Posted on 03/06/2008 7:09:52 AM PST by OESY
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.
The scenario leaves the Democratic Party facing a stalemate with a variety of chaotic endgame scenarios - and a chance that a long, bloody contest could rip the party apart while giving Republican John McCain a leg up in his White House run.
The reason for the doomsday scenario: Democrats award delegates in each state on a proportional basis. So even when a candidate scores a resounding win - as Clinton did in Ohio Tuesday night - the loser still walks away with a sizable number of delegates.
The results from Tuesday night tell the story. Clinton had one of her best nights of the campaign, but she won a net total of only 12 delegates, according to an Associated Press count, barely making a dent in Obama's delegate lead.
The contests ahead in the remaining dozen states won't change the game in a meaningful way.
If Obama runs well in Wyoming (12 delegates) and Mississippi (33 delegates), where he is favored, he could come close to erasing the gains Clinton made in two big, populous states Tuesday....
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Might as well go down together, then.
ONLY GORE CAN STOP A MELTDOWN
March 6, 2008 — IF AL GORE can pull himself away from saving the planet long enough, he might want to consider rescuing the Demo cratic Party from the clutches of utter self-destruction.
Campaigning against an unpopular war in Iraq, a sputtering economy and a disappearing dollar, Democrats cannot lose in November.
But wait! They’re Democrats!
“The only reason we ever lose is when we beat ourselves,” one nervous Democrat grumbled yesterday as the primary dogfight dragged on.
Hillary Rodham Clinton has made it clear she won’t quit and no one expects Barack Obama to exit - and so on to the Denver party convention they go, viciously attacking one another all the way.
Forget the red phone for a national-security crisis. Where is the red phone for a political party trying to destroy itself?
And where is the party leader with the respect, stature, wisdom and influence to answer the crisis phone?
Former President Bill Clinton has a slight conflict of interest, not to mention that his wife’s campaign now has him sequestered in a secure, undisclosed location until the election is over.
Virtually powerless Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is a screaming castrato still regarded suspiciously by the party establishment....
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03062008/news/columnists/only_gore_can_stop_a_meltdown_100624.htm
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This is the only positive thing to come out of this election thus far.
[rimshot]
I doubt if it will get to the convention. The super delegates will step in and select Obama, the people’s choice. They may try to force Obama and Hillary to form a “Dream Ticket” with Hillary as VP as part of the compromise.
This is an excellent arguement FOR the electoral college.
The problem here is that candidates are winning states, getting proportional delegates, and there is NO clear cut winner.
The beauty of the electoral college process is that it is winner take all in each state, solidifying the entire process.
Obama is in big trouble as far as winning the nomination goes. He’s only up by a few hundred thousand votes over hillary. If she wins out and wins the overall popular vote, she’ll claim to be the choice of the people and I think the superdelegates, many pledeged obama delegates will side with her.
Plan to buy a lot of popcorn and just watch and enjoy the fight.
obama should actually run third party and really shake it up.
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Blacks are the Dems most loyal constituency. We are not only talking about this election but future ones. Payback is a bitch. I find it ironic, but the Dems will not take the nomination away from the black guy. If Obama were white, Hillary would be the nominee. LOL.
In addition, a lot of the old guard felt comfortable enough last week to jump team Clinton and endorse Obama...the party would be so fractured in Hillary wound up winning. And we know about the Clintons and grudges....
I still don’t like what Rush did. And I’m still not convinced that she’s not going to be the nominee...Obama’s star is fading and the Dems will do anything they need to do to win....if she gets into the White House, we will have Rush to thank in part...
It just demonstrates the arrogance of the Clintons. Any other candidate would have dropped out now for the good of the party. Obama has the numbers and Hillary just can’t catch up. In fact, Obama won more delegates in Texas than Hillary—something you don’t hear many in the MSM reporting. Delegates, not popular votes, count.
While I very much agree with the electoral college process, I don't agree what's happening with the rats is an argument against it. After all, even with proportional votes, one of the candidates will emerge with a higher total. The problem for the rats is entirely the issue with super-delegates.
I’m surprised no one has asked the Breck Girl to come to the rescue.
Must be those long hours working in the mill, I guess....
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