Ha!

I'll catch a ride to Heaven on my flying pig because Hell just froze over...

(too many mixed metaphors?)

Posted at May 13, 2008 1:00 PM in response to Polls Give Obama Big Lead In Oregon

On another note, myDD has a hilarious post on this:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/5/13/42138/3733

Obama's worst nightmare just happened.
by DTaylor, Tue May 13, 2008 at 04:21:38 AM EST

The one single thing most likely to lose Obama the election has just occurred ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con tent/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202554. html?referrer=digg

One of Hillary's PLEDGED DELEGATES defected to Obama.

How is this bad for Obama you say?

It opens up every PLEDGED DELEGATE to insider politics.

If that occurs Obama may face a situation where its insider politics and the party chooses who the party wants.

Hillary Clinton has the majority of the Democratic party votes.

This cycle is stranger and stranger and stranger...

Posted at May 13, 2008 12:53 PM in response to Pledged Delegate For Hillary Switches To Obama

Really?

I'm not sure I buy this argument.

If Hillary does NOT concede, are we supposed to go to a floor fight at the convention? The delegates (pledged or otherwise) have no power to decide "in good conscience" to end this?

Or, in my other example, if Obama is revealed to be a mass-murderer, we're stuck with him?

No. That's why it's flexible: The situation has changed from when Maryland voted.

Posted at May 13, 2008 12:52 PM in response to Pledged Delegate For Hillary Switches To Obama

Thanks for posting that. I just actually read the link (novel idea).

This actually has implications beyond Johnson:

"Some Clinton delegates were chosen by voters at the ballot. Others, such as Johnson, were selected in consultation with the Clinton campaign by the Maryland Democratic State Central Committee, party spokesman David Paulson said.

But Paulson said that pledged delegates are under no obligation to stick by their candidate and that Johnson is free to defect if he chooses.

"The freedom to change your mind or change your vote does exist," Paulson said. "They're not like superdelegates, but they do have this flexibility."

Obama swamped Clinton in Maryland, capturing 61 percent of the vote statewide and 79 percent of the vote in Prince George's County. Given the results in Maryland and elsewhere, Johnson said, the Maryland party would be unenthusiastic about the November election if Obama were not the nominee.

A decision by O'Malley or Mikulski to release all of Maryland's Clinton delegates could be the start of a national wave to unify behind Obama, Johnson said.

"If we do that, I think we could shift some other states and bring the race to an end," he said.

Johnson's call was rejected by some Clinton's other supporters in the state. Melissa Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Mikulski, said the Maryland senator "remains 100 percent behind Senator Clinton."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202554.html

Posted at May 13, 2008 12:29 PM in response to Pledged Delegate For Hillary Switches To Obama

aw, crap.

Wrong thread.

Apologies. (but maybe it will distract from Yilla the Racist.)

Posted at May 13, 2008 12:19 PM in response to ABC/WaPo Poll: Obama Ahead Of McCain

Maybe people should read the link.

This actually has implications beyond Jackson:

"Some Clinton delegates were chosen by voters at the ballot. Others, such as Johnson, were selected in consultation with the Clinton campaign by the Maryland Democratic State Central Committee, party spokesman David Paulson said.

But Paulson said that pledged delegates are under no obligation to stick by their candidate and that Johnson is free to defect if he chooses.

"The freedom to change your mind or change your vote does exist," Paulson said. "They're not like superdelegates, but they do have this flexibility."

Obama swamped Clinton in Maryland, capturing 61 percent of the vote statewide and 79 percent of the vote in Prince George's County. Given the results in Maryland and elsewhere, Johnson said, the Maryland party would be unenthusiastic about the November election if Obama were not the nominee.

A decision by O'Malley or Mikulski to release all of Maryland's Clinton delegates could be the start of a national wave to unify behind Obama, Johnson said.

"If we do that, I think we could shift some other states and bring the race to an end," he said.

Johnson's call was rejected by some Clinton's other supporters in the state. Melissa Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Mikulski, said the Maryland senator "remains 100 percent behind Senator Clinton."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202554.html

Posted at May 13, 2008 12:18 PM in response to ABC/WaPo Poll: Obama Ahead Of McCain

Sure.

But if a member of the electoral college changed his or her vote to Gore to protest the Bush debacle, I wouldn't complain, and the country would be better off.

Again: At a gut level, I understand the emotion. We want to believe this a a democracy, where our votes are somehow directly tied to the process.

But that's just not the reality. Perhaps we need to change the nomination process, and the electoral college. I'm actually fine with that.

But to argue against the PERSON seems unfair. Again, people who have problems with the rules should write and call Howard Dean, not Jack B. Johnson.

Posted at May 13, 2008 10:21 AM in response to Pledged Delegate For Hillary Switches To Obama

typo - there would be NO delegates.

And to clarify, If someone wants to switch from Obama to Clinton, that's fair too.

Posted at May 13, 2008 9:47 AM in response to Pledged Delegate For Hillary Switches To Obama

Wow, a lot of hand-wringing going on here.

Look, there is NOTHING saying a delegate cannot change their mind. That's why in caucuses it's important to pick someone you trust.

This is NOT a purely democratic process. If it was, there would be not delegates, just a straight national vote on who would be our Democratic nominee. If people REALLY feel strongly about this, write Dean, and have the DNC scrap the whole nomination process and create a new one.

But, for now, it is how it is. If Obama is discovered to be mass-murderer and refuses to step-down, the Delegates have the right, no, the RESPONSIBILITY to pick someone else.

Maybe this Delegate thinks Hillary is hurting the Democratic party's chances in November. Maybe he's putting the interest of the party above his own.

Don't be so quick to judge, and if a delegate wants to switch from Hillary to Obama - they are welcome to.

Posted at May 13, 2008 9:45 AM in response to Pledged Delegate For Hillary Switches To Obama

hmm, don't think Obama is planning on getting all 150 delegates in a week (although it IS possible).

By May 20, they WILL have a majority of the pledged delegates:

Obama: 1,592 pledged delegates. Majority: 1,627.

35 pledged delegates to go.

Then the Supers will really start coming!

Posted at May 12, 2008 5:42 PM in response to Obama Camp Says They're 150 Delegates From Clinching Nomination