Barack Obama Elected President!

[Roman]

A good point. You sure haven't heard from him, have you?

And Cokie Roberts this morning on this week..........my word.

[DevotedToAMC]

Cokie is kind of an interesting woman

[Roman]

From CNN:

(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama has tied Sen. Hillary Clinton in the race for superdelegates, according to CNN's latest count.

Sen. Barack Obama has received a flurry of endorsements in the past few days.

Obama picked up an endorsement from California superdelegate Crystal Strait, a Young Democrats of America board member and a former California Young Democrats president.

"It's probably the hardest decision I've made in my life," Strait told CNN.

"I respect both candidates so much. But listening to how young people voted and caucused around the country, I know this was the right decision."

Superdelegates are party leaders and officials who vote for the candidate of their choice at the Democratic convention in August.

At the beginning of the year, Clinton had led the superdelegate race by more than 100.

The focus of the Democratic race has largely turned to the superdelegates because they outnumber the remaining pledged delegates that are up for grabs.

Strait became the 273rd superdelegate in Obama's column, by CNN's count. Clinton had 273 Sunday as well -- technically 273.5 because of some Democrats Abroad superdelegates who are given half a vote each.

"Barack Obama has shown a real commitment to young voters in his campaign, and in response, young people have overwhelmingly voted and caucused for Obama," Strait said in a written statement.

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"We know that if a young person votes three times in a row for a party, they become a party voter for life. We know that because of high youth turnout in 2004 and 2006, 2008 is the third and critical election for young voters. And that's why I know I want to pledge my delegate vote to Barack Obama," she said.

Following a flurry of endorsements, Obama campaign chief David Axelrod on Sunday predicted superdelegates would continue to break for Obama.

"We're coming to the end of the process. I think people saw the results on Tuesday as very meaningful," he said on "Fox News Sunday."

The senator from Illinois last week had a double-digit win in North Carolina and a narrow loss in Indiana.

"I think there's an eagerness on the part of the party leadership and activists across the country to get on with the general election campaign. Sen. [John] McCain's been out there campaigning as the nominee for some time, and I think people are eager to engage," Axelrod said.

"So I think you're going to see people making decisions at a rapid pace from this point on," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Sunday the prolonged primary season has been great for the country, pointing to increased voter registration for his party.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week," he said people should "just relax" because the primaries will be over June 3.

There are only 217 pledged delegates up for grabs in the remaining contests.

Obama holds a commanding lead in the number of pledged delegates awarded from primaries and caucuses: 1,592 to Clinton's 1,424.

The Democrats next face off Tuesday in West Virginia, where polls show Clinton with a substantial lead.

Clinton has a 43-percentage-point advantage over Obama, 66 percent to 23 percent, according to a survey from the American Research Group released Friday.

The poll was conducted after Tuesday's primary results and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

"This state is really Hillary Clinton's wheelhouse. It's an older population, socially conservative, blue-collar workers," said Kennie Bass, a political reporter for WCHS in West Virginia.

Obama acknowledges that West Virginians favor Clinton.

"She is going to do very well in West Virginia and Kentucky. She will win those states, in all likelihood, by significant margins," he said this week.

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Obama took a break from the campaign trail Sunday, spending Mother's Day in Chicago, Illinois.

Clinton had three stops scheduled in West Virginia ahead of the primary, and her husband, Bill Clinton, was campaigning for her in Oregon.

[Roman]

Also from CNN:

Obama camp: Clinton not looking for a deal

Posted: 02:05 PM ET

From CNN's Josh Levs

(CNN) – Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign rejected suggestions Sunday that Sen. Hillary Clinton is staying in the race in hopes of brokering some kind of agreement with the likely nominee.

"I don't believe that Senator Clinton is looking for a deal," Obama's chief campaign strategist David Axelrod told "Fox News Sunday," when asked about suggestions she may want the Obama campaign's help retiring her campaign debt.

"I don't think that's what this is about," he said.

Axelrod said he believes Clinton "will have the capacity to retire her debt."

He also denied rumors that the Clinton camp may be in some kind of discussions with the Obama camp to make her his running mate. "There's been no discussion about vice presidential nominees and this whole scenario," said Axelrod.

Clinton's top strategist Howard Wolfson told the same program, "We think Senator Clinton is going to be the nominee," and that he has "seen no evidence of her interest" in the number two slot.

From CNN Political Producer Kristi Keck

Sen. Chris Dodd says it’s “very clear” Obama will be his party’s nominee.

(CNN) – Sen. Chris Dodd on Sunday joined the chorus of Democratic leaders downplaying the idea of a joint ticket between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

"These are two great candidates who fought very hard, but my sense is today that that probably won't be the ticket," Dodd said on NBC's "Meet The Press."

Dodd, who abandoned his presidential bid on January 3, said he thinks it's "very clear" Obama will be his party's nominee.

Dodd expressed confidence that his party would rally around Obama, despite the lengthy primary season.

Obama campaign chief David Axelrod on Sunday predicted the process would be over soon, but avoided talk of any potential running mates.

172 Comments | Permalink

Obama continues to narrow Clinton's superdelegate lead

Posted: 01:30 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton's superdelegate lead over Sen. Barack Obama was narrowed even more Saturday, according to CNN's latest delegate estimate.

Clinton picked up the votes of two more superdelegates and lost one since Friday night.

Rep. Ciro Rodriguez of Texas announced his support for the New York senator.

Arthur Powell was named an add-on superdelegate by the Massachusetts Democratic Party on Saturday and said he would vote for Clinton.

Obama, meanwhile, picked up three superdelegates since Friday night, including Carole Burke and Kevin Rodriquez of the Virgin Islands.

Rodriquez had backed Clinton but decided to switch his endorsement, citing Obama's ability to unite the Democratic Party and win the White House, according to Obama's campaign.

Kristi Cumming, named an add-on superdelegate by the Utah Democratic Party late Friday night, said she will vote for Obama.

That brings Clinton's superdelegate total to 273 and Obama's to 271.

Superdelegates are Democratic officials who hold the balance of power in determining the party's presidential nominee.

[DevotedToAMC]

I heard that Obama now surpassed her lead in Superdelegates...or it might be a tie right now with her gaining some more SDs

[Roman]

From The Australian:

NOT so long ago, the race for the Democratic presidential nomination was dominated by talk of Hillary Clinton's mental toughness and fighting qualities. One critic even referred to the former first lady's "testicular fortitude".

But at a Mother's Day function in New York yesterday, Senator Clinton's hardball approach was suddenly missing, raising speculation she is ready to abandon her campaign and cede Barack Obama the victory that everyone else knows he's won.

The shift in Senator Clinton's demeanour came on a day when Senator Obama finally took the lead in the super delegate count, leaving his rival without a single valid statistic to justify her continued candidacy.

With just a handful of primaries to go, Senator Obama leads in the four key measuring sticks - total votes cast, pledged delegates, super delegates and the number of states won.

"He (Senator Obama) leads in every important metric in this race right now," former Bill Clinton press svengali George Stephanopoulos said on Good Morning America.

"He is consolidating this victory, moving toward unifying the party, and really not looking back."

The reality of this seemed to weigh on Senator Clinton at New York's Sheraton Midtown hotel where her stump speech, delivered to an audience that included many of her closest supporters, had the feel of a farewell.

Lines like "stay with me, this is a great adventure" were still there but lacked the conviction of the recent past.

Instead, Senator Clinton spoke at length on the need for healing in the Democratic Party and avoided her past references to Senator Obama's lack of political judgment and unsuitability for the White House.

"I want you to know how grateful I am for your support and how much you have sustained me throughout this campaign. It has been a joy," Senator Clinton said.

"We will have a unified Democratic Party and we will stand together and we will defeat John McCain in November and we will go on to the White House."

Officially Senator Clinton is still on the campaign trail and, despite her campaign's huge money worries, she is expected to score a handsome victory in this week's West Virginia primary.

But there is mounting speculation she could use the West Virginia result to leave the campaign in a blaze of glory.

While this would allow Senator Obama to focus his energies on beating presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in November, the issue of the vice-presidency could still prove divisive.

The Democratic Party machine is anxious to see a Obama-Clinton ticket because it would maximise the Democrat voter turnout in November, when congressional elections will be held alongside the presidential runoff.

With the Democrat's primary-season turnout outstripping the Republicans three to one in many states, an Obama-Clinton ticket could deliver the Democrats congressional majorities of historic proportions.

But it's unclear whether Senator Obama would have Senator Clinton as a running-mate and equally unclear whether Senator Clinton would accept if she were offered the post.

According to veteran Washington insider Robert Novak, the issue is already settled because Senator Obama's wife has all but vetoed an invitation to Senator Clinton.

Writing on RealClearPolitics.com at the weekend, Novak said "close-in supporters" of Senator Obama's were convinced that Michelle Obama would stop her husband offering Senator Clinton the job.

"The Democratic frontrunner's wife did not comment on other rival candidates for the party's nomination, but she has been sniping at Clinton since last summer," Novak wrote.

"According to Obama sources, those public utterances do not reveal the extent of her hostility (to Senator Clinton)."

Among those believed to be under consideration is popular Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, a Clinton supporter who would have been a hot favourite for the post had she won the nomination.

Not only is Ohio an important swing state, Mr Strickland is a former Methodist pastor whose religious credentials would help blunt the expected Republican attacks on Senator Obama's relationship with radical former Chicago pastor Jeremiah Wright.

As a psychologist active in children's education, Francis Strickland, the Governor's wife, is also politically saleable.

Senator Obama's super delegate total had reached 274 yesterday, three ahead of Senator Clinton who led by more than 60 on Super Tuesday on February 5.

There are about 800 Democrat super delegates.

They comprise state and federal party officials and elected representatives, who are free to vote for whoever they like in the nominating process.

[DevotedToAMC]

That is why I say go for that ticket...they are unbeatable together.

And Michelle needs to keep her nose out of his decision for VP..it is his, not hers. Just like it will be Hillary's if she wins, not Bill's

[Roman]

"The Democratic "dream ticket" of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will never happen -- thanks to Michelle Obama.

Political columnist Robert Novak reported Sunday that Obama's close supporters are convinced he won't offer the vice presidential slot to Clinton because Michelle Obama "has been sniping at Clinton since last summer."

Novak also says Michelle Obama's "public utterances do not reveal the extent of her hostility."

IMO, anyone who takes this jackass' word for anything is a complete idiot.

And two..........if Bill Clinton can shoot his mouth off and nobody says anything about it, Michelle has the right to speak to her husband.

So..........when Hillary was FL, and she was sticking her nose into Bill's presidential business.......

By this logic, she should have kept her mouth shut?

[Roman]

Wow. This sounds really familar:

From AltNet:

Hillary Is McCain's Dream Candidate, Not Obama's

By Guy T. Saperstein, AlterNet. Posted May 10, 2008.

Before the talk of a Obama/Hillary "dream ticket" goes too far, are we talking about the the Republicans' dream, or everyone else's?

Now that it is apparent to all, except perhaps Hillary Clinton and some of her die-hard supporters, that Barack Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee, the drumbeat for a "dream" ticket [Obama/Clinton] is starting. But before this goes too far, we need to ask, whose "dream" are we talking about? Our Republican opponents' dream or ours?

John McCain is in deep trouble, and not just because of the legacy of George Bush. He is in trouble with much of the Republican base, particularly the Religious Right, who never have trusted him. It is no accident that turnout in nearly all Republican primaries has been low, that McCain's fundraising has been dismal and that in the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, nearly 25 percent of Republican voters voted against him, despite the fact that he clearly will be the Republican nominee.

While McCain was the strongest in a weak field of Republican candidates, his candidacy clearly is not galvanizing conservatives. There is only one candidate who can do that: Hillary Clinton. To the conservative base of the Republican Party, she is the Democratic demon and the candidate the Republicans' want to face. She is Rush Limbaugh's candidate of choice. She is the candidate who the Right would use to raise money and turn out volunteers. She is the only potential Democratic VP who would build Republican enthusiasm and inspire the grassroots Republican campaign.

She also is the candidate who consistently measures the highest "unfavorable" ratings of anyone who ever has run for the presidency. In an ABC News poll, Clinton polls 54 percent unfavorable; perhaps even worse, 58 percent of voters say she is not honest and trustworthy. Both Clintons stand out for the amount of voter antipathy they attract: Thirty-nine percent of voters have a "strongly unfavorable" opinion of Hillary Clinton; only 22 percent have a "strongly favorable" view. Thirty-four percent are strongly negative on Bill Clinton and 51 percent have an "unfavorable" opinion of him. And Hillary's low-road campaign has had an impact: Forty-one percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters describe the tone of the Democratic campaign as "mostly negative," and by nearly a 4 to 1 margin, 52 percent to 14 percent, blame Clinton. Is taking baggage like this into the general election anyone's "dream" but a Republican's?

Worse than Hillary's high unfavorables, an Obama-Clinton ticket would create a continuing crossfire -- not between McCain and Obama, but between Obama and Clinton. Every one of Clinton's interactions with the media would feature questions like, "Do you still think Barack Obama lacks experience to be commander-in-chief?" "Do you still think Obama is an elitist?" "That he doesn't understand the problems of the white working class?" "Do you still think his past association with Reverend Wright is very troublesome?" Obama would be asked, "During the primary campaign, your VP said your healthcare plan sucked. Was she right? Does it suck?" "Do you want to obliterate Iran, too, like your vice president?" And, when the press wasn't asking these questions, John McCain would ask them. Or, maybe we all could be reminded of Bill's talk of a Clinton versus McCain contest, where we would have a campaign of "two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country," unlike Obama. Even worse than this scenario, Barack Obama would be cast in the position of having to defend his own VP's past attacks on himself. By doing so, he would not simply look like a hypocrite, he would, in fact, be a hypocrite -- thus putting into jeopardy his coin of the realm, his honesty and integrity. The general campaign wouldn't be about Obama versus McCain, it would be Act Two of a very bad marriage, with Obama sacrificing his integrity trying to explain away his own VP's past attacks on him. If you think her snarky, negative primary campaign was a thing of the past, think again because the Republicans and the press would offer us deja vu all over again. Lost in this dialogue of the past would be Obama's opportunity to explain how he wants to take America into a more productive future.

Those who "dream" of an Obama-Clinton ticket also fail to recognize something significant: Hillary has been a lousy candidate. I used to think that Al Gore and John Kerry ran the worst campaigns for president ever, but Hillary's ineptitude set new records. Five months ago, Hillary had a 20-plus point lead in Democratic polling, the greatest name recognition of any candidate, the most money, support from a popular former Democratic president who was actively campaigning for her, nostalgia for the Clinton era of "peace and prosperity," a ton of endorsements, the aura of "inevitability" -- and she squandered it all with an inexorable series of misjudgments, abetted by her husband's, her campaign's and her own unrelenting arrogance. By contrast, Obama ran down and exposed the dinosaur for what it was, not simply with a brilliantly executed campaign, but with a core understanding that voters were tired of the type of old-style politics and old-style campaigning Bill and Hillary so ably represent. Why should he now forge an alliance with one of the most ineffective old-style campaigns ever, not to mention take on the Big Dog [bill] as his new pal -- in this case, an uncontrollable pal who would try to run not only Hillary's campaign, but Obama's, as well? This is my definition of a Living and Breathing Nightmare -- one with plenty of 3 a.m. calls from Bill! Even worse than sharing a campaign with Bill and Hill, allying with the Clintons would undermine the very essence of the Obama message -- that real change is needed in Washington. It would be seen as completely inauthentic, the worst type of marriage of convenience. And unlike the shotgun marriage JFK made with LBJ, Hillary brings nothing to the table; unlike LBJ, she can't bring a swing state into the Democratic column. Obama could win New York with Daffy Duck as his VP.

[Roman]

And then there's this:

From Crooks & Liars:

Californians Would Switch Clinton Vote For Obama

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ― California voters would change their February primary vote for Hillary Clinton to a vote for Barack Obama if the vote were held again, according to an exclusive poll commissioned by CBS 5.

While voters in the California Democratic Presidential Primary backed Clinton by a 10-point margin, a new SurveyUSA poll shows that if given the chance to vote again, Californians would choose Barack Obama by a 6-point margin, 49%-43%.

The poll was conducted on May 7 and 8 and has a margin of error of 4%.

On the Republican side, John McCain won by 8 points in the California primary. The new poll says he would win by 35, in a 55%-20% victory over Mitt Romney, if Californians were given the chance to vote again.

[DevotedToAMC]

And I say that Barack Obama would be foolish to listen to his wife about not selecting Hillary for VP...a large number of her supporters will go for McCain if she is not on the ticket and vice versa. To me, they need each other.

I am not saying Michelle should not speak on important issues but that she should leave the VP choice up to her husband.

The Hillary analogy does not work because I am referring to a selection for VP...she spoke as First Lady about what was important at that time. She did not control Bill's choice over choosing Al Gore as VP.

The CA revote does not matter at this point because California will go Democrat for November...as we have done since 1992

[Roman]

Whatever.

Your argument changes every post, day or hour.

You push by stuff Hillary does or says, then say that Michelle should not butt in. She has every right as that man's wife to say anything she wants. And, BTW.........did you hear her say it? Damn. Neither did I.

California now doesn't matter because it was going Dem anyway, not the fact that this article, taken from your own SurveyUSA, shows that people have changed their mind about Hillary.

But you think what you want. It doesn't matter. Barack is the Dem. nominee. And Hillary hopefully won't be his running mate.

If Michelle wants to tell him who he should pick as his VP, then by all means, go for it. YOU SAID that Hillary has all this damn experince in the WH being FL.......that would mean that she stuck her nose in alot of Bill's business.

But talking to you about thi is pointless.

You'll believe or make up whatever you can to either say Hillary would make a better candidate (Even though she is in second in every single mjor category), that Barack should beg Hillary to be his VP ( ) or that he should, after winning the popular vote, SDs, most states and PDs, should gladly step aside, piss off his suporters and do what's good for the party and put her as the nom.

No matter the fact, FOR THE ONE THOUSANTH TIME, that his supporters would either stay at home or vote for McCain.

But.........you didn't hear what I just said so, like I said at the beginning of this post.......

Whatever.

[Roman]

Like I said:

From Politico:

May 10, 2008

Categories: Barack Obama

Obama dismisses Novak

Obama, whose campaign jumped on Robert Novak's suggestion earlier this year of Clinton dirty tricks, mocked Novak's column today that Michelle has nixed Clinton as a vice president, Carrie Budoff Brown reports.

He dismissed it with a flit of his hand. He nearly didn't say anything, but then offered: "My wife does not talk to Bob Novak on a regular basis."

Communications director Robert Gibbs suggested afterward that the article should be set aside "in case of a toilet paper emergency."

[Wales2004]

Okay Roman---what about Cokie Roberts?

[Roman]

Cokie Roberts was on This Week this morning, playing the sexist card. She said she is really shocked and dismayed at the sexism from members of the media and columnists.

Then she said that Obama needs a gun toting, bible thumping white guy from a swing state.

THEN she said that is who the party should have nominated. And GS did not challenge her on that what so ever.