This is why Obama is not worried about losing the nomination to HRC - The Fix is in.

[99th_Monkey]

Thank you Howard Dean, for showing us again what real leadership looks like.

************
April 03, 2008
Democrats: The Fix Is On
By Donald Lambro

Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean has a plan that will produce a nominee before his party's convention in August, avoiding what he fears could be a "really ugly and nasty" fiasco.

~snip~

Mr. Dean, whose polls show the party's internecine warfare is hurting its chances in November, has been talking to party bigwigs about a deal and now says the delegations will be seated before the nominating roll of the states is called.

The conventional wisdom says the battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will go all the way to the convention. But Mr. Dean wants it over well before that, and possibly before the last of the 10 remaining primaries are completed in June. And it is likely that will happen.

~snip~

Mr. Dean's stern admonition to both candidates to stop the attacks on one another, telling their supporters to "keep their mouths shut," got lots of media attention. His plan to bring the nominating fight to an end, possibly before June, got little notice.

That plan calls on the remaining 350 or so undeclared superdelegates to break their neutrality sooner rather than later, providing enough votes to produce the 2,024-delegate majority needed to clinch the nomination. "There is no point in waiting," Mr. Dean said, adding that he has been "talking to a fairly significant number of — by and large — nonaligned people about how we might resolve this."

Indeed, neutral superdelegates (governors, members of Congress, Democratic National Committee members and other VIPs) have begun to break their silence in the last two weeks, all breaking for Mr. Obama: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and this week, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

So far, the delegate math favors Mr. Obama. Turning the corner into this week, he had 1,631 pledged delegates to Mrs. Clinton's 1,501. Even if Mrs. Clinton were to win a majority of popular votes in most the remaining primaries, she still would not be able to pass him, because the party's proportional delegate award system effectively preserves Mr. Obama's lead.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/democrats_the_fix_is_on.html

[Texas Hill Country]

1. That is such bullshit... makes me furious that Dean is screwing with the process.

[redqueen]

2. Did it make you equally furious when those DLCers were screwing with the process

in FL and MI?

Just curious...

[Cha]

8. Get your head outta the sand and you

might calm down.

[TheDoorbellRang]

13. He's just asking the super D's to declare sooner rather than later

It doesn't help either candidate if a nominee isn't selected until August. If the super D's are all declared by about the same time as the last primaries, we'll have a candidate and can move against McCain instead of each other.

Pretty logical move.

[MH1]

51. But you don't understand.

This is ALL about Hillary winning the Democratic Presidential Nomination - by whatever means necessary - as a historic stroke for women, and a "first" for which she will be remembered in history.

Performance in the GE is irrelevant. The next appointments to the Supreme Court are irrelevant. Getting our military out of Iraq and restoring America's credibility are irrelevant.

Clear now?

[Terran]

16. "bullshit"

Dean has the Democratic Party's interests in mind. He's not "screwing" with the process, he's trying to prevent damage to the party and a loss in the GE. If you were a Democrat I wouldn't have to explain that to you, but... :eyes:

[Texas Hill Country]

29. why do people accuse Clinton supporters of not being democrats... stop, you still need us even if

your guy wins...

so far, because of the actions of Obama supporters, here and elsewhere, your guy can kiss my vote goodbye.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

30. Oh, the irony!

:rofl: :rofl:

"How dare you accuse me of not being a Democrat" "I will not be voting for the nominee"

[Kahuna]

58. I got a kick out of that one myself..

:wtf:

[Terran]

31. OMG, do you see what you wrote??

You fault me for doubting your credentials as a Democrat, and then you admit you're not going to vote for the Dem nominee if it's Obama. Way to go.

[shadowknows69]

38. Then you're not a democrat

If you won't support the nominee whoever it is.

[cd3dem]

41. b/w the media BS, race-card BS and the voter fraud, he can kiss my vote good-bye

[TomBall Democrat]

44. I see HRC supporters like yourself as

having devotion to a candidate that exceeds devotion to the party.

Your earlier post made that clear. Dean asks Dems to put the good of the party above the good of the candidate.

And rather than seeing that as "screwing", I see it as accepting reality.

The math is quite clear. Hillary can't win it.

Frankly, I don't care if she stays in. Let the states have their primaries - then there is no more quibbling - and the voters get to vote.


but, I do see Hillary "fanatics" as unwilling to face the data.

[Political Heretic]

54. So we've entered into the bartering stage of the grieving process I see

[ima_sinnic]

56. why do we accuse you of not being democrats?! DUH--hellooo?

because YOU'RE NOT?

could anyone be any more obviously NOT a Democrat?
somehow I have a feeling you wouldn't be voting Democrat anyway--but to change your vote to "punish" supporters -- ASININE!

sheesh, get it through your thick head: Hillary Clinton is NOT going to be the nominee. Deal with it.

[my3boyz]

60. If you are ignorant enough to base your vote on how Obama supporters

act rather Obama as a candidate then Obama does not need your vote. I won't vote for that witch because of the type of person she is. It has nothing to do with her supporters!

[cd3dem]

42. why didn't he step in when the media was calling the Clintons racist and every other Clinton dem

[Terran]

43. erm...

1) When was "the media" calling Clinton racist, again? Some people here may be doing that, but I haven't exactly seen that in "the media".

2) And how exactly would Dean "step in" to handle something like that? He's supposed to say "No no, stop that you bad media you"?

[cd3dem]

49. HELLO!!!!!! have you been living in a box?!

[IronLionZion]

34. Because asking superdelegates to decide quickly is the worst thing evah! WOOT!!!

Where did you come from? :eyes:

[Tarheel_Dem]

40. Were you equally as furious when Hillary's big money backers

sent a letter to Nancy Pelosi, threatening to withhold funds, in order to screw with "the process"?
At this point, I am so sick of the Clintons, and her rabid supporters, I don't give a damn what you & they do.

Withholding your vote is not a threat anymore. But for the sake of your children & grandchildren, I certainly hope you won't live to regret it, while making a point. Grandpa McCain has already promised "more wars", and with the all volunteer army being FUBAR, where the hell do you think the fresh new bodies will come from?

[shadowknows69]

50. There's a serious lack of seeing the bigger picture going on these days.

I don't have children so I have no dog in this fight but, silly me, I care for my friends kids and my family's future.

[leftofcool]

3. Dean doesn't have this kind of power

[madfloridian]

11. He is speaking out....not saying he has the power. This is the Washington Times

Lambro.

[IronLionZion]

35. Politely asking superdelegates to decide is the type of jackbooted fascism we don't need.

:rofl:

[Cha]

4. It's "The fix is on" ...not the "fix is in"..

Impeachmentmonkey! :) And thanks for the linky!

[LaurenG]

5. The "Fix"

I understand not liking the way this is going but it's not a fix. What is he supposed to do? What are your suggestions?

[Cha]

9. If you read it closely it says "the fix is on" in the article

but the OP says "the fix is in" which is a whole different story.

[ellenfl]

15. so . . what does 'the fix is on' mean? eom

[99th_Monkey]

20. "on" versus "in" was indeed my gaff. Sorry for any confusion it caused.

sorry for any confusion about my intent, which is to see this as a positive,
appropriate and creative solution to the current state of polarity and growing
disunity in the Democratic Primary race.

[Cha]

23. The Fix is On means Dean is working for a

viable solution in spite of boneheads like little debbie wasserman, karen finney, and the rest of the dinos.

Thanks:)

[99th_Monkey]

19. I wasn't taking "fix" here as a negative. When there's a real problem, that needs a solution

the word "fix" to me isn't necessarily a negative, but can see how it might be perceived
as an insinuation that Dean's doing something inappropriate. But I thought my praise of
Dean would make my intent clear. Anway, that's just what the head line said, which I didn't
write, only copied/pasted.

[GarbagemanLB]

6. Go Dean! This nightmare will be over months before the convention, and Obama can then turn all

his attention on McCain.

[EFerrari]

7. I only wish. Then this hell would be over

and we could start running against McSame.

[madfloridian]

10. Dean has been saying this all over TV

Openly and clearly. It is not a "plan", it is a plea to the superdelegates to go ahead with what they are going to do.

Why quote the Washington Times and Lambro?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1948

Here are the videos and links from his appearances...just a few of them.

[99th_Monkey]

18. Thanks for enlightening me & for the link.

I hadn't seen this ANYwhere -- maybe cuz I killed my TV long ago -- but thanks for letting me know. I
do frequent a number of news sites daily (RawStory, Op-Ed news, AlterNet, BuzzFlash, and RealClearPolitics.
Latter site was where I happened to see it first. And interestingly the article states this:
"Mr. Dean's stern admonition to both candidates to stop the attacks on one another, telling their supporters
to "keep their mouths shut," got lots of media attention. (Dean's) plan to bring the nominating fight to
an end, possibly before June, got little notice.

Whatever. I don't think it's a very good reason for your getting all snarky with me about my post. Whether to
call it a "plan" or call it a "plea" seems a silly reason to get one's knickers in a bunch.

[madfloridian]

25. Well, you said the "fix was in"....Dean has been so fair that people are screaming

for his head.

I don't think any fix is in. I think it is time for Hillary to stop hurting the party or get out.

[99th_Monkey]

28. And I totally agree with you that Hillary needs to get out now

sorry for using "in" instead of "on" .. my bad.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5370067&mesg_id=5370847

[monmouth]

12. If Hill had any class or care about the party she'd leave tomorrow...n/t

[cascadiance]

26. But WAIT! She still has a chance!!!!

Season 4 is coming soon... Just wait and see what happens!?

[Moochy]

33. OT: Season 4 is tomorrow!

oh wait .. lol HRC's the companion? ack!

[Erin Elizabeth]

39. Time machine!

Yeah, and why is everyone trying to STOP PEOPLE FROM VOTING!!!

(Hee.)

[cascadiance]

45. After this weekend we'll wonder why everyone isn't voting on these voting machines?

[azmouse]

14. I'm ready to start fighting McSame and not my fellow Democrats.

Let's wrap this up and get busy winning the GE.

[ReverendDeuce]

17. Thank you Howard Dean for trying to save us from that harpy...

You get a big "Yeeaaah!" from me and mine here in the midwest!

[gcomeau]

21. That was unnecessary.

"Harpy"? Come on now. We can be mature about this.

[asjr]

22. I have an idea! Let's take it to the

SCOTUS! I would bet they could straighten us out in no time. They will rule for John McCain. So let us just forget about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and cut short all the necessities of having an election. Then we could all stop worrying about Hillary Clinton being a harpy and not getting out so someone else could win. Getting out so Democrats would not have a choice. That seems to be the modus operandi of some people that want her to get out. I will vote for the nominee no matter which Democrat it is, but this crap that keeps on going on day after day ragging on one or the other is making me sick.

[PylesMalfunction]

24. I really don't think there are many superdelegates...

who don't know who they're going to support. Most of them have made up their mind at this point - they just haven't declared who they're supporting because they don't want to be seen as swaying the election. I understand and respect that but the issue is that neither candidate can win without the superdelegates. They're going to be an influence no matter what so it's getting to that time where they have to start speaking up. I think we're going to see quite a few of them start to declare but especially after the PA and NC primaries.

[krawhitham]

27. Because he is leading every way possible, and can not be caught

[BenDavid]

32. If it is perceived the "fix is in" by the hrc delegates and supporters

you can bet yo ass that obama will surely lose. I predicted he will lose if he won this straight. I could see writing in the name Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on a ballot.

[BlueIdaho]

37. Then you would be singing

"hail to the chief" to McCain.

[my3boyz]

61. How is the fix in if he is telling them to tell who they will vote for in early summer instead of

August. How is that harming Hillary? All the states will have voted. She can't whine about that. Oh I get it...she wants to go to the convention to whine about the agreement she made that Florida and Michigan would not count.

[IronLionZion]

36. I wonder how many posters in this thread actually read your article.

:think:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

46. Dean is playing with the rules to favor one candidate over the other and it is fucking BULLSHIT!!!!

[TomBall Democrat]

47. He's not playing with the rules -

he's simply asking the delegates.

much like HRC asks the delegates and superdelegates to disregard to will of the people who elected them.

As Obama has pointed out to HRC, you can't have it both ways.

If it's wrong for Dean, it's wrong for her.

Profanity doesn't change facts, BTW.

It just offends - that's all.

[LWolf]

48. The only "fix" I want to see is a brokered convention and

a nominee that is neither Clinton nor Obama.

Then "fix" the corrupt primary process before another primary season.

[JayFredMuggs]

53. SO you want a Democratic candidate in the General that...

No one voted for, volunteered for, nor gave money to in the Primaries?

How "Democratic" is THAT?

[LWolf]

63. Just as Democratic as a primary

that allows big money donors and the mainstream media to narrow the choices; just as Democratic as a primary that narrows the field down to two corporatist/centrist/3rd way/"new dem" candidates before the majority ever get to vote.

Gore is the obvious choice, and the name under current speculation. He won a primary, and a general election, already, but we didn't get to see him seated as President. The nomination of Gore would be a fitting end to the Bush administration, imo.

The selection of Kerry, while not as favorable as Gore, would also be appropriate.

For that matter, Edwards, who had a large body of support in THIS primary, should be in contention.

There were exactly 2 caucuses and 2 primaries (not counting Florida and Michigan, which can't count anyway,) before the field was narrowed to Clinton and Obama. From that point on, I don't consider any of the results to be authentic. Choosing sides based on who one hates most, or dislikes least, is no way to pick a candidate.

[Geek_Girl]

52. I think after PA this will be over

nt

[Honeycombe8]

55. I heard Dean talk about this. He was saying those SDs WHO HAVE DECIDED need to announce....

or who are close to deciding, need to go ahead and decide. A # of superdelegates were not announcing but had made a decision, so Dean is requesting that they not hold their decisions to their chests until the convention, but rather, go ahead and make their positions known now.

A reasonable request. A reasonable thing for SDs to do.

That is all. No fix. Several SDs recently have decided to come out in the open...they were saying publicly they were remaining neutral, but according to them, they had really already decided. So they decided to go ahead and announce.

No fix. Obama has...the votes of the pledged delegates, the popular vote, the money. Hello! Anyone out there thinking that Obama NEEDS a fix, when he's winning fist over hand already?

[dogday]

57. If you don't want the delegates seated because of the rules

then apply the rules fairly.. Obama cannot claim victory until he has 2025, nor does he have any authority to call for Clinton to get out. That is also a rule and needs to be followed.. Can't pick and choose.. Both campaigns are doing some shifty things and I just can't seem to get behind either candidate...

[Life Long Dem]

59. No. It's Hillary.

[Levgreee]

62. The fix was in when it became mathematically impossible for HRC to win

And that had nothing to do with the super delegates, just the peoples' votes.

[mdmc]

64. kick