Senator Clinton Is Going Nowhere
That is the story, at least according to Ben Smith @ Politico:
Ken Vogel reports that in a press conference before taking off from San Juan, Hillary Clinton reiterated Terry McAuliffe's suggestion that her campaign might court Obama's superdelegates.
“One thing about superdelegates is that they can change their minds,” she said, adding that a superdelegate on board the plane had committed to her, switched to Obama and then back to her.
Her point — that superdelegates aren't locked into their choices — is a technically valid reason to stay in after Obama has locked up a majority of delegates, as he's likely to this week. But the political reality is that the direction of flow of superdelegates is toward the winner.
Asked if she accepted the 2,118-delegate threshold as the finish line, she said “that’s a question we’re going to be considering,” suggesting her campaign might appeal Saturday’s Rules and Bylaws Committee decision on allocating Michigan’s delegates. ...
“My political obituary has yet to be written,” she said. “It is not over til it’s over.”
More like "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated" or something to that effect. Mr. Smith also notes that she is refusing to give into the concession buzz:
Hillary Clinton will not drop out of the presidential race Tuesday or in several days that follow, the spokesman,Mo Elleithee, said Monday afternoon.
"It's pretty clear that she's not conceding," Elleithee told reporters on Clinton's campaign plane en route from Rapid City, S.D. to Sioux City, Iowa. Instead, Elleithee said Clinton would be "aggressively courting" superdelegates and "putting together the next phase of the campaign," which he said could include campaign events around the country.
He acknowledged that advance staff - the folks who precede Clinton to campaign sites to plan the highly choreographed events - were being given the option of coming to New York for Clinton's election night party Tuesday or to "go home for a couple days. Take a break."But he said they're being told, "either way, stand by your phones, because when we decide where we're going next, we're going to be burning up your cell phone."
He also rejected speculation that inviting donors' to her election night event in New York was a sign the campaign is wrapping up.
It's standard operating procedure to invite donors to election night events, said Elleithee, adding "it's a great way to close out this stage of the campaign."
Do not be surprised if she stays in this, at least behind the scenes. As Thomas and I have stated, repeatedly, Senator Clinton has a viable and strong argument for superdelegates to switch from Senator Obama to her. The only question remaining is will they? It is unlikely that she will get a cavalcade of superdelegates jumping to her camp immediately, but a slow trickle -- a slow bleed, if you will -- could occur if Senator Obama continues to make serious mistakes on the campaign trail. He may state the beginning of his general election bid tomorrow after the last two primaries, but Senator Clinton is a tenacious opponent. She will not go quietly into the night.
So it is a distinct possibility that she could work behind the scenes, continue to court superdelegates, and take this fight to the convention. The rumor is she may announce a suspension of her campaign, but that is not dropping out. It is also known that she is not pleased with the Rules and Bylaws Committee decision on how to handle Michigan. She could appeal that at the convention, which would occur on the first day. We know of many Clinton supporters that are not pleased that voters are appearing to be disenfranchised in Michigan. They can accept the Florida deal because it makes sense. The whole delegation will be seated, but they are to be punished by receiving a half-vote only per delegate.
One thing is for sure, this is far from over. We will continue to watch this drama unfold until she either hangs up her hat, or there is a shift int he superdelegates. I should also note, for readers who have e-mailed their concern, that while we make the argument for Senator Clinton's nomination we do not advocate that she be the nominee. Senator Obama will be an easier candidate to beat in the fall. We hope the Democrats make that critical error in nominating him.
Marcie
Ken Vogel reports that in a press conference before taking off from San Juan, Hillary Clinton reiterated Terry McAuliffe's suggestion that her campaign might court Obama's superdelegates.
“One thing about superdelegates is that they can change their minds,” she said, adding that a superdelegate on board the plane had committed to her, switched to Obama and then back to her.
Her point — that superdelegates aren't locked into their choices — is a technically valid reason to stay in after Obama has locked up a majority of delegates, as he's likely to this week. But the political reality is that the direction of flow of superdelegates is toward the winner.
Asked if she accepted the 2,118-delegate threshold as the finish line, she said “that’s a question we’re going to be considering,” suggesting her campaign might appeal Saturday’s Rules and Bylaws Committee decision on allocating Michigan’s delegates. ...
“My political obituary has yet to be written,” she said. “It is not over til it’s over.”
More like "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated" or something to that effect. Mr. Smith also notes that she is refusing to give into the concession buzz:
Hillary Clinton will not drop out of the presidential race Tuesday or in several days that follow, the spokesman,Mo Elleithee, said Monday afternoon.
"It's pretty clear that she's not conceding," Elleithee told reporters on Clinton's campaign plane en route from Rapid City, S.D. to Sioux City, Iowa. Instead, Elleithee said Clinton would be "aggressively courting" superdelegates and "putting together the next phase of the campaign," which he said could include campaign events around the country.
He acknowledged that advance staff - the folks who precede Clinton to campaign sites to plan the highly choreographed events - were being given the option of coming to New York for Clinton's election night party Tuesday or to "go home for a couple days. Take a break."But he said they're being told, "either way, stand by your phones, because when we decide where we're going next, we're going to be burning up your cell phone."
He also rejected speculation that inviting donors' to her election night event in New York was a sign the campaign is wrapping up.
It's standard operating procedure to invite donors to election night events, said Elleithee, adding "it's a great way to close out this stage of the campaign."
Do not be surprised if she stays in this, at least behind the scenes. As Thomas and I have stated, repeatedly, Senator Clinton has a viable and strong argument for superdelegates to switch from Senator Obama to her. The only question remaining is will they? It is unlikely that she will get a cavalcade of superdelegates jumping to her camp immediately, but a slow trickle -- a slow bleed, if you will -- could occur if Senator Obama continues to make serious mistakes on the campaign trail. He may state the beginning of his general election bid tomorrow after the last two primaries, but Senator Clinton is a tenacious opponent. She will not go quietly into the night.
So it is a distinct possibility that she could work behind the scenes, continue to court superdelegates, and take this fight to the convention. The rumor is she may announce a suspension of her campaign, but that is not dropping out. It is also known that she is not pleased with the Rules and Bylaws Committee decision on how to handle Michigan. She could appeal that at the convention, which would occur on the first day. We know of many Clinton supporters that are not pleased that voters are appearing to be disenfranchised in Michigan. They can accept the Florida deal because it makes sense. The whole delegation will be seated, but they are to be punished by receiving a half-vote only per delegate.
One thing is for sure, this is far from over. We will continue to watch this drama unfold until she either hangs up her hat, or there is a shift int he superdelegates. I should also note, for readers who have e-mailed their concern, that while we make the argument for Senator Clinton's nomination we do not advocate that she be the nominee. Senator Obama will be an easier candidate to beat in the fall. We hope the Democrats make that critical error in nominating him.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 6:24 PM
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