Hillary Adds Two More Super-Delegates

A veritable super-delegate deluge...

After picking up the support of Ohio Rep. Betty Sutton today, Hillary adds two more super-dels, her campaign announces.

They are former New Jersey Governors Jim Florio and Brendan Byrne, who both threw their support to Hillary today after being picked yesterday as add-on super-delegates.

So, Hillary's total super-del haul today: Three.

The latest Associated Press tally of overall delegates:

Obama 1,645; Hillary 1,504.

Separately, the AP projects that when the voting is concluded, Obama is likely to be less than 100 delegates short of the 2,025 needed to clinch the nomination.


Comments (99)

Good for her. Meanwhile, as an Obama supporter I am delighted to read that last line. Good news, that.

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I want to remind everyone about this excellent piece by FlyOnTheWall on the subject on add-on delegates:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/convention-math-remember-the-u.php

Just a few ideas:
- roughly, every candidate is expected to win the add-ons in the states he/she won

- hence it was normal that Clinton would get the NJ add-ons (which makes the title somewhat misleading)

- overall, Obama is expected to get around +15 in add-ons, for the states that have voted until now

- the Democratic Convention Watch blog, the best source on super-delegate counting, has Clinton at +24 supers, out of which the add-ons already counted give a +5 to Obama

- so expect, when all the add-ons are decided, a bump of +10(=15-5) for Obama, compared to today's numbers

- this will take the superdelegate count to around +15 for Clinton

- to end this note, compare that to the +171 Obama currently has in pledged delegates

Man, reading through the comment thread on that diary really reminds me what a long, hard slog this last month has been. For all that has transpired, it almost could have been posts from today.

"More and more I am convinced that the current Clinton strategy, if you can call it that, is to just hang in there and hope...Obama stumbles badly in the months before the convention, or outside events intervene (Rezko) she will still be in the race to step in to the nomination."

"Hillary is not only attacking Obama, she's giving ammunition to the GOP for the General. That's the difference here."

"Very good point that deserves repeating, and remember: Obama won Texas. "

The only way I can tell that it's April and not March is that there's no references to Wright, "bitter," Bosnia, or flag pins.

Have I mentioned that I really can't wait for this to be over???

WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YER FACE MISTER ! !

Your SuperDelagate SuperPowers are USELESS against us!

Now go make me a sandwich.

Sincerely
J. McCain


ASK YOUR CASHIER FOR: "Change you can believe in"

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Ah Florio is dug up....that crook is back.....fiqures Hillary would get that losers vote......unbelievable!

Eh, I always kinda liked Florio. Voted for him three times (only one of which he won). Beat the hell out of his replacement, Christie "token moderate Bushie" Whitman.

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That was my thought exactly. Jim Florio's endorsement is NOT something to be proud of!

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How is that a deluge if they were picked as add-on superdelegates today?

Snark, Fluff. He's snarking on her. He does do that.

Great news.

I guess they are listening to Dean.

Are they really true superdelegates? My understanding is that the add-ons are people selected by the state conventions, and that the state conventions (a) can pick whoever they want, and (b) are dominated by whoever won the state. So picking up add-ons for Hillary in NJ (which she won) pretty much follows.

It's not like they were already supers by virtue of being current office holders or DNC bigwigs. They were selected to be delegates BECAUSE they will support Hillary.

Right? Or do I misunderstand that?

Said another way, this statement:

They are former New Jersey Governors Jim Florio and Brendan Byrne, who both threw their support to Hillary today after being picked yesterday as add-on super-delegates.

should really read more like:

They are former New Jersey Governors Jim Florio and Brendan Byrne, who both were picked yesterday as add-on (not-super) delegates after they (agreed to, or stated they would) throw their support to Hillary

It still comes to two more superdelegates officially in her column than there were yesterday. They are now two fewer numbers in the undecided pool.

But that's my point -- I don't think that's right.

If I'm correct, neither Florio nor Byrne were superdelegates (or any kind of delegates) yesterday. But the slots for add-on delegates (sans names) were there, and I assume that any delegate math was counting them for Hillary. Because everyone knew she won NJ, and it was known that the convention would pick pro-Clinton add-ons.

This move didn't shift 2 supers from undecided to Clinton, it shifted 2 foregone-but-unnamed Clinton delegates to named Clinton delegates.

No???

It's worth noting that the DCW and the Green Papers have those add-on positions in the undecided category in their counts (as opposed to projections).

OK so based on this statement (and also what FotW said in his March post) it seems my supposition was correct in reality -- that those two new NJ delegates had a pre-determined affiliation, even though their names weren't known -- but that the typical delegate counts don't actually reflect that.

Doesn't that make things even more grim for Clinton? I've been seeing estimates that she's gonna need something like 80% of the "uncommitted" supers to win. But since Obama won a lot more states, and therefore will get more add-ons, won't she need an even higher percentage of the "true" uncommiteds?

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While Hillary Clinton was saying today that she
did not think Senator Obama should not be complainging about the kind of questions that Charlie and George asked during the debate, her daughter Chelsey was saying the exact opposite to a College group.

Chelsey urged them to call ABC and complain about the lack of substance in the questions that Charlie and George asked during the debate.

More of the same usual Clinton Doublespeak Bullshit.

Here is the NBC account of what Chelsey said, today.
She did a lot of "whining" about the quality of the questions.

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
PHILADELPHIA -- During an event billed as a discussion on the high costs of higher education yesterday afternoon, Chelsea Clinton faced difficult questions from Drexel University law students and faculty. Clinton called on those in attendance to call ABC with their complaints about last night's debate, tied her mother's work with children and women to the current situation with the Texas sect, and poked fun at a conservative first-year law student in the audience.

THE DEBATE: UNFAIR TO OBAMA?
One of the questions Clinton fielded came from a university administrator who asked her about her mom's actions during Tuesday night's debate. "Frankly, I was disappointed in her that she didn't have a stronger reaction to some of the inane questions that were asked that last night and that were really insulting to us and the candidates," Leslie Friedman said to Clinton.

"I agree," Clinton said. "My mom's been talking about the issues ... from public school reform to higher education affordability to equal pay to expanding Family Medical Leave. ... That's what she talks about. I wish that was what the media covered. I wish that was what they had asked about from the beginning last night."

But Friedman, who supports Obama, was not satisfied with this answer, firing back: "I think it's important though for a leader also to step up and say, 'You know, these kinds of questions are inappropriate, and I am insulted when you ask me or my opponent those questions.' And I wish that your mom would stand up and say that."

"And she has so frequently," Chelsea responded. "I am certainly proud at how she has been standing up and talking about the issues, and I wish that is what was focused on. I wish that was what the two moderators at the debate had started the debate last night. I also, as someone who has been a member of the family that has been on the receiving end quite a bit of Republican fire understand that some of what came up in the debate last night in the first part of the debate is unfortunately what will come up in the general election for whomever is running. ... I know that that type of attack will often be more subtle than what was raised in the debate last night and certainly will be pushed forward as trying to carve out what is at stake in this election."

"I wish that was what the debate was focused on last night," Clinton continued, saying her mother would have rather had issue-based questions. "And I hope that you'll write to ABC and you'll tell them that. I'm serous though. ... I hope that you will try to again reestablish those issues of being the focal point of not only this debate but of our politics. I wish that were true. I'm so proud that that is what my mom is always fighting to do."


Um, that's not the exact opposite. Saying Obama should not whine but that ABC should have asked more substantive questions are not contradictory. They form a balanced opinion.

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Chelsey urged the students to contact ABC and complain, as in whining, about the questions that were asked.

Chelsey said that her mother has complained about those types of questions in the past.'

Are you not capable or reading comprehension, or are you just being deliberately obtuse!

Chelsea Clinton - whiner. (Hey, it's her mom who's saying it, not me!)

The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, 'eh?

FLORIO FREE IN '93!

Still the most catchy political campaign slogan since "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too".

And it's even better listened to in it's natie New Jersey accent.

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Does anyone know what's going on over at the Huffington Post? They've got this huge headline up about Clinton criticizing the netroots, but it doesn't link to an article.

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It's been up for two hours. Jane Hamsher said that Hillary was caught on video bashing Moveon.org for supporting Obama, but then Jane pulled her post so it's a bit of a mystery.

Jane's probably looking for her cat.

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Jane has poodles...

"I wish that was what the debate was focused on last night," Clinton continued, saying her mother would have rather had issue-based questions.

Sorry babygirl, but I don't think so. She pounced on those stupid questions with such glee and had the answers all sparkly and ready practically before Charlie or Georgie had finished asking them.


Harrier -well, it says "developing" which I take to mean they don't got the story to go with the headline written quite yet.


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Or they're working on getting video, or there isn't no story yet.

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That's stupid. They should pull the freaking headline if they don't have a story to go with it. They're making themselves look bad.

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So, what is an add-on delegate?

Again, I'm not 100% certain I'm right, but see my two posts upthread for what I believe an add-on delegate is. In a nutshell, the winner of a state gets to pad his or her win by a couple delegates by virtue of controlling a majority of the reps at the state convention.

So if that's true, Florio and Byrne aren't superdelegates in the sense that we normally think of them, and aren't evidence of any new support for Hillary. And Obama will get a bunch of those himself when the states that he won have their conventions.

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In some states, the state DNC chair can pick who the add-on delegates will be, in others, they are elected by the caucus body or DNC officials. It can be to pad the winner, or better represent the will of the state's popular vote.

See http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/03/add-on-superdelegate-selection-schedule.html

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Does the HuffPo have up a Drudge flashing light?

Sorry, I just can't bring myself to pay any attention to the HuffPo celbriblog.

It is a very sad excuse of tabloid journalism like Daily Obama, MSNBC and Newsweek.

Talk about jumping the shark.

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Article's up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celeste-fremon/clinton-slams-democratic_b_97484.html

You really can't complain about Huffington Post. They're the ones that gave you the "bitter" comment to flog for an entire week (or more).

From the linked article

An additional 566 [unpledged delegates] are at stake in the remaining contests in eight states, Guam and Puerto Rico before the primary season ends on June 3.

If Obama captures 53 percent of them, which is the share he has gained in contests to date, he would close out the primary season with at least 1,945 delegates, only 80 less than the total needed to clinch the nomination. If he and Clinton split the 566 evenly, he would still be within 100 of the number needed.

There's the bottom line, kiddies. If Obama picks up a mere 6% more delegates than Hillary in the remaining races, he needs only 80 supers to put him over the top. Hillary's got to get 65% of them to get to the same place. Else, she ends up needing hundreds to his 80.

But, hey, we need to take this to the bitter end, no matter how much ground McCain makes up against Obama while Hillary's doing his dirty work for him, because she could totally win this somehow.

Jane's probably looking for her cat.

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Well, coming from one cat about another, that was probably as catty a remark as it gets.


;)

LOL

Granted, it was ugly, but at least it had the redeeming virture of being relatively obcure.

But, hey, we need to take this to the bitter end, no matter how much ground McCain makes up against Obama while Hillary's doing his dirty work for him, because she could totally win this somehow.

Himmary has already picked up on Hillary-Joe's mention of Hamas the other night.

Looks like the superDs were listening the Howard Dean, dun't it?


{smile}

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celeste-fremon/clinton-slams-democratic_b_97484.html


At a small closed-door fundraiser after Super Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton blamed what she called the "activist base" of the Democratic Party -- and MoveOn.org in particular -- for many of her electoral defeats, saying activists had "flooded" state caucuses and "intimidated" her supporters, according to an audio recording of the event obtained by The Huffington Post.

"Moveon.org endorsed [Sen. Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of our 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. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."

Listen to the audio below:
Senator Clinton's remarks depart radically from the traditional position of presidential candidates who in the past have celebrated high levels of turnout by party activists and partisans as a harbinger for their own party's success -- regardless of who is the eventual nominee -- in the general election showdown.

The comments also contradict Clinton's previous statements praising this year's elevated Democratic turnout in primaries and caucuses, and appear to blame her caucus defeats on newly energized grassroots voter groups that she has lauded in the past as "lively participants" in American democracy.

"You've been asking the tough questions," Clinton said in April of last year at a MoveOn-sponsored town hall event. "You've been refusing to back down when any of us who are in political leadership are not living up to the standards that we should set for ourselves... I think you have helped to change the face of American politics for the better... both online, and in the corridors of power."

Clinton's criticism followed MoveOn's endorsement of Obama in early February.

That is old news.

"Supporters: How dare ABCNews
make the Messiah look bad:

The parsons of the press corps are furious with Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, which means the pair must have done a pretty good job moderating Wednesday's Democratic debate in Philadelphia. Barack Obama had a complete meltdown, so his media choir wants to shoot the questioners."

Lou Dobbs asks, "Why are the Obama supporters such whiners?"

Too funny.

You really need to get out more.

I am out.

Hanging out at the pool.

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So the underpass where you live has been flooded!!!

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You realize you just cited Lou Dobbs to try and make your point, right? Any candidate darker than khaki is ineligible in his mind.

Oops, this comment was meant for Liam:

Dumb, Dumb. Dumb.

First, she lied. Moveon (and Obama) weren't against Afghanistan. That's a lie.

Second, Wolfson is now using Nevada & Texas as exmaples of the second lie: That Moveon intimidated caucus goers in those states.

FACT: Nevada was prior to Moveon announcing who they supported and this tape was recored BEFORE Texas even had their primary.

THESE PEOPLE ARE PATHOLOGICAL LIARS.

Pissing off Moveon and the base of the party... Priceless.

astral, can you give us a link to the rest of your photos on flikr?

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Speaking of loose ends [like the fact of add-on delegates being chosen following state party conventions], what ever happened in those NYC precincts where Obama mysteriously received zero votes?

Yep - no doubt about it, progressives - we're winning.

BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaha!!!!!


Take that, DLC - you quasi-Republicans you! I already knew you hated us - you've always hated us. You fought us on replacing Lieberman with Ned Lamont. You fought us on putting Howard Dean in charge of the DNC. You always fight us - you are nothing more than Republicans in everything but name.

Hillary-Joe - you voted for the war. You pushed for a flag burning amendment which is a goddamn violation of the constitution and you know that. You voted for that lovely bankruptcy bill.

You are nothing more than a fake Republican and who needs fakes when we have plenty of the real thing?

Retire - the march to The Restoration is over.

Dumb, Dumb. Dumb.

First, she lied. Moveon (and Obama) weren't against Afghanistan. That's a lie.

Second, Wolfson is now using Nevada & Texas as exmaples of the second lie: That Moveon intimidated caucus goers in those states.

FACT: Nevada was prior to Moveon announcing who they supported and this tape was recored BEFORE Texas even had their primary.

THESE PEOPLE ARE PATHOLOGICAL LIARS.

Pissing off Moveon and the base of the party... Priceless.

Oops, meant to post this under Liam's news/link to Hillary's monumental blunder.

;-)

O the DLC has never considered us its base.

We're the stepchildren of the party - the Dirty Fucking Hippies they like to have turn out and vote and then they want to hide us away again.

We've never been Hillary's base. Her base are the old style Archie Bunker Democrats + aging feminists who are apparently bitter enough to think Any Woman Will Do. No she won't - she'll just make it harder for any other woman to get elected because she can't run a government. Hell, she can't run a campaign.

True. Progressives are the Democratic party's version of the GOP's Evangelicals. At least that's how the DLC/Clinton wing sees us.

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Florio was robbed by St. Keane of the 9/11 Commission in an earlier election where the Repubs got wrist slapped for literally a dollar after a long court case and signed a consent decree promising to never, ever intimidate voters again like they did in Newark that year. Later he finally made it to the governorship and raised taxes to clean up the fiscal mess. That move was so popular when I moved to Jersey in the summer of 1994 "Florio Free in '93!" stickers were still plastered all over South Jersey.

Its old recycled news.

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To recycle Gotalife, give him an enema, and then bury what remains in a shoe box.!!!

You are a sad, bitter, wanker.

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If you removed the words "Sad" "Old" and "recycled" from Gotalife's vocabulary, he would be a feckin' mute!!!

Old recycled news? You mean, like:

Rev Wright?
Flag Pin?
Weather Underground?

DISENFRENCHFRY!!!!

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Greg, you Hillary shill. If you want to be taken as an impartial "reporter", you should have reported that in the same time, Obama had two add-ons as well. If you don't want to be impartial, at least be upfront about it.

So, in the last three days, Obama 5, Hillary 4.

Its old recycled news.

How many times have you said that now? How many news stories have you said were old recycled news?

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She' by her pool. She isn't using enough sun block. It's affecting her brain.

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You gonna report the news that Clinton trashed the base of the Democratic party in a private fundraiser?

Hillary's new slogan

She's got a new one every week

Vote Hillary: She's Not as Bad as You Think

THE most significant inference from recent major polls ....Hillary's disapproval and dishonesty numbers continue to climb -> If she'd quit, more people would like her


I said something similar somewhere today - if I were her, I would get out while I had something left - I can't say get out while she's ahead, cause she's not. But she's close enough that she could actually make a bitter, but consoling (the consoling part is of course, Jim Beam, or something of the sort) case of what if? if she'd just use her head and get out before it gets worse.


Hey - HBO Sports has Obama and his basketball career going on right now.'


He's so cool.

OT but Huff post has just reported that Hillary was caught at a private fundraiser (troublesome buggers those things are I guess) slamming Move-on and spouting Karl Rove talking points about them. Lovely - it isn't like they spent a ton of money and effort defending her husband.
What an effing hypocrite!

Sorry, somehow I missed the Move-on posts above.

No problemo - it's pretty outrageous and talk about Elitist!

I keep doing that too. ;-)

All you bowlers - eat your hearts out. Obama can play hoops. He always has been good and he still is.

Bowling - good lord.

[with apologies to the Dude]

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Bowlers are rightly outraged by Obama's lack of bowling prowess, and even more so that Gibson and Stepenfetchitopolus failed to make room for it in their big bucket o'shit on Wednesday evening.

LOL!!!


I'm not kidding about that HBO special - it was way cool.

At this rate, I am going to turn into some kind of gushing fangrrrrl.

Shit! He brushed his fucking shoulder off! I can't get over how much I love it.

What are you 12?

Sad.

Why don't you two exchange text messages? I ♥ Obama? Geez.

Grown ups are discussing politics here?

Seriously, fawning over a lying politician is pathetic.

Puke.

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Since when have you been:
a) a grownup in your behavoir here or
b) discussing politics?

I mean, I've seen you engage in a lot of juvenile gossip, but an adult discussion about politics? Not so much.

gotalife - it made my day that I made you puke.


turnabout is fairplay after all.


at least I'm not 114, like you seem to be - like a cranky old man, from the way you post.

and not very bright.

Jenn - I told this little bit of the HBO thing on another thread - if you missed it, (I can't remember where it is) - this was wonderful -

After Gumble starts interviewing Obama and they go through his school basketball career, it all winds up with a pickup game that gets put together. Afterward, Gumble is talking to Obama about his style - under the basket he feints right and sharply veers left to throw off defenders. So Gumble asks him: "You just can't move right, can you?" And Barack says: "No, I can't. But don't tell anybody."


:)

Let me guess, you have a "I ♥ Obama" tatoo.

Sad.

Uh no. I have a dragon on my upper back on the right, and a kanji on my left ankle, but I don't believe in putting names on myself.

I am thinking of having some really fine vinework done on my ankles and feet - might, when I get to Taos this summer. There are 4 skin shops there.


Tell me ladies, you have a chance to support the first female President and will not get another chance in your lifetime but you chose a lying radical, divisive, man instead.

I don't get how women throw away this chance to finally make history with a great leader with experience over a rookie spewing the same crap w spewed.

Why on earth would I vote for someone just because she shares my gender? Unlike yourself, I think my country is more important than my personal wants and needs, so I am voting for the person who I think will do the most good for the country as a whole. Obama will also raise my taxes more than either HRC or especially McCain but again, it isn't about ME.

Because there's no way that it helps women if the first woman president is one as divisive, as perceived as dishonest, and as ill-prepared as Hillary-Joe Clinton.

See, the way I see it, I want a good first woman president. Just ANY WOMAN isn't good enough.

That's no reason to vote for someone. I thought those things weren't supposed to be factored in - since we aren't supposed to mention race without getting all kinds of shit about it from you.

I didn't support Jesse Jackson when he ran. I am supporting Barack Obama for one compelling overriding reason: I think he is going to be a great president and I think he is what the country wants and needs - change.

Not another fucking chapter in the Bush-Clinton Dynasty years.

Galactica is coming on.

Jesse Jackson?

Oh, I get it.

You chose race over gender.

That is all you had to say.

you are the most dishonest piece of shit on the internets and you haunt this place.
gotalife? don't make me laugh any more please.

you ain't worth talking to.

i'm out.

I have seen many politicians come and go.

Obama does absolutely nothing for me with his rhetoric because I have heard it many times before.

A different of politics, hope and unity, blah, blah, blah.

But I have never seen a politician with radical friends like Obama.

This will scare many Americans from supporting him and that is the problem with Obama.

you mean, instead of Hillary's husband who pardoned radicals?

Or Clinton's campaign manager who supports workers being killed by Colombia corporations?

gotalife - I've learned to respect you. I sincerely believe you are a dedicated Democrat who truly believes Hillary is out only hope.

But, be honest: Hillary and Obama on the surface are VERY similar. Similar positions on the majority of issues and similar experience (Clinton's claims to the contrary).

So, you are right to judge Obama's character. You are wrong to find it somehow less that Hillary's.

If you truly look at Hillary, and stop ignoring her flaws, make a list of HER 100 lies, and really compare the two: there is no contest.

Obama shows better judgement and better politics than Hillary.

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Gotalife: Can you go away, at least for a little while? Please?

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That is good news about the speculation that Obama will need less than 100 delegates at the end. Since FL and MI don't count, shouldn't those delegate numbers be removed and fewer delegates be needed to go over the top. Why is the same amount needed when two states are eliminated? There should be a proportional reduction in the number needed.

The 2024 is the number without FL & MI. If those are included, the number is higher.

there was another article here somewhere showing the unlikelyness of that happening.

Not impossible, but for Hillary to win in those circumstances (bringing the issue of the MI and FL to the convention floor), she will divide the party, not unite it.

What good will it do to win FL and MI in the nomination, and lose most if the country in the General?

Fewer.

Is "super-delegate" a mini-me version of "super-power?"

When are we going to learn, there ain't no such thing on this mortal plane...

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These two super delegates just bought super tickets on the