Yes He Will. Because Yes, We Can.

In the aftermath of the Reverend Wright tornado, many of Barack Obama's most ardent supporters have begun to feel a bit of trepidation, a kind of uncertainty that is deeply unsettling. What was easily the most trying week for the Obama campaign appeared to follow a week that was nearly as bad. With the Clinton campaign on the war path, pressing their message that Obama's candidacy would be doomed in November, and with a hungry media, happy to oblige in repetition, it has become difficult for some to wade through the spin to the truth. Is November really slipping from Obama's grasp? Is the nomination?

The answer to both is a resounding no.

As the race for the Democratic nomination nears its end, the Clinton campaign is entirely dependent on superdelegates overturning the pledged delegate count. Her best -- and only -- argument to the superdelegates is to paint Obama as unelectable, and to have that message echoed through the mainstream media. But were there any inclination among superdelegates to lean toward Obama, what better time than now? Coming off so many lost news cycles, a disappointing loss in Pennsylvania, and a pastor out of control, Obama's candidacy has hit its low point.

Yet there is no indication whatsoever that superdelegates are inching toward Clinton. Quite the contrary, Obama has picked up more superdelegates than Clinton since his loss in Pennsylvania and Reverend Wright's reemergence. Among them were Joe Andrew, former DNC chair and former Clinton supporter. In an open letter to other superdelegates, Andrew warned:

"No amount of spin or sleight of hand can deny the fact that where there has been competition, Senator Obama has won more votes, more States and more delegates than any other candidate. Only the superdelegates can award the nomination to Senator Clinton, but to do so risks doing to our Party in 2008 what Republicans did to our country in 2000. Let us be intellectually consistent and unite behind Barack Obama."

It seems clear that other superdelegates will agree. Paul Kirk, another former DNC chair, is expected to announce for Obama today, as well. And Senator Claire McCaskill, one of Obama's most vocal advocates, reported that among remaining undeclared elected superdelegates on Capitol Hill, the vast majority are actually unannounced rather than uncommitted. Her whip count has Obama with the lead, enough for her to quote James Brown's "I feel good."

With no shred of evidence to suggest that superdelegates would even contemplate overturning the pledged delegate winner, it is possible, but extraordinarily unlikely, that Clinton will be handed the nomination.

Campaigns so often fail when those running them lose sight of the goal line. David Axelrod, David Plouffe, and Barack Obama have their eye clearly on the ball. The ball is John McCain, the goal line, November. Even as Hillary speaks of Obama's inability to win in the general those states he lost in the primary, a new Quinnipiac poll shows him with a nine point lead over McCain in Pennsylvania.

At a time that is clearly Obama's lowest point and easily McCain's highest, McCain still can't move beyond the margin of error. Once Obama can pivot to the general election, and spend his money and efforts defining McCain as he should be defined -- an extension of the Bush presidency in every respect -- McCain's numbers are guaranteed to drop. With 81% of the country looking for a new direction, they simply need to be convinced that McCain is nothing new. What easier sale could there be?

Throughout the election, the Obama campaign has consistently demonstrated a keen ability to stay on message, on target, and in striking distance. They have earned a credibility that cannot be so easily squandered by Reverend Wright's ranting and a media itching for a new storyline. They will weather this storm, because we will weather this storm. The movement that Obama has built, the new kind of politics that grows from it, has not been diminished or quieted. We are still here. We are still strong.

Will Obama win this election? Yes he will. Because yes, we can.

Follow Dylan Loewe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dylanloewe

Comments

[jaynevada]

Check the ABC News story on Congressional Pork: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Vote2008/Story?id=4572406&page=2

"Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., received 53 earmarks for his state, worth $97.4 million... Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has never asked for an earmark.""

Obama asked for a earmark for his wife's employer, and her salary more than doubled.

Let's all chant together "Yes we can, yes we can. WE WANT MORE EARMARKS, MORE PORK, MORE CORRUPTION"

And then chant "Change we can believe in. WE WANT MORE PORK, MORE IGNORANCE, MORE CORRUPTION".

[claylandg]

Why is everyone so mad about the gas tax?? I know it's not much money and clinton has said in every speech that it's not a fix she has a longterm plan for help with gas prices ,even in her speech lastnight she laid it all out, I know it's not a problem solver ,i know there needs to be more done she has said so on many time so why is everyone think that's all she would do?? Get the facts people before you really sound stupid. But hey I'll take the 18.4 cents per gallon give it to me . I can't actually believe anyone wouldn't want money as little as it is. Get real Hillary knows it just for acouple of months. This isn't the first time it has been done it was done 2 times before in the clinton yrs and bush yrs look it up and we all survived. Get the facts !!!

[cindyw]

You should get the facts about the number of layoffs that would occur if the gas tax were suspended for the summer, and about the needed highway repairs that will be delayed so that the average driver can save about $25 over a three month period.

[Scarllatti]

Thanks cindyw for reminding these dimwits who will rather collect $25.00 only to have over 300k of our citizens laid off work just for political expediency. These looneys reminds me of the BLIND (Hillary) leading the LAME (those who support Hillary on the gas tax issue). It is like eat today and quench tomorrow.

[claylandg]

CNN reported superdeligate for the week for both canadites were 9 to 9 even!!!! but that never gets repeated ony Obama super get counted and put on the news everyday but it's was even for the week.

[Shozen]

Thank you for the up lifting editorial. The Clintons, Clintonistas, and the Media have played up the line of "Comeback kid" so much I think they are beginning to believe it. I find it hard to talk to other Obama supporters who just watch the news and but don't look at the delegate numbers. The Clintons are running like most of the country still needs to vote. Hell they are fighting for the delegates from Guam. Never has a potential nominee ever needed delegates from Guam! But Clinton does. What a loser.

There is a silver lining from this Clinton cloud however. When the Republicans start going negative in the fall Obama can just say to the country, "Are you sure you want McCain? Because there they go again, going Clinton all over me!"

[rwe]

LOW POINT????????The flag pin is only deflection used by the obamaciders as if this wre an issue.. Wright ..still no resolution ,only speeches of necessity... Farrakhan :more heinous, Ayers is a bombing ,killing terrorist,,,, Rezkow, more to come every day... But the big guns will come out for Chicago,Cook County, Illinois... taxing obscenity 10.25 % sales tax ,highest gas prices in country , most corrupt on planet and all run by Democrats.

[willygoo46]

Yes Dylan, and that is the true sadness of this whole affair. Despite any outcomes in the remaining 9 states, Obama, the man who said let the people decide, has pandered and promised and cajoled the Super Delegates so that he can win this election at any cost. The man has demonstrated that every move in his career has been purely political. As a lifelong Democrat I am saddened that Obama has brought this party to the brink of ruin. He is a man with vision - one vision - himself. He will, like his contemporary cronie Deval Patrick ( Massachusetts Governor) bring the country to economic colapse early in his administration. Obama is a charlatan.

[YWCYWC]

Some of you "anti-Obama" bloggers are so transparent. Either you are paid minimum wage as bloggers for Huffington and your job description is to agitate the readers to keep them hooked, or you are Rush Limbough air heads whose whole reason for existence is to parrot your leader's ignorance.

[momofsix]

If you had been paying attention you would know that superdelegates have all been saying that its the Clintons that have been calling them multiple times a day and pandering to the point where they are turned off. Most say that Obama calls once or twice a week. You have taken Hillary's intimidating behaviors and attributed them to Senator Obama.

[annawing]

What are you? Karl Rove? I could take everthing you have said, take out Obama's name, insert Hillary's name, and it would then be a true comment. You need to pay attention.

[blaqntelligence]

A "charlatan" who consistently tells the truth even when it hurt
vs.
A person trying to gain street cred by lying about sniper fire, then lying about the lie.
Give me the charlatan any day.

Hillary Clinton remind of the young men wearing their pants around their ankles because their jailbird "heroes' do it.
And would piss on themselves if they ever went to jail.

Thugged Out Hills.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

the ONLY reason that obama's campaign is at any kind of "low" is because of the all-out war of desperation clinton has waged, trying to retrieve "her" nomination using every despicable tactic in karl rove's playbook

the fact that barack continues to go from strength to strength is a sure indicator that the american voter and the superdelegates are sick of hillary and her selfish, despicable and negative campaign against a fellow democrat

SHE'S HISTORY

HE'S THE FUTURE

[ResidentChimp]

In the end the Dems will shoot themselves in the foot and pick Obama. But not before demostrating how incompetent they are. the fact remains that a far left candidqate has never been elected as President. Nothing else matters. The Dems can scramble to get on the titainic and rearrange the deck chairs, but they're still going down. Obama doesn't have enough support groups to avoid a landslide loss.

[BlondieM]

Thanks, Dylan. Obama has remained clear and on message despite all the crap thrown at him. He kicked it tonight at the JJ Dinner in NC. He is the leader we need - not another liar. Clinton is past redemption and the sooner this is over the better. Keep on rolling out you super delegates. Let's hear from people like Udall in Colorado who has bashed her over this ridiculous gas holiday idea. Time to step up, Supers! Reality in Hillary's world is getting more and more warped. Let's get on with the real work of taking this country in the right direction with a leader who honors the people and inspires us to step up to being part of the solution.
Obama 08 Indeed we can!

[Dustee]

Thank you for your uplifting message Dylan Loewe. It's something we can all use at the end of a long hard week.

YES WE CAN!

I think I'll go and make another contribution to the Obama campaign!

[kburlz]

This isn't even a fair fight. Obama has to run with an eye on November, so he can't attack Hillary and risk losing her supporters. Hillary, on the other hand, is free to throw the kitchen sink and has nothing to lose. Obama is smart to run out the clock and stay above the fray. If he's tied with Mccain now, he should be fine when he has one opponent instead of two.

[AjicNYC]

LOL above the fray lol

like when he just said today that Hillary is using the republican playbook and she sounds like bush with this with us or against us.

Well all in all at least you see that he is a POL like the rest of them , lol, playing basketball whenever he can now. LOL

Obama turned out to be a joke , real sad

[momofsix]

Of course he's a politician, he's running for president. But he has played a lot nicer and more fair than she has. She has played the opportunist every chance she gets. Oh and by the way he always played basketball every chance he got he just lets the cameras in now. As far as "either your with us or against us" she said and should be made to take responsibility for her words and actions. Especially when "us" includes McCain!

[politicojunkie]

Thanks Dylan. Need to see something positive. There is so much negative crap that is hard to take.

[naschkatze]

Dylan, maybe it's because Hillary Clinton's campaign has also hit a new low that the superdelegates are looking at our guy.

[krissymax]

Keep singing to the choir. Keep giving pep talks into the mirror, or wake up to the reality that Obama can't win in November and that he has only begun to face the fire on Wright, Rezko, Ayers and those voters who elected George W. Bush in 2004 will NEVER vote for him. The numbers don't add up. Obama has only received more than 50% of the white Democratic vote in nine states including his home state of Illinois and the very red states of Utah and Idaho.

[antaeus]

Wait, you seem to be saying that Obama's prime rationale on the electability argument--that he "changes the electoral map"--is more wishful thinking than reality.

[Oldchef]

Many of us realize that this "guilt by association" crap is just that, crap! i knew people in college who ended up in the Weather Underground, that doesn't mean I agreed with them. I just went to school with them. Hillary was a Goldwater girl in college, does that mean she's still a secret Republican? I don't think that because Hillary is splitting the white vote in the primaries means that Obama does not get white democrats' votes in the general election. Do you truly believe all white voters will migrate to McCain in the general? Clintonistas have been pushing that theme, but I don't believe it.

[Nezua]

i like this one.