Hillary Says Pledged Delegates Up For Grabs

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-03-26 12:55pm

(CNN) — For the second time in three days, Hillary Clinton has told reporters that the “pledged” delegates that are awarded based on vote totals in their state are not bound to abide by election results — an idea that has been floated by her or a campaign surrogate several times this month.

“…Every delegate with very few exceptions is free to make up his or her mind however they choose,” she told Time Magazine’s Mark Halperin in an interview published Wednesday. “We talk a lot about so-called pledged delegates, but every delegate is expected to exercise independent judgment.”

Supporters of her rival, Barack Obama, disagree with Clinton’s assessment.

“Despite repeated denials, the Clinton campaign has again admitted that they will go to any length to win,” Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Wednesday.

– From CNN’s Rebecca Sinderbrand

Is anyone really shocked at this? Hillary keeps saying that the nominations will be determined by the will of the people when it's convenient for PR then does an about-face to say the pledged delegates can pick whoever they want.

The Spartan · Post by **The Spartan** » 2008-03-26 01:01pm

Where's that picture of Baghdad Bob when you need it?

Nothing would be more appropriate at this point.

Seriously, what the hell is she doing!? Does she want at least four more years of misrule? For Christ's sake, I can understand not wanting to give up but this stopped being reasonable at least a month ago. Bitch, quit!

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2008-03-26 01:04pm

The Party is the People.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2008-03-26 01:08pm

The Spartan wrote:Where's that picture of Baghdad Bob when you need it?

Nothing would be more appropriate at this point.

Seriously, what the hell is she doing!? Does she want at least four more years of misrule? For Christ's sake, I can understand not wanting to give up but this stopped being reasonable at least a month ago. Bitch, quit!

If HRC would fight 'clean' (or as least not sink to the level she's done in the last month), I'd have no problem with her going all the way to the convention.

The problem is that her tactics are threatening to split the Democratic Party in two, and she doesn't give a shit.
At this point, she's more like a spoiled 8 year old throwing a tantrum because she can't get her way.

I'm really beginning to believe her thinking is that if she destroys Obama's 'electability' this year and he loses, she'll be able to run again in 2012.

IOW, 'If I can't win, no Democrat can'.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2008-03-26 01:12pm

The thing that further annoys me about this is how the media is not even touching on how she cannot win. She cannot fucking win this by election results. She needs these super delegates but the media keeps sticking to this white knuckled tension bullshit when each primary comes up. Goddamn they make me ill with their dishonest bullshit tactics.

Two things have ruined American journalism.

The 24 hour news cycle and business conglomerates owning media outlets.

We no longer have a media that works. And the only ones that could report this to the American public is...the media.

irishmick79 · Post by **irishmick79** » 2008-03-26 01:16pm

I don't see how this really serves Clinton's chances in 2012. If she somehow manages to screw Obama out of the nomination at this point or destroy his electability, she'll be making a lot of enemies in the party. It's now or never for Hillary. I'm starting to think that the only way she gets taken out of this race is when she gets to the convention, security physically hauls her out while she kicks and screams about her destiny and puts a couple of shots into her in some alleyway somewhere.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2008-03-26 01:38pm

Seeing how more and more of the bigshots are coming around to Obama's side, does anyone else find it highly ironic that, come the Convention, a whole bunch of her supporters could vote for Obama and leave her there hanging? Ah...imagining the sweet, sweet look on her face as she tastes her own bitter medicine...

Then again, if she manages to clinch nomination...

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-03-26 01:56pm

What would truly be comical would be the spectacle of her squawking if a good number of her own pledged delegates, in the wake of this announcement, defected to Obama.

Kodiak · Post by **Kodiak** » 2008-03-26 02:00pm

I'm really hoping we get a good picture of her looking at a digital tally of votes at the convention that show her beaten, with a grimace on her face, and then we can de-motivate that picture into hundreds of "Epic Fail" posters.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-03-26 02:08pm

What's really sad in this whole sordid mess is how Hillary still seems to be under the impression that she is the true peoples' choice and that it only awaits that magick moment when the spell that Obama has cast over millions will somehow be broken.

Of course, this also speaks to the possibility of a lot of skullduggery and armtwisting being employed to try to turn enough Obama delegates to vote Clinton.

Hillary Clinton will drag the Democratic Party down to defeat if it's in her power to do so, heedless of the consequences. She really is that far gone now.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2008-03-26 02:18pm

I imagine she's on the bridge of the Executor screaming 'INTENSIFY FORWARD FIREPOWER!!!'

Then she gets hit with an A-wing.

Oni Koneko Damien · Post by **Oni Koneko Damien** » 2008-03-26 02:38pm

Remember when Al Gore demanded a recount in Florida? Remember how everyone cried out about how silly and childish he was being?

Where's that public outcry now?

Pablo Sanchez · Post by **Pablo Sanchez** » 2008-03-26 02:58pm

Stravo wrote:The thing that further annoys me about this is how the media is not even touching on how she cannot win. She cannot fucking win this by election results.

K. Olbermann has been impressing me a little lately with his work on the issue; he's very much had the tendency to look past the Clinton-Obama tussle towards (seemingly) an Obama-McCain race. He's also been less afraid to point out that Clinton doesn't have the mathematical chance to win, and to bring on guests who point out that Clinton will need to win every remaining contest with a 65-35 split in her favor just to catch up to Obama's lead, and it's just not going to happen. It's just not.

There's also the cryptic statements from Harry Reid to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, about how the situation is going to be handled. My read on it is that pretty soon Dean and the other party leaders are going to have a sit-down with Hillary Clinton and tell her to drop out of the race, because Obama has already beaten her and they won't have her stretching it out just to make the eventual nominee and the entire party look like shit with her death throes. Probably they'll tell her she's done, she and Bill have to dial back their public appearances until after November, and not one wrong note about the party or the candidate or they'll fuck her so hard in the committee seats that she won't know what hit her.

That's what I think, anyway.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2008-03-26 03:03pm

What she said is technically true but exceedingly unlikely; usually delegates are very devoted to the candidate they are supposed to represent, and it takes a lot to change their minds.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-03-26 03:14pm

Guardsman Bass wrote:What she said is technically true but exceedingly unlikely; usually delegates are very devoted to the candidate they are supposed to represent, and it takes a lot to change their minds.

Of course, ordinary delegates that don't support the candidate they're pledged for can find themselves removed from the delegate pool.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2008-03-26 03:24pm

Didn't one of her staffers leak that they'd do this before Texas/Ohio and they denied it then? Why doesn't the media bring that back, and throw it in her face.

The Original Nex · Post by **The Original Nex** » 2008-03-26 03:30pm

She's right. Pledged Delegates may switch allegiances. One or two usually do at the Convention. However, if it EVER happened in such mass that it CHANGED THE RESULTS OF THE NOMINATION, the politician that instigated it would be ruined forever.

Alferd Packer · Post by **Alferd Packer** » 2008-03-26 03:33pm

Pablo Sanchez wrote:There's also the cryptic statements from Harry Reid to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, about how the situation is going to be handled. My read on it is that pretty soon Dean and the other party leaders are going to have a sit-down with Hillary Clinton and tell her to drop out of the race, because Obama has already beaten her and they won't have her stretching it out just to make the eventual nominee and the entire party look like shit with her death throes. Probably they'll tell her she's done, she and Bill have to dial back their public appearances until after November, and not one wrong note about the party or the candidate or they'll fuck her so hard in the committee seats that she won't know what hit her.

That's what I think, anyway.

I read on an election site that the scenario might go like this: Howard Dean and the other DNC bigwigs will make Hillary an offer. They'll say, "Drop out of the race now, and Harry Reid will step down as Senate Majority Leader and give that position to you." She gets her position of power, regardless of the outcome of the general election. If Obama wins, they can get shit done. Hell, if she courts a few moderate Republicans, she might even have a filibuster-proof majority. If McCain wins, she and possibly as high as fifty-eight other Democrats can make his presidency a living hell if he tries to play hardball.

But I think that's speculation, probably based on the same statements above.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2008-03-26 03:55pm

I've heard the theory of the DNC offering her the Senate majority leader position as a consolation prize, too. It does make sense, but Hillary strikes me as William Shatner with none of the charm. She's not going to take a role where her name doesn't appear either first or last in the opening credits.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2008-03-26 04:40pm

The Original Nex wrote:She's right. Pledged Delegates may switch allegiances. One or two usually do at the Convention. However, if it EVER happened in such mass that it CHANGED THE RESULTS OF THE NOMINATION, the politician that instigated it would be ruined forever.

Exactly. Unless getting delegates to switch is step one in her plans for a coup de'tat, she's not going to make it work.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2008-03-26 05:52pm

Durandal wrote:I've heard the theory of the DNC offering her the Senate majority leader position as a consolation prize, too. It does make sense, but Hillary strikes me as William Shatner with none of the charm. She's not going to take a role where her name doesn't appear either first or last in the opening credits.

I'm hesitant that they would go that far as offering her the Majority Leader's post but if they did offer it up I think she would jump at it. As truly cynical and gifted a politician as she is its apparent even to her that she cannot win. She is merely holding on and fighting in the hopes that Obama makes one huge mistake that makes her relevant at the 11th hour. Given that I think she would jump at the chance to be assured the majority leader's post but I'm lessc ertain that this is what might be offered.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2008-03-26 06:16pm

I don't think the DNC would have any problem tossing Reid out on his ass. Thus far, he's shown to be a total, spineless failure. He talked tough coming in, but he bent over backwards to accommodate the Bush administration on things like telco immunity for illegal wiretapping, and there are a lot of Democrats who are pissed off at him.

Thankfully, we had a guy like Chris Dodd, who actually gave a shit about the Constitution. (Incidentally, I'd love to see Dodd as majority leader, but if him foregoing that post means Hillary drops out of the presidential race, that's a fair trade.)

BountyHunterSAx · Post by **BountyHunterSAx** » 2008-03-26 06:34pm

I don't follow politics nearly as much as I should considering that I go to GWU. Has there been any more talk of an Obama-Hillary ticket? Have either of the candidates made any statements as to its theoretical workability?

-AHMAD

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2008-03-26 06:47pm

BountyHunterSAx wrote:I don't follow politics nearly as much as I should considering that I go to GWU. Has there been any more talk of an Obama-Hillary ticket? Have either of the candidates made any statements as to its theoretical workability?

-AHMAD

Hillary 'offered' Obama the number two slot, he flatly rejected it, at which point her campaign decided they had never even considered making him VP. As for the other way around, do you really think Her Majesty would consider playing second fiddle?

Mlenk · Post by **Mlenk** » 2008-03-26 09:17pm

Stravo wrote:The thing that further annoys me about this is how the media is not even touching on how she cannot win. She cannot fucking win this by election results. She needs these super delegates but the media keeps sticking to this white knuckled tension bullshit when each primary comes up. Goddamn they make me ill with their dishonest bullshit tactics.

Well, to be fair, it's been stated that neither of them, no matter the outcome of the remaining contests, will be able to win on pledged delegates alone. Both will need the help of superdelegates to win the nomination.