Clinton Only Needs 358% of Remaining Delegates

[davidswanson]

Adios Hillary. Puerto Rico has voted, handing Senator Clinton 38 delegates and Senator Obama 17. That gives Clinton a grand total thus far of 1,618 pledged delegates, and Obama 1,728. While, technically that still leaves Obama with "the lead," there are 31 pledged delegates remaining to be awarded in Montana and South Dakota. This means that Clinton can still pull it out if she picks up 358 percent of the remaining delegates.

The above calculation doesn't count the 19 delegates whom John Edwards has encouraged to back Obama, or the delegates pledged to Clinton who have begun flipping for Obama. It also doesn't count the super delegates, with whom Obama holds a substantial lead, but who I do not believe should have any say in a democratic election.

You know who should have a say? Active citizens, including citizens who speak up for others at home and abroad, including the peace movement, the labor rights movement, and all of those whom Clinton effectively credited with her defeat back in April. She was speaking specifically about her losses in caucuses, when she disdainfully referred to us as "the activist base of the Democratic Party." According to Clinton, these activists "turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them."

You're damn right, and we defeated you, and we'd like you to leave now. We've had more than enough. Get out of the "race" now! Got an exit strategy? Use it.

You want to be one of the dozens of rightwing warmongering corporate senators failing to represent a state in the U.S. senate? Well, that's between you and the people of New York. But you will never measure up as even the lesser of two evils to run for the presidency in our country, not in a country I live in. Forget it, and forget it now. Find other dreams. Find the nerve to change your policies if you want to remain in the Senate, because your other option is not getting your hand on the nuclear button. Your other option is baking cookies or digging yourself out of debt through corporate lobbying or perhaps going golfing with Bill. We'll leave the details up to you. We actually do not ever want to hear a single word about it.

[undeterred]

1. Hillary Math

:rofl:

[DJ13]

2. She can get that easily

Mars hasnt voted yet.

[neverforget]

3. and don't forget the great citizens of Uranus. I hear they like the

gas tax holiday......

[lisainmilo]

4. that is pretty funny!

:rofl:

[Dr.Phool]

5. Don't let your exit strategy hit you in the ass.

[Raejeanowl]

6. I Heard It Was Only 153%

Someone keeps moving the goalposts.

[bunnies]

7. Your title just made me giggle.

:yourock: Gobama!

[BayjanDem]

8. She's closing in

Now if we could just multiply P.R's delegates by 3, Hillary's in. NGU Hill. Attica! Attica! Obama's running scared, you go girl!

[frog92969]

9. Here's to hoping for a democratic outcome

:toast:

DNC vs DLC + GOP =:scared:

[boppers]

10. How many of the 57 states have voted?

Only 48, right? So, if she has solid wins in the next nine states, she can still take this to Denver!

:evilgrin:

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Word!

[barack the house]

12. Firm but fair really.

[stillcool]

13. Hillary's hope...

the skies will open, the light will come down, a lightening bolt will strike Senator Obama, and celestial choirs will be singing my name.

[Cheap_Trick]

14. She never developed an exit strategy

In her arogance and hubris, she thought none was needed.

Nor was any strategy needed since she thought this'd be over on Super Tuesday and she'd be coronated.

[Miss Authoritiva]

15. This may be hard to understand but...

It also doesn't count the super delegates, with whom Obama holds a substantial lead, but who I do not believe should have any say in a democratic election.

This may be hard to understand but just being a registered Democrat does not make you a member of the Democratic Party. There is a difference between being "a Democrat" and being "a member of the Democratic Party."

If you are an active member of the Democratic Party, then serve as a local or county committee person and work your way up to the state and national levels. Some day you just might have a seat and a vote on the Rules and Bylaws Committee, the Credentialing Committee, etc. You might even get a chance to propose the abolishment of the superdelegate system and get to vote on it.

The Democratic Party is a private entity, so saying that you "do not believe (superdelegates) should have any say in a democratic election" is meaningless on two counts. (1) If you are not a member of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party has no obligation to acknowledge what your think about superdelegates; and (2) as long as the nominating process conforms to the rules and regulations of the National Democratic Party currently in force, the primary elections are legitimate.

If you want to change the rules by which the Democratic Party functions internally, you gotta join and you gotta pay your dues.

[truedelphi]

16. I'm thinking of doing that now that I live in Lake County

When I lived in the SF Bay area, I couldn't take the thought of dealing with the Di Fi style of Dems.

But the Demcoratic leadership in Lake County rocks!

[frog92969]

17. I think that part

was just David's opinion, which alot of us share including me.
A superdelegate's vote is worth sometimes ten thousand of our lowly citizen votes, implying that they're way more valuable than we are. Some would argue that that flies in the face of democracy.

[Miss Authoritiva]

18. The national Republican and Democratic parties are not democracies

Some would argue that that (the relative importance of superdelegates) flies in the face of democracy.

The Republican and Democratic Parties are private entities. It's wrong to think of these two political parties as mini-democracies unto themselves. Just because they produce the overwhelming majority of candidates who get elected to run our small democracies (cities and states) and then the really big democracy (the country) does not mean that the Republican and Democratic Parties do not use some distinctly nondemocratic processes to determine which candidates they put up for nomination, from the humble Recorder of Public Deeds to the President.

The existence of Democratic superdelegates and their relative (and fluctuating) weight in determining the Democratic nominee does not fly in the face of democracy. That's because the face of democracy doesn't emerge, smiling, until the two parties have chosen their nominees.