black candidate with a realistic chance at the White House. He makes a wonderful role model for young black men everywhere. But call it honestly. Don't make the stupid claims that blacks are supporting him 80%+ just because he's the "better candidate". We all know better. And Bill didn't make this about race by saying what I just said. It was already there.

As for rules, Obama likes to pick the ones he likes. He claims uperdelegates should not be allowed to vote their consciences, then persuades Roz to go back on her word to Hillary and vote against the choice of her state's voters. Whoopie! Oh, Whoopie just changed her mind and is now supporting Hillary, but she's not a Superdelegate, just an ordinary black voter who decided that Hillary would be better able to implement real change.

You want Hillary to "follow the rules" by ignoring the votes of 2.4 million people in FL and MI, who never gave anyone permission to ignore their votes. Yet you want Obama to ignore the rules regarding the Superdelegates, which have been in place for 20+ years, since he hasn't been able to win enough of those on his own.

Yes, you know hypocrisy.

[Snikta]

If anyone is putting winning ahead of true principles, it's Obama and his supporters. This campaign has never been even. Hillary has to fight the bias white male and practically all the black people. Anything and everything she or Bill says, is looked at with a spy glass and one will say it's racist and another will say it is sexist. She can't win. Any dumb door can see she is most qualified. I'm glad these Benedict Arnolds are jumping ship. They are showing their real true colors. They can't be counted on when the going gets rough. That includes when Obama or Hillary want to get an unpopular but a good bill passed, those rats will go for who will love them the most.

[saintswriter]

1. There are a lot of people pro and anti-Obama who are playing the race card. Should Senator Obama be responsible for each and every one?
2. Jessie Jackson, Jr. made a statement that someone overheard -- Erica Jung wrote a very long article in which she played the "gender card" - attempting to put a guilt trip on any woman who does not vote for Hillary.
3. Hillary is the one who constantly says "look at us, a woman and a Black candidate," pointing out the race and gender. Obama has never engaged in that.
4. Hillary uses the line in many of her stump speeches -- "A woman running for president! Now that's change!" Obama has never pointed out the fact that he is an African American running for president. Only that he's American.
Hillary is playing the race and gender card and so are her followers.