Superdelegates line up behind candidates

Barack Obama is closing in on Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's advantage among superdelegates, building on his lead in the primary race even as he faces troubled times.

Party leaders are encouraging superdelegates to pick a side by late June to prevent the fight from going to the national convention in August, and it seems some are listening as the race enters its final five weeks of voting.

Chelsea Clinton got a superdelegate for her mom while campaigning in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, just as Obama press secretary Bill Burton sent out a statement announcing the support of Rep. Lois Capps. The statement didn't mention the personal connection — Capps is Burton's mother-in-law.

Clinton had a big jump start among superdelegates, many of whom have ties to the Clintons and backed her candidacy early on. But most of the superdelegates taking sides recently have gone for Obama, who has won more state contests.

Obama trails Clinton by just 20 superdelegates, 243-263, cutting her lead in half in less than two months. This week, he picked up seven delegates to her four.

The superdelegate chase is a key piece of good news for Obama in what has been a bad week. The Illinois senator is coming off a big loss in Pennsylvania, steeped in controversy surrounding his outspoken former pastor while Clinton fares better against Republican likely nominee John McCain in the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll.

But the problems aren't stopping his ability to win support from superdelegates who are likely to cast the deciding votes in the Democratic race.

Superdelegates are nearly 800 elected leaders and Democratic party officials who aren't bound by the outcome of state contests and can cast their ballot for any candidate at the national convention.

OBAMA's campaign is finished.

It doesn't matter what the numbers are. Americans will NOT vote for a presidential candidate who is in fact , a closet rascist, who hates white people.

Rev. Wright has done America a tremendous favor.

I am sure he did not intend to do so.

I think the Dem leaders are afraid not to nominate Obama.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I Agree absolutely. What makes your statement even more important is thet the Obama political machine has an extremely high "thug" factor.Obama's political backroom boys have know connections with African politicians who are Islamofascists and who have committed genocide.Rial Odinga is only one that we know of. There are likely many others. Obama works hard at keeping that information out of his "hope and change" image. The press has gone along with Obama on that. Very little has been said about Obama's "Kenyan" citizenship, but he essentially will bring black power politics into the White House, and thereby divide America, re-introducing violence and introducing tribal politics into America's political system. Tribal politics are what run the Democrat Pat=rty's Black Caucus. And even the federal department of justice is circumspect about the Dem Black Caucus, for example,giving House Rep. Jefferson a pass on his kick back scheme with African nations getting grants from the federal governemnt.

I think your prediction of the Dem party being scared to NOT nominate Obama is very, very true.And Hillery hasn't got enough thugs in her bag to make the grade with the backroom boys of the Dem Party.Bill did have, but they are now obscure,or dead, thank God. Obama is a stone cold thug.I found that out by closely investigating his work in Kenya for Odinga in August of 2006. That was enough to turn me off on Obama.And its not rascism. I would vote for Colin Powell over McCain in a heartbeat.

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