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John Lewis Officially Switches To Obama

After about two weeks of confusing reports about whether he was really switching his endorsement from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) has made it official.

"Something's happening in America, something some of us did not see coming," Lewis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Barack Obama has tapped into something that is extraordinary."

Lewis' defection to Obama is definitely a hit to Hillary Clinton's strategy of using a super-delegate advantage to secure the nomination, as the civil rights leader's switch could end up being a big green light for other Hillary supporters to follow him.

Meanwhile, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) announced his endorsement of Barack Obama, too, on an Obama campaign conference call.

(Via Ben Smith)


39 Comments

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I posted this below, but it's more relevant here. Looks like the Clinton campaign's plea to hold off endorsing is not working...and switching endorsements is even worse than holding an endorsement off because you're still undecided. I think the super-delegates are starting to ignore her and marginalize her as irrelevant. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next few days as we get closer to March 4.

I am not sure that it is quite fair to say that her plea is not working. I expect that the plea was made today in response to these movements, not as a pre-emption of them. In other words, she knew that these two were going to move today and made the plea, not to stop them, but rather to stop anyone who might get caught up in the rush and join Lewis and Dorgan. We will not know if the plea worked or not for a couple of days. If Lewis' defection triggers a rash of similar defections, then the plea was all for nought. If the defections stop with Lewis, then I think that it is fair to say that the plea (and the attendant private phone calls to the same effect) was effective.

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OK - I'll concede your point. You're probably right about the campaign knowing that those endorsements were coming. I'll be interested to see what happens in the next few days. :)

Did someone say "switch"?!

Cue the music!

Soon to be a YouTube staple on every Obama site...

But...I thought that Hillary said for everyone to freeze?

Shame on you Rep. Lewis!

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And just after the news that the Clinton camp want Supers NOT to be swayed by election results.

I thini they really fear that this is the end of their Superdelegate firewall.

It is.

Huge. And the "some of us did not see coming" line is a good template for other SDs to use.

Huge. And the "some of us did not see coming" line is a good template for other SDs to use.

Huge. And the "some of us did not see coming" line is a good template for other SDs to use.

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How long is the media going to pretend this race isn't over?

You can bet that if Obama had
lost the last 11 state elections
and was behind by 155 pledged delgates
they would have chased him out of the
running... just saying

And so it begins...

I predict this contest is over March 5th, or a day or two after as Clinton does the math.

Well the media will Declare the race is over on March 4th at 9 pm Eastern.

From the desk of:

Mark Poison Penn.

John Lewis is a Red State Politician, and as such we have never seen any really value in his support, since Georgia will not be in play in November.

We urge John Lewis, as we have alwaysurged all Super Delegates to please remain neutral and uncommitted.

.

Um, sorry about the repeated post -- it's not that I thought y'all are hard of hearing.

But...I thought that Hillary said for everyone to freeze?
Shame on you Rep. Lewis!
Posted by hello_world

I admit I'm being a little juvenile, but all of the "shame on you!" formulations have been cracking me up! Where's the Shame on You! spoof of the Yes We Can song already?...

It's ok, I'm all about juvenile. ;-)

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR HILLARY!!! !!!HILLMENTUM™!!!!

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Was Rep. Lewis one of the SD's that Jesse Jackson Jr. warned to switch allegiance to vote for the black candidate or his career would be threatened?

John Lewis' House seat is in no danger, regardless of whether he supports Clinton or Barack in the end.

Begone troll.

With his bottomless pot of gold and magical candidate machine JJ jr. is a force to be reckoned with.

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no, but he did pick up a primary challenger over it. still, I agree that his seat is not in danger.

I think that Clinton was getting the benefit of the doubt from SDs through February based on two assumptions put forth by her campaign:

(1) she would beat him badly in the two head to head debates, and

(2) she would win big in OH & TX.


As of last night, #1 ain't happening & I think that is the writing on the wall to the SDs that #2 probably ain't happening, either.

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hello_world
Sorry that Rep Cleaver. My bad. Here is it:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080215/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_superdelegates_6;_ylt=ApeAuR7qy3M.kGJ6rUOZk50E1vAI

In an interview, Cleaver offered a glimpse of private conversations.

He said Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois had recently asked him "if it comes down to the last day and you're the only superdelegate? ... Do you want to go down in history as the one to prevent a black from winning the White House?

"I told him I'd think about it," Cleaver concluded. Jackson, an Obama supporter, confirmed the conversation, and said the dilemma may pose a career risk for some black politicians. "Many of these guys have offered their support to Mrs. Clinton, but Obama has won their districts. So you wake up without the carpet under your feet. You might find some young primary challenger placing you in a difficult position" in the future, he added.

Rep Lewis is simply recognizing the reality of change in America... blessings to him

Thomas F. Schaller over at the Baltimore Sun gets it exactly right:

Though she leads among superdelegates, five weeks ago she had pledges from 71 percent of all superdelegates announced for either her or Mr. Obama, but that share has slipped to 57 percent. National polls also show her faring worse than Mr. Obama would in potential match-ups with Republican Sen. John McCain in November. A recent Iowa poll shows her trailing Mr. McCain in that swing state by nine points but Mr. Obama leading the Arizona senator by 17 points - a 26-point differential.
...
The message is clear and becoming clearer: A growing number of Democrats, even those who like Mrs. Clinton personally and respect her as a public servant, have seen enough. They want the Clinton machine to just go away - to forfeit for real.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.schaller27feb27,0,2737862.column

For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta on Wednesday picked up opposition to his re-election to Congress.
From the "Skeptical Brotha" Blog:

Markel Hutchins, an Atlanta minister who took up the cause of a 92-year-old woman killed in a botched police raid, announced he would challenge the 11-term congressman and civil rights icon in the Democratic primary.

“Now is the time for us to move beyond the nostalgia of the Civil Rights era,” said Hutchins. The minister said he met privately with Lewis on Tuesday.

Hutchins, 30, said Lewis’ October endorsement of Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential race, while the 5th District largely supported Barack Obama, was a factor in his decision to challenge Lewis. “That presented some problems for many of us,” Hutchins said.

"All politics are local" Thomas Tip O'Neill.

Successful politicians survive by staying on the good side of the majority of their own constituents. John Lewis is a survivor. There was nothing in it for him by staying on the deck of the Clinton Titanic, listening to nearer my God to thee, while watching the Clintons being rowed away in their golden lifeboat.

Congratulations. You win Metaphor of the Day™.

You can pick up your latté and new pair of Birkenstocks at the front desk.

great image!

He has nothing to lose by switching, and switching now BEFORE everyone else gives him some dignity....

Thu: Richardson
Fri: Edwards
Wed: Biden, Gore, et al (assuming Obama wins TX and/or OH plus VT)

Did someone say "Switch?"

Cue the music!

We're going to be hearing that song a lot more, I think.

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Any bets on how long it is before some unsourced whisper campaign attacks John Lewis?

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The START of the abandonment of the sinking SS BILLARY Clinton!

http://OsiSpeaks.com or http://RealConservativesSpeaks.com

I have to say that watching the video of John Lewis say it was tougher than marching in Selma to make this decision (which I'm sure will just irritate and offend some people) was really touching to me. I'm glad I'm not in politics and don't have to decide between betraying a close friend and doing what's good for the country.

I have to say that watching the video of John Lewis say it was tougher than marching in Selma to make this decision (which I'm sure will just irritate and offend some people) was really touching to me. I'm glad I'm not in politics and don't have to decide between betraying a close friend and doing what's good for the country.

If any super delegates want to switch from Clinton to Obama, there's nothing to stop them. I would hope that the reason they choose to do so is because they have become convinced that Obama would be a better candidate, a better president than Clinton, not because they are just jumping from a candidate they see as losing, to one who is winning, with an eye to the favor an early supporter could curry from a grateful president. The super delegates seem to have been created by the party poobahs to prevent the nomination from being hijacked from the party insiders by an insurgent candidate with a large grassroots well of support. As such, they tend to support the establishment candidate, in this case Clinton, although the urge to be with a winner may be too overwhelming to resist. They are representatives who have their positions in order to vote their consciences for what's best for the party and the country, not merely mirror their state's primary or caucus votes, otherwise they lose their entire reason for being.

If Obama was a white man would have John Lewis switched his vote? Just wondering...

I do not see how it would make any difference which candidate Lewis endorsed. Obama recently accepted an Hanuman idol from some East Indian interest group with close ties to the pro-H1B issue. They've extend an inviatation to him to go on a ten day junket. I saw it on youtube on a Lou Dobbs segment. I have to regard the US Government as not representing me in total. I see it as a government in rebellion against American citizens. I do not see why anybody would want to pay taxes to the Washington, D.C. government as it is for the most part taxation without representation. Additionally I do not want my own tax money to fund a martial law state. I would be funding my own doom. This the most peaceful, Ghandiesque approach I know of.

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