Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Superdelegate endorsements for Tuesday 5/20
WE’VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com
Obama leads in superdelegates so far today with 2.
Guam Representative Madeleine Bordallo has endorsed Obama
“Today I have pledged my support as a superdelegate to Senator Barack Obama. Senator Obama offers us the leadership needed to address the challenges Guam and our nation will face in the coming years.
Senator Obama is working very closely with Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and other Senate leaders to secure more support for H.R. 1595, the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act. Senator Obama fully understands and supports the efforts to seek full recognition for the patriotism and suffering endured by the people of Guam during enemy occupation in World War II.
Senator Obama has also pledged to help improve Guam’s economy, including through opportunities with the military build-up—an issue I have worked very hard on since taking office—and I believe he is the right candidate to help move Guam and our nation forward given the challenges we face in our world today.”
Iowa DNC Chair Scott Brennan has endorsed Obama
Iowa Democratic Party chairman Scott Brennan has endorsed presidential candidate Barack Obama. Brennan is a super delegate to the Democratic Party’s national convention in August.
“John McCain’s run three ads here and has been here and I want to be able to get started on our general election and I think as of tonight Senator Obama will have a majority of pledged delegates…the pledged delegates seems to me to be a real marker.”
Massachusetts add-on superdelegate Attorney General Martha Coakley has endorsed Clinton
“I am determined to see a successful Democratic campaign for President in November. I believe that the Democratic primary has demonstrated to the American people that there are two able and hard working candidates, either of whom can win the presidency. Either will be a huge improvement for America over what the Republicans have offered for the last eight years and what they offer now for the next four. I will support whoever is the nominee of the party.
“However, as one of two unpledged delegates elected by the Massachusetts State Committee, I have determined to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton. Running for office under any circumstances is arduous and stressful; it is at times exhilarating and at times exhausting. It tests the issues, the families and supporters, and the very core of the candidate. Running for President of the United States is all of that many times over.
Posted by Matt at 12:52 PM 
Miss. Rep. Chiilders will be sworn into Congress today at noon, becoming a superdelegate.
http://www.sunherald.com/218/story/572146.html
Do superdelegates from Guam cast a half vote or full vote?
Why is this delegate listed in red?
Guam gets full votes. The 8 “Democrats Abroad” superdelegates get 1/2 votes.
Eric Coleman of Michigan has endorsed Obama, though his vote does not count at this time:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080520/NEWS15/80520044
We added Coleman a week ago.
Isn’t she the one that Stephen Colbert interviewed in the “Better Know a Territory” segment? He kept asking her why she got to vote if Guam was not part of the United States.
CNN just went to 307-277. For a second they were up to 310 for Obama but when I refreshed it was back to 307.
CNN has now posted O-305
No, KennyB, that was Eleanor Holmes Norton of DC. And he was asking why she should get to vote, not why she got to vote, since she, like the other delegates, doesn’t get to vote (except in committee).
I like the way your blog breaks everything down. I wish I would have found it earlier
Why are super-Ds still wasting their endorsements on Hillary so late in the game? What is their real intention? I don’t get it. Is there any way, mathematically or otherwise, that Hillary could pull this out? I do not think so.
So, what is the real reason behind super-Ds wasting their endorsements on the loser?
Clinton’s only hope is is MI and FL are counted in full and Obama got few of the 55 uncommitted MI. See the numbers:
FL and MI By The Numbers I think it is kept updated. Only the last scenario possibly works for Clinton:
Needed to win, with 488 left:
Obama: 213.0
Clinton: 296.0
If the last week or so, almost every superdel announcement has been for Obama though. Except today, one for Clinton.
Coakley continued, “Regardless of the outcome of the primary, Mrs. Clinton’s energy, stamina, and resolve have changed the course of history for women seeking office, including the presidency, and I dare say, have changed the course of history of Presidential politics in the United States. It is for these reasons that I will vote for Hillary Clinton in August at the Nominating Convention.”
Basically, she’s admitting to supporting Hillary simply because she’s a woman; or, possibly, that she’s an older person AND a woman, AND–yet–still able to exude some energy and stamina. Still, if she wanted only energy and stamina from her presidential nominee, Obama would be her man. She wants more than that–she plainly wants a woman. In short, she’s a blatant sexist.
hotfive said:
“She wants more than that[stamina] –she plainly wants a woman. In short, she’s a blatant sexist.”
By this logic, 73% of the black voters in Kentucky (81% of the 9% black democratic voters), who voted for Obama, are blatantly racist.
Why it ain’t over until the convention:
Many pundits and others are stressing that as of today, Obama has more pledged delegates. He’s also ahead in the number of superdelegates who have endorsed him. But SO WHAT?
Not only can superdelegates change their minds up until the time they cast their votes at the convention in September, but pledged delegates of Obama can change their votes to Clinton (as a North Carolinan pledged delegate recently demonstrated by switching from Clinton — to whom his vote was pledged — to Obama).
Meaning, it ain’t over until the vote is taken at the convention in September. If anyone can predict what might happen between now and September which might cause pledged delegates and superdelegates to switch, please let us know. Otherwise, we just have to wait it out.
If all those voters are quoted as saying that they voted for Obama because of the historic nature of his campaign–as a black candidate for president–then I would have to agree with you. They’d be as blatantly racist as Coakley has shown herself to be sexist.
Hotfive, it doesn’t matter what reason the 87% of Kentucky’s black voters would give for having voted for Obama. The fact that such a high percentage of black voters voted for him, when Hillary carried every other group (age groups, income groups, etc) by a substantial majority demonstrates that their votes were not based on age, income or other objective consideration. They were based on the fact that he is black (or half-black). I, for one, don’t see any reason why anyone would blame them for so voting.
My point is that those voters are no more racist than Coakley is sexist, though by your logic, both would be the case. In reality, the group traditionally discriminated against on the basis of race cannot be considered racist, and the group traditionally discriminated against on the basis of gender cannot be sexist.
Those voters can be considered blatantly racist and/or sexist when they come out and say so. I found it funny that Coakley did just that. If Obama got only “The Black Vote,” he wouldn’t be enjoying the lead he’s maintained for months.