AP: Obama Just 64 Delegates From Victory

[Hissyspit]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/962840,ob052108.article

Obama just 64 delegates from victory
May 21, 2008 Recommend (3)
FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Close to securing the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama lavished attention on Florida and its wreckage of a presidential primary while minding his manners with Hillary Rodham Clinton — a rival he now can afford to praise.

Obama detoured Wednesday from the campaign for the three remaining primaries — Puerto Rico, Montana, South Dakota — to rally in a state where its renegade primary was disallowed.

‘‘It is good to be back in Florida. It’s good to be back. I know you guys have been holding down the fort,’’ Obama told supporters at a Tampa, Fla., rally.

Clinton, too, was in Florida, pressing to narrow her gap with Obama by having delegates counted from its contest in January.

The former first lady told supporters in Florida that they ‘‘learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren’t counted and the candidate with fewer votes is declared the winner,’’ a reference to the state’s disputed presidential vote that gave George W. Bush the White House. ‘‘The lesson of 2000 here in Florida is crystal clear: If any votes aren’t counted, the will of the people isn’t realized and our democracy is diminished.’’

The Illinois senator was just 64 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination, after two superdelegate endorsements Wednesday and a pair of primaries the night before. Clinton thrashed him in Kentucky; he answered by winning Oregon. Obama also secured a majority of the pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses across the country — a milestone that could help him persuade more superdelegates to endorse him.

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[phrigndumass]

1. The press is correct to continue to use 2,026 as the marker

The Rules Committee's decision on May 31 will be in the form of a recommendation to the Credentials Committee, which will make the final decision on the Florida and Michigan delegations. The Credentials Committee won't meet until after all the state contests are decided.

Florida and Michigan will both be ruled compliant only after penalties are used to amend the delegation totals. According to the Delegate Selection Rules, elected (pledged) delegates will be halved, and super (unpledged) delegates will be denied a vote with their state's delegations, except for the add-on superdelegates, whose votes will most likely be halved also, according to the rules. Only then would the marker change, to 2,106.

The end result won't change: Senator Obama is our nominee.

Good read, Hissyspit

:hi:

[Occam Bandage]

2. Why do people say 2026? It's 2025. There are 4049 delegates,

half of that is 2024.5, and a majority is 2025.

[cali]

3. Because of the Mississippi election last week.

[berni_mccoy]

4. Demconwatch has him at 61...