TresSugar

Barack Obama Clinches Nomination Ahead of Final Results

LibertySugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:35:44 -0700

Barack Obama has reached the magic number, and clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, according to the Associated Press delegate count.

The count is based on private and public delegate commitments. According to the AP, Obama has effectively claimed the nomination with 2,118 delegates, even if he loses the South Dakota and Montana primaries today.

Showing political savvy, Obama's campaign has secured enough public and private commitments from elected and superdelegates, on the last day of the primary season.

Superdelegate endorsements have been announced all day, thus ensuring his triumph will ride in ahead of the last two elections, instead of looking like a back-room, postponed deal made by party insiders.

Are you ready for the general election showdown? Here comes Barack Obama vs. John McCain . . .

Source

Should Al Gore Be the Democratic Nominee?

LibertySugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:00:40 -0700

Could this be Al Gore's chance? Some Democratic insiders seem to think so. Congressman and Superdelegate Mark Tomasik says Al Gore may head the Democratic ticket this November, if this thing goes all the way to the convention.

Rep. Tomasik thinks that the Democrats will accept a Gore/Clinton or Gore/Obama ticket. I'm a bit skeptical of the Gore and Clinton reunification, as a civil war between Hillary and Al may have ensued during the Clinton White House years. And who knows, Al is probably over this whole President of the United States thing.

I have to admit, this bit of Al Gore news made me sort of giddy! Would this be the ultimate dream ticket, and a way to mend the growing rift in the Democratic party?

Source

Check This: Do the Democrats Have a Death Wish?

LibertySugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:00:02 -0700

This morning I saw the latest Gallup poll showing Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama 49 to 42 percent among national Democratic voters. This got me thinking - what is going on with the Dems?!

Even people inside Hillary Clinton's campaign acknowledge that there is no way she can win more pledged delegates, and it is nearly impossible for her to secure a popular-vote victory. So, the only way she can win is if the superdelegates decide that they know best, and effectively take the nomination from Barack Obama.

The people over at the Politico, argue that journalists "have become partners with the Clinton campaign in pretending the contest is closer than it really is." This narrative seems to be working with the polled voters, who apparently think Clinton still has a realistic, and responsible, chance. To see how I really feel, read more.

This has nothing to do with who I'm voting for, but can Hillary really see this working out? Another poll just showed that one in five Democrats will defect to McCain if their candidate doesn't win the nomination. That's Democrats, not independents! The primary season may be driving a dangerous wedge through the party. Al Gore, where are you?!

Am I overreacting here? Perhaps this is how the system is designed to work, and once the Democratic candidates are tested, the winner will come out stronger. Perhaps, the superdelegates do consider other important factors that will help the Democrats win. I just don't buy it. What about you?

Hello, My Name is "Superdelegate." Rounding Up Their Profiles

CitizenSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:39 -0700

The Huffington Post is compiling an extensive dossier to allow voters to meet that mythical breed of creature that's oh, so influential this election: The Superdelegate. In an ongoing investigation soliciting input and profiles from citizen-journalists, they've built a roll-over map that pops up the list of available profiles from each state.

It's a tad more servicey than a round up of Facebook pictures (though arguably not as fun). Check in and meet the crew, including Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde, a superdelegate/beauty contest judge from American Samoa. All of the profiles collected will be donated on to the Superdelegate Transparency Project, dedicated to helping voters know who else has a say this election.

Source

What Counts as a Clinton "Win?"

LibertySugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:00:37 -0800

Super Tuesday, on February 5th, was supposed to be the day the Democratic nominee emerged. Instead, absolutely nothing changed. Today could be decisive, but I still get the feeling neither candidate is ready to call it quits.

Today, Hillary has a chance to break her 11-state losing streak. If she does well, and closes in on the delegate count, Obama's momentum could be irrelevant.

But Obama doesn't see it that way. On Monday, his campaign manager, David Plouffe, wrote in a memo to reporters: "While the Clintons gamely continue to try to move the goal posts, at some point there has to be a reckoning."

How far can the goal posts be pushed back and where does the field end? In such a tight race, under what circumstances (if any) should Clinton, now the underdog, exit the race?

Source

Everything You Need to Know About Today's Primaries

CitizenSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:30:05 -0800

Or close, anyway! It's your one-stop shop for definitions, delegate counts, and a chance to predict who will win each contest tonight with our patented CitizenSugar Junior Super Tuesday ballot.

On the info-front, want to calculate every possible delegate scenario tonight and see the outcomes? And just what is happening with the crazy Texas primary/caucus hybrid anyway? Want to figure out once and for all what the heck a superdelegate is? And caucuses - just how are they different from primaries? We've got you covered.

Oh, and just for fun, and because Hillary had her turn on The Daily Show last night, here's one more look at our famous McCain Singing/Obama Dancing Mash-Up. Now that's music to our ears.

Source

Lighten Up: Colbert Wants to Be a Superdelegate

LibertySugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:00:17 -0800

Stephen Colbert wants to join in the superdelegate fun, which apparently includes - capes, leotards, and special outfits to be worn in the smoke-filled rooms.

In this interview, democratic New York Governor Eliot Spitzer promises Stephen that he will do what he can to help Stephen fulfill his dreams of being a superdelegate. Check it out for a laugh.

Where I'm Clicking Now: The Delegate Hub

LibertySugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:00:15 -0800

Delegatehub.com believes that Hillary Clinton has a path to the nomination, so long as the superdelegates exercise their independent judgment.

In order to makes its point, the Clinton-sponsored site has outlined five facts about superdelegates (or automatic delegates).

Here are the "five facts":

Pledged delegates and superdelegates are the same - they each count for one vote.
Neither candidate can secure the nomination without superdelegates.
Superdelegates are expected to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and the Democratic Party.
Florida and Michigan should count, both in the interest of fundamental fairness and honoring the spirit of the Democrats' 50-state strategy.
There is a clear path to an overall delegate majority (pledged + super) for Hillary Clinton after all states have voted - with or without Florida and Michigan.

I don't know about you, but fact #4 sounds more like an opinion to me. The site goes into more detail, and also keeps track of current press articles regarding superdelegates. Check it out, and then tell me how you feel about the site? Should Florida and Michigan be seated? Are superdelegates unfair politics?

Inconvenient Timing: Hillary Receives Big Endorsement

CitizenSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:00:27 -0700

If an endorsement falls in Hillary Clinton's forest on the same day Barack Obama gives a huge speech about race, does it make a sound? If it does, it's muffled at best.

Yesterday Representative John Murtha (D - PA) endorsed Hillary Clinton, the first superdelegate to line up behind her since her victories in the last big primaries. The endorsement is key for a number of reasons:

Murtha is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He created a stir in 2005 by calling for an end to the war in Iraq, and in his endorsement stated that Clinton has "a similar position" on the conflict. This is significant backing given Obama's reliance on his 2002 speech against the war and his subsequent attacks on Clinton's war vote. Having Murtha's approval on her Iraq position and plan strengthens her cause.

But wait, that's not all! Please read more.

As Clinton seeks to close the delegate gap by rallying the superdelegates, Murtha's support for Clinton paves the way for three other Pennsylvania superdelegates to echo the dean of their state delegation. Reps. Robert Brady, Michael Doyle, and Tim Holden are big Murtha supporters and have so far been undeclared in the presidential campaign. Big props in Pennsylvania also help bolster Clinton's Keystone Cause among voters.
Murtha's got cred. He's served in the House since 1974 and he's chairman of the US House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee that oversees defense spending.

It's huge. It's a big backing from a big fish with Iraq credibiltiy. Why, oh why then was it announced on the same day as Obama's speech? Did they think that it would be big enough to squash his race-based buzz? Given the shy attention given to Hillary's Iraq policy speech on Monday, and her apparent vague grasp of the content of Obama's speech, what in the world is going on at Hillary HQ? Surely her lack of enthusiasm about it was to strategically defray the buzz? Right?

Is Murtha's endorsement a boon? Will more superdelegates follow suit?

Source

So What Happens Now? The Election Keeps Keepin' On. . . .

CitizenSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:45:07 -0700

I wonder if anyone is as exhausted as CBS must be this morning after having called Indiana so early, and then having to wait - alone- as Hillary's lead shrunk. They must have been sweating it to say the least. But when the counting was done, Hillary indeed took Indiana by a thin, two-point margin. Obama won North Carolina, 56 percent to Hillary's 42.

Here's what I'm wondering about this morning. Though the New York Times is calling Obama's win in North Carolina "decisive," it's far from big enough to call off the race altogether (Hillary is moving on to West Virginia this morning) and yes, winning by 14 points is sizeable, though it's hardly overwhelming? Earning 42 percent of the vote doesn't make you a Ron-Paul-five-percenter if you know what I mean. Oh, I'm just warming up, read more.

And I can't help but drudge up the specter of the general election. (Oh yeah! That! I'd almost forgotten that's what we're working toward.) Obama called his win in North Carolina a win in a "big state." Yup, that's true - a big red state. Now math isn't my friend, and I know that Hillary faces some, um, numerical opposition, but so does Obama! The Times is calculating that Obama picked up 64 delegates yesterday to Hillary's 60. That's not so many. There were more delegates at stake in Guam on Saturday! (OK, the same amount, but the point is, small.) The totals now: Obama, 1799; Hillary, 1662. Total difference=137. In that margin, therein lies the will of the people?

And there are a million exit poll demographic numbers, but what about this: In Indiana, Hillary bested Obama among both rural voters (68 percent to 32 percent) and suburban voters (53 percent to 47 percent). There are a lot of those folks voting come November.

Yes, the big story this morning is Hillary's announcement that she's lent herself $6.4 million over the past month, making her the biggest wallet reacher since Mitt Romney, but how much of that money was needed just to combat the media drumbeat of her imminent doom? Is the 137 delegate margin more significant than I think? Was any of Hillary's success last night thanks to Republicans calling for spoiler votes? Should we all resign ourselves to ride it out? Isn't that what the Democratic Party's plan (with its proportional wins and superdelegates) all about? Isn't it just working exactly as they've planned (ahem, straight to a superdelegate brokered convention?) (OK, OK, sorry! But . . . um?) Let me know what you think.