Top Clinton Advisor Says the Primary Is Over

[portlander23]

Top Clinton Advisor Says the Primary Is Over
JORDYN PHELPS
ABC News

“Here’s what’s not in doubt: That at some point Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton will have a majority of pledged delegates. Number one, she’ll have a majority of delegates overall, and a significant majority in the popular vote,” senior Clinton strategist Joel Benenson said in interview with Jonathan Karl and Rick Klein on the ABC News “Powerhouse Politics” podcast.

“That’s why everybody in the party, except for a small group of people, are acknowledging that she will be and is the presumptive nominee in the Democratic Party,” Benenson said.

Also on “Powerhouse Politics,” Sanders Campaign Manager Jeff Weaver sharply disagreed.

When asked if Tuesday is the unofficial end of the Democratic primary, Weaver said flatly, “No. Absolutely not.”

But if Clinton is indeed the nominee, Weaver said, it will be incumbent on her to bridge the divide with Sanders supporters.

“There’s got to be a tremendous amount of outreach on the Secretary’s part to reach out to that segment of the Democratic Party that, even if Sanders isn’t the nominee, is going to represent about half of the party,” Weaver said. “She’s going to have to reach out those people and really sort of bring them in.”

[djean111]

1. She proudly stands for pretty much everything I am against - war and fracking and the TPP and the

Third Way, to name a few things. There is literally not one damned thing she can reach out with. Oh, and anything she says - she lies. She panders. We all know that.

[beachbum bob]

2. i suspect trump stands even firther away from what you support...think how happy you be with him...

[basselope]

20. 6 of one.

[metroins]

23. Clinton has never

Mimicked a disabled reporter.
Talked about a journalists period.
Made crazy nicknames for contenders.
Discussed female or male anatomy during a campaign.
Talked about Japan getting nukes.
Wanting to break up NATO.
Campaigned on stopping Muslims from coming in the country.
Campaigned on a wall and making Mexico build it.
A billion other things.
etc. etc. etc.

Seriously, you must be insane to think they are a like.

[basselope]

27. 6 of one.

It's not that they are alike.

They are just different forms of bad.

The result is the same.

[840high]

70. this

[azmom]

77. +1000000

[99Forever]

87. Exactly. n/t

[CobaltBlue]

29. metroins—Hillary Clinton voted for the U.S. to go to war in Iraq.

You will never be able to spin that. (No matter how much you try.)

[metroins]

30. I was following the news then

We all know how it played out.

I personally think going in wasn't the bad idea; it was the sustained occupation and rebuilding effort that was bad. We don't need to rehash the whole Iraq fiasco, but the original vote was not a bad thing for me. The PATRIOT ACT is far worse than the Iraq vote.

[pangaia]

54. You "don't think going in wasn't the bad idea; ..."

You are serious, aren't you!

I like that term, "going in." THAT is really a duzy !

'going in'... 'going in'... It kind of just...rolls off the tongue, doesn't it.



Well, then you certainly have chosen the right candidate to support.

[metroins]

57. We don't have to argue the Iraq war

We all know the sustained fight, rebuilding efforts etc were horrible ideas.

But the initial vote was not pertaining to occupation, it was to stop WMDs. Bush lied, but at the time I didn't know it so I supported the vote. I watched the 48 hours given to Saddam countdown.

[pangaia]

73. "Bush lied, but at the time I didn't know it so I supported the vote."

I knew it. So did millions of other people.

Bush and all the other neocons wanted to invade Iraq to begin with... lots of $$$ to be made there. "Lots of business opportunities." "Money trumps peace." etc etc..

So, yes, if Clinton wants to be president, we do have to argue the Iraq war.

This woman is a 'pax americana' supporter from the get go and I want no part of it.


As one interesting report on what happened, have you read Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine?

Most of this was perfectly clear either before or during our 'going in.'

[basselope]

75. How come most of us knew?

And now the reports have been made public and it seems even the people in the Senate KNEW there were no WMDs.

It was a politically motivated vote made by politicians who didn't want to look "weak" b/c they wanted to run for president someday.

[CobaltBlue]

82. basselope—Didn’t Hillary say the Iraq War was “a business opportunity?”

[basselope]

88. Oh dear god.. did she?

I don't know. I was so done with her after she stood on the floor and tried to explain how her vote wasn't really her vote.

[CobaltBlue]

85. metroins—Your support of Hillary explains why you’d prefer…

to not remember that she voted for this country—and its soldiers—to fight George W. Bush’s unnecesary war in Iraq.

(Did you say supported it?)

I am very glad I had the good sense to reject Hillary Clinton in both 2008 and 2016. It’s too bad Democrats—especially everyone who would like to pass himself off as a “progressive”—betrayed and failed.

[Fumesucker]

86. Yep, kick their ass and take their gas

That's "foreign policy" for a yuuuge chunk of America.

[StevieM]

79. Are you against Merrick Garland? (eom)

[HereSince1628]

3. At some point on Tuesday Clinton will have what she already has...

"a majority of delegates overall, and a significant majority in the popular vote"

I love the truth. Even when it comes in public relations statements that are trying to say more than that.

[geek tragedy]

9. difference being there will be no more states voting, so the it will be

mathematically impossible for that outcome to change.

To use a sports metaphor, Tuesday night will be the time when a team locks up a playoff series win, and the locker room gets soaked in champagne.

[Jack Bone]

4. they've been "pivoting" since before NY...just propaganda

carry on..

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. rules don't count when clinton is involved, thanks for clarifying

[NCTraveler]

11. Exactly. Popular vote count doesn't matter. A majority of delegates doesn't matter.

Winning just about every metric doesn't matter. When going up against Clinton people simply throw the rule book out in their attempts to beat her or break her down. She doesn't roll over for the bullshit.

[lagomorph777]

16. ...and the GE doesn't matter

apparently the campaign pays bonuses to its advisors after the nomination; the GE is an afterthought.

[NCTraveler]

21. I can't make sense of your thoughts here.

You are saying yesterday wasn't a part of the GE. You are saying this is an "afterthought"?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512113881

You aren't being serious in any way.

[lagomorph777]

24. I am saying that moving to the GE with a damaged candidate would be a bad choice

for the Democratic Party. Said candidate's advisors don't give a damn about the party or the risk of installing a President Donald Dick.

[NCTraveler]

25. That really doesn't make any sense at all. Have at it with that argument. lol. nt.

[lagomorph777]

26. "LOL" - (adj.) lahl - backed into a rhetorical corner; got nothin'. syn: ROFL

Last edited Fri Jun 3, 2016, 02:05 PM - Edit history (1)

See, I do speak Hillary!

Maybe pig-latin would work better?

[lunamagica]

36. How is that a "rule". You said "rules don't matter" How so?

[lagomorph777]

41. You must have been reading another post. I didn't say anything like that.

[lunamagica]

49. Yes, I had you confused with somebody else. My apologies

[pinebox]

6. What a lot of Hillary supporters will see from Bernie supporters

should she be the nominee.

[Nye Bevan]

15. Those women are not going to show up to vote against the "blood coming out of her wherever" guy,

who wants them to have "some form of punishment" if they exercise their right to choose?

I'm pretty sure that most of them will be out of their sulk come November.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Nope, in 45 states that are not battleground

I suspect two other parties will do very well. And you know what? That is actually healthy.

[pinebox]

33. You are sadly mistaken

You have 2 candidates who are completely polarizing and most of America can't stand. Expect very low voter turn outs should Hillary be the Dem nominee. A lot of people see them both from the crop of corn, just different stalks.

There are other parties and they will gain a LOT of new people.

[Nye Bevan]

34. "First female president" vs. "Blood coming out of her wherever".

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. We'll see which of us is right in 5 months from now.

[haikugal]

37. Wow..I think there's much more to this than that shallow analysis. Damn!!

[Nye Bevan]

38. In a country where Reagan won 49 states because of his sunny optimism,

"shallow analysis" is often a better predictor than things like economic statistics.

[haikugal]

39. Perhaps but this forum is supposed to be THE place for democratic political junkies...at least it

was at one time, long ago. It's a shallow analysis and you agreed. I thank you for that at least.

[Nye Bevan]

40. Part of being a political junkie

is understanding that at least 80% of voters are not.

[haikugal]

42. People are aware of the problems they face in daily life and believe me when I say their eyes have

been opened this primary season. Expect the unexpected.

[CobaltBlue]

83. Nye Bevan—If Hillary is next POTUS, will you pray for more free trade?

[SheenaR]

46. The problem is not women

Mark my words...

Hillary will have a FAR FAR tougher time with men than Drumpf will with women. Focus is way off on that one. And the data supports it.

[SidDithers]

44. Don't go away angry...nt

Sid

[BootinUp]

7. Ya gotta love Weaver's obstinance, if you think obstinance is a virtue. nt

[geek tragedy]

8. Benenson is right. It's painfully obvious that he's right

Weaver really doesn't want to go back to that comic book store

[Vote2016]

10. I guess Hillary dumping campaign cash in California TV ads is an accounting error. Is this the first

time the Hillary campaign said one thing and then did something that was 180 degrees removed from what they said?

I'm sure this must be an isolated incident or public polling of Hillary's trustworthiness would drop to the point where she would become unelectable.

[geek tragedy]

12. 13 days nt

[lagomorph777]

13. They've been saying that since before the first votes.

It's still bullshit.

[Tarc]

14. This will be effectiely over the evening of June 7th, yes

[Skwmom]

17. Those Clinton Advisors are known to be such truth-tellers. HUGE sarcasm

[Bettie]

18. They've been saying that since before Iowa

so, whatever.

Yeah, she'll probably pull it out and move hard Right immediately, but them saying this is just...um, any day that ends in Y.

[YouDig]

19. He probably also said that 1+1=2.

[CobaltBlue]

28. portlander23—Jeff Weaver is correct.

[Waiting For Everyman]

31. She doesn't have shit until she is voted the nominee at the convention.

IF that happens.

Her camp long ago passed tediously boring on this constant harping, "it's over! it's over!"

It's easy to see through and it isn't a good look, because we all know it has always been about playing Beat The Clock with the FBI.

[Optimism]

32. Superdelegates don't get to vote until July.

As much as Hillary would like to change that date ... not gonna happen. Sucks that they've got to follow the rules and dates and such.

PRESUMPTIVE nominee. With the FBI investigation soon to wrap, I wouldn't dare to presume ANYTHING. Except that Hillary is the most damaged, unelectable candidate the Dems have served up in ages.

My family and I will NOT be voting for Clinton under any circumstances. We're FDR Democrats, after all.

[anotherproletariat]

35. So, I wonder if there is any possible way to know which direction they are leaning before July?

How on earth will we ever know who they might vote for. It is a total mystery.

Wait...maybe we could ask them? Perhaps get those who feel strongly one way or another to commit for their preferred candidate. Then we could have some idea who the nominee might be. This would be helpful in planning speeches and other convention events.

I'm sure FDR will enjoy the conservative SCOTUS that will result from Trump winning the presidency. You sound far more stubborn than FDR, who was willing to sacrifice his own reputation for many of his ideas.

[WhiteTara]

81. Yes, allowing Trump the WH will be just what FDR would want

after all, no social security, no medicare, no medicaid, no public schools, no public parks, no public libraries with a few "Christian" charities that will have bread and soup lines is just what FDR would want. To make sure all these things come to pass, Trump can nominate the next 3 SCOTUS seats and the right wing will seat them immediately, but you just make sure you don't vote for Clinton under any circumstances. That's what FDR would want. Oh, and the repukes want that too. But you can come here and whine about how terrible the country is then.

[SidDithers]

43. Top Clinton Advisor is right...nt

Sid

[B Calm]

45. So the fix is in, no big surprise there!

[geek tragedy]

47. lol, "Bernie didn't win, which means it's rigged" nt

[B Calm]

50. Yep, it was rigged from the get-go. Examples:

Before the first vote was cast the DNC and the Hillary campaign
unfairly announced to the world that Hillary had a 500 super delegate lead over Sanders.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3295202/No-wonder-Hillary-thinks-inevitable-votes-500-Democratic-establishment-superdelegates-locked-up.html

My state, Indiana voted for Bernie, but every super delegate will be voting for Hillary and the same thing can be said all across the country.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Democratic_Party_superdelegates,_2016

So yes the fix is in!

[geek tragedy]

52. he lost the voting nt

[B Calm]

53. Gee, I wonder why. .

[geek tragedy]

55. because more people voted for Hillary nt

[B Calm]

56. Keep believing she didn't have a huge advantage from the get-go.

I'm sure it helps you sleep at night.

[geek tragedy]

62. she had several advantages, so what? that's why candidates win elections,

they have advantages and strengths

candidates lose elections because they have disadvantages and weaknesses

that doesn't make the process rigged, it just means there's always a loser and a winner

[B Calm]

63. So what, omg. The super delegates voting against the voters in their states, so what!

Please. . IT'S RIGGED!

[geek tragedy]

64. if the superdelegates split their votes 50/50, Clinton is still the nominee. nt

[B Calm]

65. But they're not splitting their votes, so that is a false picture.

[geek tragedy]

66. Bernie lost, there's no way possible one can slice and dice the numbers

such that Bernie can be considered to be the legitimate winner.

He lost the popular vote
He lost the pledged delegate race
He lost the overall delegate race
He lost amongst Democrats
He lost all of the major swing states

He lost, and it's because voters preferred Clinton.

[B Calm]

78. and now you know why.

[imagine2015]

48. Well, if a top Clinton advisor says than it must be so! No need for a convention!

Hillary doesn't need to pack up her truckload of baggage and head to the convention.

She can parade her baggage on the road and start campaigning early without a formal coronation.

Trump is obviously looking forward to that.

Democratic office holders not so much.

Well, many of them can get Wall Street and corporate jobs that pay a lot more than Congress should they not be re-elected.

That ain't so bad!

The important thing is that Bernie will not upset their gravy train and some of these "centrist" Democratic politicians have already declared they can work well with a President Trump!

They would rather have Trump than Bernie.

[onecaliberal]

51. I wonder why people think she doesn't care about rules or laws... Oh wait.

Will she have 2383- NO, well that's what it takes to be the nominee. Not doesn't matter what idiot says otherwise.

[Buzz cook]

60. But she will have 2383

She's about 71 delegates away from that number. What makes you think she can't at least pick up that many?

[B Calm]

61. You are counting supers. F-

[Buzz cook]

68. 2383 includes super delegates

That's half the delegates plus one in total, supers and pledged.

Half of pledged delegates alone is about 2026 she needs about 230 delegates to reach that number. That is less than a third of outstanding pledged delegates.

Why don't you think she can't get that number.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/democratic_delegate_count.html

But oddly enough supers do count. so the number 71 is the relevant one.

[Zen Democrat]

58. It's not for him to say. Hillary's surrogates are harming her big time.

The fact is that I'll vote for the nominee strictly for the Supreme Court. However, if it's Hillary I'll be sick. I don't know why she even wants it. Most of the country will not trust her or like her, and she'll have a tough time if elected. We'll hear endlessly about Bill's shenanigans, and we know he can't be trusted to be scandal-free. She has to show me that she's a progressive, because prima facie she's a near-conservative. She's for the social issues, but not as much as Sanders. And as far as the economy, she's a deal-maker with the dark side. I wonder about her position on inheritance taxes, now that the Clintons have mega-millions.

They came to Washington not even owning a home in Arkansas. After leaving office the cash-in is over $100,000,000 for books and speeches. Hey, I bought all their books, just for moral support, but that's all over now. I see who they are, and they fooled me for a long time but never again.

And, are we certain Hillary is well? She looks terrible. Her face doesn't say 68 to me, it says 75. She has less than half the energy of Bernie Sanders. Have we seen a doctor report?

[DebDoo]

59. Top Sanders Advisor says it's not over!

[Maedhros]

80. As do California voters!

I suppose they count for something, right?

[lumberjack_jeff]

67. Then why are they campaigning in California?

If the truth is in doubt:
1) watch what Clinton does
2) listen to what she says.
3) ignore what she says and infer the truth from what she does.

[840high]

71. yep

[MFM008]

69. Media will call it

Tuesday night.

[LoverOfLiberty]

72. And there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

from the far-left Sanders supporters. They will hate it but it will be like a freight train running over their "revolution".

[geek tragedy]

74. i wouldn't associate the inabliity to grasp reality with being on the left

some people in general have issues with trying to process bad news and look for comfort in bizarre rationalizations

[CrowCityDem]

76. Weaver again says Bernie doesn't have to follow pecedent. What a jerk.

[AzDar]

84. Much of what the Clinton Campaign spews is bullshit... this included.