Free Republic

According to Politico, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have despaired of any outright victory before the Democratic convention in Denver this August. The delegate math doesn’t allow for either to win without the superdelegates, and so the remaining contests will matter more for their symbolism rather than their actual delegate counts, especially for Hillary. Can she frighten enough superdelegates about Obama’s prospects against McCain to get them to support her despite being behind in pledged delegates? Yes, there will be the usual commercials, speeches and town halls in the remaining states. But the prime audience for the candidates isn’t...

Cannot be posted due to copyright issues: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008803150328

In a scenario that many Americans never imagined -- or understood -- Puerto Rico is poised to play a crucial role in choosing the Democratic presidential nominee. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they cannot vote in the general presidential election. But both main political parties have allowed them and other U.S. territories to participate in the primaries. In the past, Puerto Rico's participation in the primaries was often overlooked by mainstream America. This was likely because of the fact that Puerto Rico's presidential primary has always been one of the last held. So by the time the commonwealth's caucus...

Campaigning in Pittsburgh Friday, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., began her day at a gas station talking about energy. But what fuels her conversations these days are superdelegates, those 800 or so party insiders and elected officials who get a vote at the Democratic Party's convention in Denver this August. If the Democratic nomination battle goes all the way to the convention, those superdelegates could determine which candidate wins the nomination. Clinton's Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has gained 50 superdelegates since Feb. 5. Clinton has lost eight superdelegates. Private Dinner at Clinton's Home Trying to win over those who...

A funny thing is happening. While Hillary and Bill appeal to super delegates to override the will of the voters and back Hillary, the super delegates are doing just the opposite. The latest delegate count posted on realclearpolitics.com shows that Hillary’s lead among super delegates, once a comfortable 60 votes, has now been cut almost in half to 36 delegates. The latest tally has Hillary leading among super delegates by 247 to 211. So, with 57 percent of the super delegates decided, Hillary’s lead is shrinking. In fact, Obama’s total delegate lead has swelled to 163 votes among elected delegates...

Despite their apostasy in holding early primaries in defiance of the powers that be in the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Michigan and Florida both deserve to have do-over primaries. It is ludicrous to suggest that their current delegations should be seated and equally inappropriate to disenfranchise the nation's fourth- and eighth-largest states. The obvious and only fair solution is to hold do-over primaries. In Michigan, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's name did not even appear on the primary ballot. He obeyed the national rules and pulled out of the contests, while N.Y. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton chose to keep her name...

By the way, it's a good idea for you to keep floating the notion to the punditry that the Florida and Michigan voters aren't "disenfranchised" if their votes are not counted. Keep saying they are simply paying for their arrogant disregard of the rules. (None of them seem to have caught on that the officials who okayed the early primaries knowing that would nullify the votes are super-delegates whose votes will count anyway, even if they fixed it so the ordinary party members in their states will lose their votes. Way to go!) This approach completely distracts people from realizing...

If New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigns, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton will be down one superdelegate. The scandal-tainted governor and his lieutenant governor, David Paterson, who is a Democratic National Committee member, are among the roughly 800 superdelegates who will also cast ballots at the August nominating convention. Both support Sen. Clinton. The DNC confirmed yesterday that New York would lose Mr. Spitzer's superdelegate slot if he resigns.

Within the Democrat Party establishment there is a curious tradition that has been contrived - the Superdelegate - those who have the power to undo a candidate and their delegates earned within free, fair and open elections within the Democrat caucases and primaries. Barack Obama (as well as his supporters) could find - at the end of this process - his nomination squashed and upended by the superdelegates even if he leads in the popular vote and has more earned delegates through free fair and open elections. How? Superdelegates. They who are the guardians and keepers of the Democrat Party;...

Freshman Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton has enough to worry about this year: He's in a swing district, and Republicans are working feverishly to unseat him this November.Now he has another headache: As one of 796 Democratic superdelegates, he could help tilt the presidential nomination to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. But supporting either one could alienate fans of the other - which could cost McNerney votes he needs this fall.No surprise, then, that the 56-year-old former wind engineer would prefer to avoid the choice altogether: "I'll make a decision when I have...

As the Democrats plod on towards delegate disaster in Denver, more and more leading party members have begun floating the notion of do-overs in Florida and Michigan. New primaries or caucuses could bring back 350 delegates into the process and might help solidify support behind a single candidate, taking the pressure off of the superdelegates before the national convention. Methodology remains a big problem, although Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) tries his best to minimize it (emphasis mine): And there is a practical and affordable way to conduct another election that would be fair to all involved, and should gain the...

What happens if, despite leading in the pledged delegate count, Barack Obama fails to gain the Democratic nomination for president? It's a scenario that is becoming more likely after this week's results in Texas and Ohio revived Hillary Clinton's campaign. And Ed Morrissey sees what many Obama supporters are already hinting at; a massive amount of dissatisfaction not only with Democrats but also with the electoral process itself: Obama himself will be the real source of the disillusionment. No one in politics could live up to the expectation he set for himself and his campaign, especially one who comes out...

A prolonged race may inspire voter hoopla but could floor the party's chances once a nominee is finally selected.What if the coronation that is the 2008 Democratic National Convention turns cutthroat? Could a presidential primary race so energizing that it has brought record numbers of voters to the polls and will result in the nomination of a historic candidate end in disillusionment, anger and feelings of betrayal? Top Democrats are beginning to resign themselves to the chance the party won't know who will win the presidential nomination until after delegates take the floor of the Pepsi Center in August. That...

Hysterical wingnut overreaction to the “Re-create ‘68!” jackassery that’s percolating in some leftist circles? Indeed, if you count HuffPo among the hysterical wingnuts. Hope and Change from the mailbag of lefty author Rick Perlstein: Rick, if the Machine tries to give the Clintons the victory at the convention, I swear to God, Chicago’s going to look like a Sadie Hawkins dance. People my age are going to be throwing stones. We all have transportation — cell phones — disposable income — the Internet — free time — and Seattle as our example. Part of me is scared of a riot....

This is getting entertaining. . . With Hillary firmly in the race after her Texas and Ohio victories, the Dems are setting about forming that circular firing squad for which they're famous. Evidence comes from this morning's Today show. First, goodbye Obambi, hello Rambo-ama. Then, DNC Chairman Howard Dean on the hot seat, snapping at David Gregory, calling his suggestion that a nominee decided by party elites would appear undemocratic "complete nonsense." View video.

WASHINGTON -- Leading Democrats scrambled Wednesday to prevent the closest, most riveting presidential contest in decades from tearing the party apart, as the odds rose that neither Hillary Rodham Clinton nor Barack Obama could clinch the nomination without angering large blocs of voters. Anxiety within the party swelled after Clinton's victories Tuesday staved off elimination and gave her fresh momentum, yet did little to eat into Obama's lead among delegates -- the people who will formally pick the nominee at the Democratic National Convention in August. Clinton trails Obama by 105 delegates after netting about a dozen more than he...

Flexing their new power to determine the Democratic presidential nomination, a bloc of Ohio superdelegates is withholding endorsements from Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton until one or the other offers a concrete proposal to protect American jobs, two Ohio Democrats told Politico Wednesday. The apparent deal among Ohioans is the first evidence of superdelegates’ banding together and seeking concessions from the presidential candidates in return for votes at the convention. It’s a practice that could become more common after Clinton’s victories in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday put her back on solid footing in her race against Obama and...

Despite a confetti drop and a confident victory speech Tuesday night, there is virtually no way Hillary Rodham Clinton could wrap up the Democratic nomination simply by winning the remaining 12 contests ahead. Nor, for that matter, could Barack Obama - although he maintains a thin but significant lead over Clinton among the number of delegates who get to vote at the party's convention this summer. For either candidate to clinch the nomination, they must rely on a group of roughly 350 uncommitted "superdelegates" - lawmakers, party bigwigs and insiders who get to vote however they want at the convention....

Hillary Clinton ceased to be the Democratic front-runner weeks ago, humiliatingly enough for her formerly inevitable campaign. But it was only after her drubbing in the Wisconsin primary that she became an inconvenience, the superfluous woman of Democratic politics. Among elected Democrats and the press, there is a palpable impatience with Hillary’s continued presence in the race: Won’t this lady ever leave so we can consummate our love affair with Barack Obama? Hillary’s bulwark was to be the Democratic establishment, but here was the party’s immediate past presidential nominee, John Kerry, an Obama supporter, shooing her off the stage. On...

Read all about it at the link, details to follow....