Top Clinton Adviser Says Superdelegates Will Decide Election, Obama's Victories 'Irrelevant'

Fox News ^

[Sub-Driver]

Top Clinton Adviser Says Superdelegates Will Decide Election, Obama's Victories 'Irrelevant'

Saturday , February 16, 2008

A top Hillary Clinton adviser on Saturday boldly predicted his candidate would lock down the nomination before the August convention by definitively winning over party insiders and officials known as superdelegates, claiming the number of state elections won by rival Barack Obama would be "irrelevant" to their decision.

The claims no doubt will escalate the war of words between the campaigns, as Obama continues to argue superdelegates should vote the way of their districts. But the special class of delegates, which make up about 20 percent of the total delegate haul, are not bound to vote the way of their states and districts, as pledged delegates are.

Obama leads handily in the pledged delegate count and has won more states but trails Clinton in superdelegates, making them potential and controversial deadlock-breakers if the race ends up a dead heat come convention time.

Harold Ickes, a 40-year party operative charged with winning over superdelegates for the Clinton campaign, made no apologies on Saturday for the campaign's convention strategy.

"We're going to win this nomination," Ickes said, adding that they would do so soon after the last contest on June 7 in Puerto Rico. "You're not going to see this go to the convention floor."

[ought-six]

“And no one is even asking the questions - this is like the mindless craze that swept Hitler to power.”

Precisely.

[montag813]

The Obama supporters will riot in Denver if this happens!

I said on this forum on December 21, that 2008 DNC Convention would be like the 1968 one, and destroy the party. All has been proceeding according to my vision.

[montag813]

If this happens, it may finally convince blacks that the Dims are not their friends.

Perhaps the Clintons are going to reming white voters that Obama is the "Black Candidate"--and nothing more. Plenty of evidence abounds...from the Rev. Wright, to Minister Farrakhan, to Obama's "civil rights" work after law school.

[Pagey]

Harold Ickes is the one she went to FIRST when she originally considered running for Senator of New York. HE told her what she had to do and directed her in doing so. I loathe the guy too, but he is a Powerful political man and his ties to New York are THICK. Stated more simply, he wields great power in New York Politics and has for years. Hell, his father worked for Pres. Roosevelt, that’s how far back that history goes.

[NavyCanDo]

I can see the 1968 convention riots happening all over again. A War Liberals are against and a feeling they are getting the shaft with the nominee.

[billmor]

Obama’s victories are ‘irrelevant’ ?...Spoken by Marigold Pickles.....what a weird little commie he is....one of the sickest, nastiest cronies ever appointed by Billary...

I hope their Dynasty is buried and done for by August...disgusting...and to think the poor sheeple fall for this and think this is ‘democracy’...No, this is totalitarianism at it’s boldest...

[blackdog]

Keppie is yiddish for head. Your punum is part of your keppie. Since you like your men with intelligence, good luck in your long and lonely life.............

[ought-six]

“Super delegates need to go away, how can voters stand for this?”

We’re talking about Democrats here. Dem voters will do what they are told.

[blackdog]

Marigold Pickles............He he he.....Very good.

[montag813]

Harold Ickes is no political hack. He is a serious man, with serious power and influence within the party. Remember his granfather...

Harold LeClair Ickes (March 15, 1874 – February 3, 1952) was a United States administrator and politician. Ickes served simultaneously in several major roles for President Roosevelt. Although he was the Secretary of the Interior, he was better known to the public for other roles in which he served simultaneously. He was the director of the Public Works Administration. Here he directed billions of dollars of projects designed to lure private investment and provide employment at the depth of the Great Depression. He carefully orchestrated a system of patronage that formed the basis of the modern American system of entitlements and special interest groups while moving unemployment rates little from their rate at the time of near 21 per cent.

The Ickes Family was Democrat royalty, well before the Kennedys.

[spokeshave]

scumbagness = scumbagerry

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Clinton will probably have to offer Obama the #2 spot, but he doesn’t have to take it. He can threaten to go 3rd party and that would guarantee her loss.
Now if Obama was at the top of the ticket...sheesh, he would gain nothing by having her in the #2 spot. Nothing except a target on his back. I don’t see him giving her a place on the ticket. Her and all her baggage? Where’s the CHANGE in that?

So there’s no Clinton/Obama ticket, no Obama/Clinton ticket.
I’m thinking Obama/Edwards.

[TADSLOS]

Sounds like the Denver PD will be busy with riot control duties in August.

[tpanther]

This is crazy (but they say God is in control)...

what if McCain being attractive to moderates and even some libs is what ultimately saves the country because certain segments of the hypocrat party end up feeling disenfranchised?

They say God works in mysterious ways!

[beckysueb]

LOL! Good thinking! I wish I could remember my DU screen name and password.

[beckysueb]

Everyone is portraying Obama as niave and plays by the rules. He doesn’t! He got in the state and US Senate by playing dirty. He knows how to do it. I wouldn’t be afraid to say he can make the Clintons look like rank amatuers, and he will before its over.

[Brices Crossroads]

“Harold Ickes is no political hack. He is a serious man, with serious power and influence within the party.”

I don’t know how serious he is, but this maneiuver is gonna cause an earthquake. He may even succeed in stealing the nomination from Obama via such a backroom deal. I doubt it. If he does, there will be riots surpassing Grant Park, Chicago, 1968. If Obama wins the nomination, McCain creams him. If Hillary steals it from Obama, the party is irretrievably split and McCain wins that one too. The only question is under which scenario would McCain get the larger landslide. The Presidental race will be effectively over before Labor Day.

[mkjessup]

I had a most disturbing dream the other night, I dreamed that the ‘Rat convention (end of August) did indeed slam the door on Obama, and Hiliarly ended up as the nominee with Bill Richardson as her VP candidate (pandering for that Hispanic vote).

Then, I had this vision of John McCain at the Republican Convention, winning the nomination the very next week (September 1st to the 4th) and announcing that Senator Obama was changing his affiliation to the GOP, and he had accepted McCain’s invitation to join the ticket as his running mate.

McCain/Obama ‘08.

Me scared. Somebody hold me please. LOL

[beckysueb]

Finally, somebody gets it.

[montag813]

If Obama wins the nomination, McCain creams him.

You are dreaming.