Posted on 04/03/2008 3:32:43 PM PDT by mdittmar
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is unlikely to catch rival Barack Obama in pledged delegates, hinted on Thursday that she hoped to persuade a few to back her instead of him.
"There is no such thing as a pledged delegate," Clinton said at a news conference in California, where she has been fundraising.
Both Clinton and Obama planned to address the state convention of the North Dakota Democratic Party Friday, where delegates to this summer's national convention will be allocated. Obama crushed Clinton in the state's Feb. 5 presidential caucuses, 61-36 percent.
The former first lady said she was traveling to North Dakota to thank her supporters and delegates — and wooing Obama supporters was fair game.
Pledged delegates are "misnomer. The whole point is for delegates, however they are chosen, to really ask themselves who would be the best president and who would be our best nominee against Senator McCain," Clinton said. "And I think that process goes all the way to the convention."
While the DNC has no rules requiring pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses to vote for the candidate, the people who serve as pledged delegates are selected by the campaigns who won them and loyalty is a key qualification.
Obama currently leads in the delegate count, 1,634-1,500, according to The Associated Press. Because of the way Democrats apportion delegates, Clinton is not projected to catch Obama even if she has a strong showing in the remaining 10 contests.
Neither candidate can win based solely on pledged delegates. The nominee is likely to be chosen by some 800 superdelegates — elected officials and party insiders free to side with any candidate they choose.
Clinton's comments came as one of her prominent supporters and superdelegates, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, said that he would consider switching to Obama if Clinton doesn't win the popular vote.
In an interview with CNBC, Corzine expressed confidence that Clinton will pull ahead. And he agreed the race will be over if she doesn't get a "big win" in the Pennsylvania primary April 22.
"You have to have a real cut into this popular vote and I think she's going to get it, though," he said. "I feel good about that."
Obama leads Clinton by about 740,000 votes out of more than 28 million cast. That figure excludes the outcome of the Michigan and Florida primaries, which were nullified because the two states moved their contests into January in violation of Democratic Party rules.
Clinton won both Michigan and Florida, and she and her supporters have pushed to have the votes from those contests counted. Obama's lead would shrink to about 120,000 votes if the results of the January contests were recognized.
Corzine said it would be hard for Obama to argue to superdelegates that he should be the nominee if he loses the bigger states, but "I think you need at least a popular vote" to win the nomination.
Asked whether he would take his superdelegate vote for Obama if he were ahead in the popular vote in the end, Corzine said he didn't think that would be an issue but he's "reserving the right."
At her news conference, Clinton also:
_Denied that she told New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that Obama can't win the general election. Richardson endorsed Obama.
"That's a no," Clinton said when asked if she made the comment to Richardson. "We have been going back and forth in this campaign of who said what to whom and let me say this, that I don't talk about private conversations but I have consistently made the case that I can win."
_Sidestepped questions whether she or her husband discussed Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's controversial former pastor, when making their case to superdelegates. In an interview this week, Clinton adviser Harold Ickes acknowledged that he raised the subject of Wright and his anti-American sermons with superdelegates, saying Republicans would use the issue against Obama if he became the party's nominee.
"I think most people have made up their minds about what they think of it," Clinton said of the Wright matter. "Certainly it was heavily in the news and people sometimes have it on their minds. I think most voters process it and figure out they think about it."
Campaigning in Altoona, Pa., former President Clinton criticized Democrats who have suggested his wife bow out.
"They're telling you, 'Oh don't worry, this doesn't matter, and it's OK if we disenfranchise Michigan and Florida, we got this deal under control. You guys just be quiet and go away.'" Bill Clinton said. "Let me tell you something. I've been in politics a long time. People don't tell you your votes don't count unless they do."
___
Note to Obama: Guard your henhouse, Hillary is coming to steal your chickens! bwahahahaha!
She still hasn't learned that words can cut both ways, and come back to haunt her like a B-movie horror flick. I can't wait for this sound bite to be played when BHO takes her delegates!
Popcorn time!!!!
What a complete loser this woman is.
She just gave those of a mind to the green light to support Obama instead of her.
Who says she isn’t the smartest woman in the world?
She’s been playing the “Do you want a peek at your FBI files” game, hasn’t she?
Best video edit I’ve seen of Hillary under ‘sniper fire’
The pledged delegates are whores that are holding out for who’ll give them the most. This is fun.
We haven't seen anything yet. The next month should be a doozy...
It’s true; there are no pledged delegates. There are only Democrats waiting for bribes. It’s all such a sham.
Is she stocking up on horse heads by any chance?
This political race just keeps on giving.
I am shocked, just shocked, that no one asked her about her lying and almost obstruction of justice during the Watergate investigation.
“Pledged delegates are “misnomer. “
So is voting apparently, to Hillary.
I guess that is what comes from allowing the deceased to vote for so many years.
Sounds like a new GAME: Steal the Delegates! I’m going home to work on a patent and figure out how to make money on the dems stupidity...
Jim McDermott came out for obama,obama doesn’t know what he’s up against.
"Either your brains or your signature is going to be on that contract..."
Way off topic, here’s something that always bothers me every time I see THE GODFATHER (many times). We’re shown that Michael Corleone is a decorated combat veteran Marine, who enlisted right after Pearl Harbor. As such, he had to have gone through really horrendous stuff, a lot of killing and death, etc. Yet, when he volunteers to off those two guys in the restaurant, Sonny and the other mafiosi treat him like he’s fresh out of college and would faint at the sight of blood. It makes no sense. He’d be more experienced with death than all of them put together.
this should chill your blood - and democrats, too. Just imagine the kind of country we might get... ("Imagine, there's no Heaven....")
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