A Message to Uncommitted Superdelegates: You Must Commit This Week or Risk a McCain Presidency

Dear Uncommitted Superdelegates:

Time's Up. Game Over. Point, Set, Match.

You may have hoped that you could wait to commit until you could simply ratify a majority already in place and thus avoid pissing off the Clintons or their supporters among your constituents. It's now too late for that. If you don't declare yourself this coming week, before the Rules and Bylaws Committee meets on Saturday, May 31 to resolve the Florida and Michigan situation, you risk Clinton further challenging any compromise for three more months right up until the Denver Convention, and there being no presumptive Democratic nominee through the summer. The likelihood, then, is a McCain presidency, a divided Democratic Party, and even more harm to your political career than if you acted now.

Until recently, there was hope that a May 31st compromise on the Florida and Michigan delegations would resolve that unfortunate situation once and for all -- seat half of those delegates, seat all of them but give them each half a vote, and/or apportion a reasonable number of Michigan delegates to Obama (many of whose supporters voted "uncommitted" after he joined most other Democratic candidates in taking their names off the Michigan ballot).

Hillary Clinton now seems to be taking the option of a compromise off the table. Clinton and campaign operatives like Howard Wolfson and Terry McAuliffe are sending signals that Hillary will accept nothing less than seating the full Florida and Michigan delegations as elected (including allocating zero delegates from Michigan to Obama). If the Rules and Bylaws Committee does anything less on May 31st, the Clinton campaign is strongly suggesting that it will not accept the results, will take their challenge to the Credentials Committee which meets on June 29, and if still not satisfied, will continue the challenge Obama's nomination all the way to the Convention at the end of August where it will try to fight a Florida/Michigan compromise from the floor.

In recent days, Hillary has compared her efforts to change Democratic Party rules and seat the Florida and Michigan delegates as elected to the abolitionist movement against slavery, the movement for women's suffrage, the civil rights movement to ensure African Americans the right to vote, Bush v. Gore, and struggle of the majority of voters in Zimbabwe to remove Robert Mugabe from power. For the Rules and Bylaws Committee to do less than Hillary demands, would, in her view, be an injustice of such magnitude that she might be entitled to carry the struggle all the way to the Convention. In any case, who knows, Hillary now suggests. Something may happen in the next three months to harm Obama or his candidacy, thus further justifying her keeping the nomination open through the summer.

Maybe Hillary is bluffing, but the Democratic Party can't afford to take the chance. It would be the height of irresponsibility for undeclared superdelegates to allow the Democratic Party and the presidency to be put at such risk.

This is not a question of whether in the abstract you believe Obama or Clinton is the better nominee. Unless you are willing as a superdelegate to overrule the millions of Democratic primary and caucus voters who have given a majority of legal elected delegates to Obama, you have no choice but to declare for Obama.

If approximately 125 of the 212 remaining uncommitted superdelegates declare for Obama this coming week, before the May 31st Rules Committee Meeting, then the Rules Committee could grant Hillary's demand to seat the Florida and Michigan delegates as elected, without effecting the outcome of the nomination. Obama would still have enough delegates to be the nominee, even with Hillary's new delegate math of 2210. Hillary would have no basis for further challenges. Democrats who voted in the Florida and Michigan primaries would have no grounds to feel aggrieved, strengthening Democratic chances in those states in November.

The Democratic Party could then unite behind its candidate, five months before the November elections, and have sufficient time to run an effective and unified campaign against a "third term for President Bush".

UNDECLARED SUPERDELEGATES: If you lack the courage to declare before May 31st, you risk the Democratic nomination battle continuing through the summer, putting the future of the Democratic Party, the United States, and the world in danger. If you won't commit out of idealism, then do it for the sake of your political careers. Democrats will not soon forget those who choose instead to run and hide.

Comments

[maribelle1963]

Your argument is dead on right. Superdelegates, take heed.

I thought the whole purpose of Superdelegates was to LEAD the party. So lead already!

[PennyLeonard]

Superdelegates
Remember, the wilderbeast on Animal Planet
Swim NOW over the crocodile infested river so Hillary(Crocodile) won't single you out and gobble you up as the last remaining wilderbeast.
MOVE OVER NOW and just say NO to Hillary, like Hillary SHOULD have said NO to the Iraq war and SHE CHOSE to say YES to the IRAQ WAR and NAFTA, and SHE said to Whitewater, FILEGATE, TRAVELGATE, The Rose Law Firm Scandel, Vince Foster, and Read the Clinton Body Count(google) not to mention she is just like McCain, Bush, all part of the "OLD BOYS" Politician Club.....no Change here.
Scott McClellan had courage, I wonder if one of Clinton's skeletons( if still alive) will jump out with a book after this election.

[Alecki]

Both candidates should be fighting for the people.

Obama is not actitng like the President I would like to support the people.
Hillary is fighting for the people.

The only reason that Obama doesn't want these states included, which would be a big mistake, he wil lose. He will lose his bragging rights "I have the most pledged delegates".

[Underthematrix]

Hillary is fighting for herself. Sen. Obama has repeatedly said that he wants the Florida and Michigan delegates seated even though their primaries were illegal. Read the memo the DNC lawyers prepared for the rules committee - which is they can either seat half the delegates or make each delegates vote = 1/2. Hillary wants the delegates seated at full value.

Michigan will probably go 50-50 since Obama was not on the ballot, which mean 1/2 the delegates or 1/2 votes for each delegate.

Florida will probably be apportioned based on the actual primary.

Neither of these outcomes will affect the outcome. Obama will still be the Democratic Presidential nominee.

[hhkeller]

Only self serving MEN can be president. Its built into the constitution.
Just becuse women have the vote it doesnt make them smarter or braver.
LOL.

[SickOfSpin]

Alecki--Barack Obama has not wavered regarding seating the Michigan and Florida delegations, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. He signed an agreement not to campaign in Michigan and Florida, as Hillary Clinton did, and he removed his name, as John Edwards did. He said he was honoring the DNC's decision to sanction the two states for moving their primary dates up. Even though Hillary had initially agreed, she changed her mind when she began to lose. Obama has maintained ALL ALONG that he would honor whatever the DNC said should happen. It's on the record that Hillary has refused to accept any compromise other than seating ALL of the delegates from Michigan with Senator Obama getting 0. It's ludicrous. She has been the candidate who has thrown a wrench into getting the delegates seated. Pay close attention in the next few days, pay very close attention. See who is conciliatory and who isn't...

[walk0nwalls]

Faulty logic.

Obama stands to lose nothing by having all these states count.

Clinton stands to lose everything by not having them count in full.

Putting aside momentarily neither of their names were supposed to be on the ballots. His name wasn't even ON the ballot in Michigan, and neither one campaigned in Florida.

Faulty logic.

[OhMyGoodness]

Hillary is fighting for Hillary. You want proof? All you have need to know is that she agreed to the rules until she needed them changed. I don't understand what's so difficult for you people to grasp that.

[lotuslike]

"you must commit...." Yeah, I'll tell you WHO we must commit alright!

[meltingpot101]

It's odvious that Hillary has decided to go with the all or nothing strategy now. Either all of the delegates be sat from Michigan and Florida or else....

She wants to be President or nothing at all.


How Bold.

[SickOfSpin]

Yes, apparently her specious arguments represent tenacity and strength to her supporters. It represents egocentric self-service to me.

[NanWhit]

In recent days, Hillary has compared her efforts to change Democratic Party rules and seat the Florida and Michigan delegates as elected to the abolitionist movement against slavery, the movement for women's suffrage, the civil rights movement to ensure African Americans the right to vote, Bush v. Gore, and struggle of the majority of voters in Zimbabwe to remove Robert Mugabe from power. For the Rules and Bylaws Committee to do less than Hillary demands, would, in her view, be an injustice of such magnitude that she might be entitled to carry the struggle all the way to the Convention. In any case, who knows, Hillary now suggests. Something may happen in the next three months to harm Obama or his candidacy, thus further justifying her keeping the nomination open through the summer. THIS IS BARACK OBAMA (AND MY CAMPAIGN STAFF) AND WE APPROVE OF THIS COMMENT!!!

[pdsimdars]

Amen!!!

[BluesDogLefty]

Here is one way to think about just how absurd this argument is.

Its January 2nd--the day before the Iowa caucuses. HRC makes the same argument. Why not? If it is true now, then it was even more true then. Why have a primary at all? Why bother to let all these people vote? If you are going to discount the voters will after the fact and suggest another criteria should be used, then why not before. Save a lot of time.

Why? Because if she said to supers before the primary began that---if Obama gets more votes, then they should disregard that fact and still give her the nomination---people would be outraged. So, why is it acceptable now?

This is ridiculous.

[Spesabsquemetu]

Sadly, it seems Sen. Clinton's intent is to carry the divisiveness all the way to Denver, regardless of whether Sen. Obama gets the nomination. It seems her intent is to REVERSE the decisions in August, AT THE CONVENTION.

It would be unethical to grant the full delegation seating from Michigan or Florida. To grant full seating is to do an egregious disservice to the American people, and to the very process of democracy that must function under ORDER and RULES, if democracy is to be protected.

How can there be any will OF " BY and FOR the PEOPLE, if the very process by which that will is expressed becomes contaminated and corrupted?

As for Clinton's intentions, it seems adherence to integrity of a pledge, and the ethics to uphold the very democratic process which is supposed to PROTECT THE VOICE AND WILL OF THE PEOPLE - is not something valued, while the 'myth' that what she is currently doing - is being done "for the good of democracy", is the most egregious dishonesty yet being spun.

The question is: are we willing to close our eyes to these assaults on democracy? Are we willing to deceive ourselves into believing that Clinton, who had absolutely nothing to say while the culinary workers in Nevada were being sued by her surrogates in order to make voting virtually impossible for them - is now suddenly concerned for the "rights" of voters in Michigan and Florida?

[sheikwil]

This just goes to show why Obama has more delegates and superdelegates than HC, she is such a low life loser her and her husband that she thinks she can bully the SD into stealing the nomination from senator Obama. She don't care how low she will stup to try and get what she want. She would not win against John McCain because she is too hated, just having the bubba vote will not help her in the National Campaign. Because of what she is doing she is really killing her career as a politician for the future. Bill Clinton is trying to save his legacy, which he already lost when he had sex with that women in the WhiteHouse, what a low life these two are. The people that supported them the most in his time of trouble were AA and they have given them their a$$ to kiss with the nasty way Hillary has run her campaign, from calling out her KKK members and just out and out lies, but they will show her when she run for the Senate again who a$$ will have to be kissed to keep her in there because she won't be the nominee. I live in NY state and voted for her the last time, but never again. I also was born and raised in Florida, so I wouldn't vote for her regardless of what state I am in.

[VotersForObama]

HuffPost's Pick

Thanks, Miles. Obama gained two more SD"s today " Democratic Party chairs Pat Waak of Colorado and Meredith Wood Smith of Oregon. Both states voted for Obama.

For an easy to use, state-by state, daily updated list of all the superdelegates that shows who is still undecided, and how to contact them by phone or e-mail, visit our website:

http://www.supervoters.org

We are focusing on superdelegates who are also elected officials and accountable to their constituents. Our site has sparked petition drives to superdelegates in seven states including North Carolina, where we first organized.

Take five minutes and use the tools on SuperVoters.org to contact an undecided superdelegate near you.

Erik Ose
Co-Organizer, Voters for Obama
Chapel Hill, NC

[EyeWantOneNation]

Excellent post...and thanks for the link.

I will most definately be getting on the emails today....

Thanks again !!

[Pammy1151]

All you wacky people that have nothing better to do than argue and fuss on here need to get a life. I am an Obama supporter. I TRUST him to know what he is doing. He got us this far. Let him do what he needs to do here. You are just adding fuel to the fire for the Clintons. He is being respectful and classy about all this and you should be also.

[campgranata]

actually not ending this race is the only smart move many of the super delegates have made. Hillary's babbling on about every one in America getting to vote is not going to be used against them by ending this before the last primaries are held. Everyone will have voted by June 3rd and then, I believe, the super delegates will officially end this debacle and send the dumbest 'smartest woman in the world' packing.

[KISSman]

I agree with this article, but given the fact that only half of the delegates in Florida and Michigan will be able to be seated (according to Dem lawyers today) and combined with the rumor that Obama has lined up 3-dozen superdelegates to back him the day (or so) after the final primaries, I really think this thing will be completely over with by June 5 whether Hillary keeps running or not when Obama finally reaches the magic number.

[EGNY]

Despite the (deserving?) label of "spineless," many supers, in and out of Congress, HAVE stood up. So, the remaining supers have an example to follow.

HRC supporters" bluster about working against supers who come out for Obama is, I suspect, just that. Bluster. These people are so lost in "identity politics" that they can no longer fully separate their own identities from Hillary's. They"re so insane with rage, they're venting like so many volcanic fissures. The thing is, volcanic fissures that vent their steam, don't generally explode. Once the current drama of primary political soap-opera is gone, few will maintain the vitriolic rocket fuel they're currently running on, long enough to stay motivated for the tedious business of "laying in wait" to exact political revenge.

I also wonder whether the fears about FL and MI voters are similarly misplaced. Miles speaks of the need to ensure that FL & MI voters "¦have no grounds to feel aggrieved, strengthening Democratic chances in those states in November." As opposed to what? Seriously, how many people in these states are going to vote some vague sense of "disenfranchisement" over the huge issues at stake in this election? Perhaps a few Clinton supporters -- fueled by Bill and Hillary"s shameful efforts to gin up misplaced resentment against Obama -- will stay home. But, despite Bubba"s reckless efforts to say otherwise, I suspect the rest of the voters in those states are smarter than that!

[SickOfSpin]

EGNY--You better believe that we are! Hillary's transparent disingenousness has done nothing for her cause. She agreed that our delegates in Michigan would not be seated...until she was losing. For her to be braying on a daily basis for our delegates to be seated, in total, for her is outrageous. Many of our voters just stayed home for our primary because we couldn't vote for our candidates of choice--and we weren't about to vote for Hillary by default.

We are upset about the whole Kangaroo Court in Michigan but we recognize that it isn't the fault of the candidates. It's the fault of Michigan's Democratic party leaders by ignoring the rules and regulations of the DNC...and that will be a battle for a different day...Political heads ought to roll over this one!

[speciallady2003]

In terms of the issues I am a true democrat. but why are they so wimpy? Hillary needs to be closed down and the DNC already decided FL and MI before their primary, so this meeting strikes me as bizarre.
If they want to seat the delegates because they screwed up, fine-- but don't count them for anything, unless our Representatives in government want to show us they are no better than Republicans in FL circa 2000.