Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Superdelegate endorsements for Tuesday 5/13
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Obama gets 4 superdelegate endorsements so far today
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Senator Obama worked to help address the needs of our Gulf Coast communities. As the Gulf Coast continues to rebuild, other cities have faced tragic disasters across this country. Therefore, it is critical that this country’s infrastructure and emergency response systems are evaluated and rebuilt to sustain our cities and protect our families. What happened in Louisiana should never happen again.
I have learned firsthand that a unified constituency can make what seems impossible, possible. Senator Obama represents a new generation of leadership, one that can help heal the divisions of the past and unify this country so that together we can build a stronger future. – Ray Nagin
And from Rep Joe Donnelly (IN)
“Today, I am pleased to announce my support for Barack Obama. At a time when too many Americans have lost faith in their government, Senator Obama can move us beyond the politics of stalemate and gridlock that has kept us from meeting the monumental challenges of our time: our dependence on foreign oil, a health care gap that leaves tens of millions uninsured, the steady deterioration of our manufacturing base, and an economy that is not working for working people.
Former Colorado Governor and DNC Chair Roy Romer has just endorsed Barack Obama on a conference call. Announcing because the Colorado state convention is this Saturday and it will help to make better decisions regarding Florida and Michigan. Says the race is over and Obama’s lead cannot be overcome.
Washington DC Democratic Party Chair Anita Bonds has also endorsed Obama
Superdelegate Anita Bonds, chair of the DC Democratic Party, announced last night that she will endorse Sen. Barack Obama at the Denver convention.
The announcement was impromptu and prompted, she said, by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) who put her on the spot at a meeting of Democratic delegates in the John A. Wilson Building last night and asked if she was supporting Obama.
“I said, ‘Okay,'” Bonds said in her first interview about the subject.
Posted by Oreo at 9:53 AM 
A factoid for the numerically inclined: given this morning’s three announcements (Donnelly, Nagin, Romer), this means that there are now exactly 200 named undeclared superdelegates left (if one subtracts the 43 remaining add-ons who have not been named)…
My guess is that this steady stream will continue until May 20th, after which all remaining uncommitted Super Delegates will declare.
These superdelegates are a bunch of cowards. They all disregard what they really believe, disregard who they had already pledged support for, to jump on a band wagon that is going by. What a bunch of cowards. Afraid to stick to their guns and commitments. Obviously their word is as good as mud.
Todd, you seem to have a problem there. Most of the super-delegates now backing Obama had not been backing anyone yet. Now, some have switched from Clinton, but in the main these switchers declared for her at the start when she was ‘inevitable’. I agree that it may not be nice to switch after declaring support but it is their right to do so. But your statements that “these superdelegates are a bunch of cowards” and “They all…” are so blatantly a cry that they no longer support who YOU want them to support that I cannot help but regard your post as a plaintive cry for lost opportunity.
Thralen
Thralen,
You can regard my post anyway you want. I don’t support either of these two candidates. I just find it rediculous that these superdelegates pull support from one cadidate to another, just to what seems to me, to suit their own agendas. You know, throw your support behind the candidate who will obviously get the nomination, and hope something good comes from it for them, instead of keeping up the support that they had already pledged to another. Shows poor ethics and shows that they have no loyalty to previous commitments. Typical Democrats I suppose.
With today’s endorsements, Obama is now in the lead among superdelegates even when Michigan and Florida are included.
Todd:
Well since I think the current totals of superdelegates that have switched support from one candidate to the other are 9 out of something like 560 that have declared I have a problem with the generalization that you are making. Regardless of whether you support one or the other candidate to blast the superdelegates because less than 2 percent have switched is not very logical.
I don’t know if you thought more than that were switching or what. However: “disregard who they had already pledged support for, to jump on a band wagon that is going by.” shows a total lack of impartiality between the two candidates as well as yourself being uniformed regarding the superdelegates (As I said, under 2% is NOT a good reason to make such a sweeping generalization).
That’s ok though, as you say ‘typical democrats’ as I reply “typical attack GOP tactics” taking the facts, misunderstanding them and then basing an attack on your misunderstanding. Those who have been following things can see through it. For those that are still trying to grasp the SD issue and the like I felt that I probably ought to reply so they aren’t misled.
Thralen
I am very excited about the process. Yes, it is a long haul. Yes, there has been some “mud”. And yes this is basic stuff in politics. I look beyond it all and see that for the first time in a very long time we actually have a huge number of people going to the polls and expressing their opinion. I am an independant and base my vote the person, not the party. The longer the candidates are in the public eye, the better we get get to know them,