Clinton Comes to Terms with Defeat Yet Encourages SDs Not to Endorse Until Convention

[K Gardner]

Clinton urges Bredesen to Wait Until the Convention to Endorse

In yet another instance of the mixed signals being sent by the Clinton Campaign, reports surface that she is resigned to Obama clinching the nomination, however, she continues to call Super Delegates and ask them to hold off on their endorsements until the convention.

Still, despite the fireworks, Mrs. Clinton’s associates said she seemed to have come to terms over the last week with the near certainty that she would not win the nomination, even as she continued to assert, with what one associate described as subdued resignation, that the Democrats are making a mistake in sending Mr. Obama up against Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Her associates said the most likely outcome was that she would end her bid with a speech, probably back home in New York, in which she would endorse Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton herself suggested on Friday that the contest would end sometime next week.

But that is not a certainty; Mr. Obama’s announcement on Saturday that he would leave his church was just another reminder of how events continue to unfold in the race. She has signaled her ambivalence about the outcome, continuing to urge superdelegates to keep an open mind and consider, for example, the number of popular votes she has won. Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a superdelegate who has been at the forefront of calling for uncommitted Democrats to make a choice soon after the last vote, said in an interview that Mrs. Clinton called him last week and urged him to “keep an open mind until the convention."

The rhetoric is being ratcheted up on the Sunday Talk Shows by her surrogates, using inflammatory language such as "stealing delegates" and "hijacking democracy". They still cite the bogus popular vote argument, flawed in more ways than just the math. Their goal at this point, as it becomes even clearer, is to damage Obama's status as the nominee (remember the "illegitimate" comment by Hillary on the Infamous Blogger Conference Call). The DNC is working mightily to put forth a face of Unity even while the Clinton Camp slams their own party rules as undemocratic and rejects the rules that have guided Democratic Primaries for decades.

Nothing good will come from this. I truly believe she has no idea what she wants, other than to hold the Democratic Party hostage to her own damaged ego. If their latest faux outrage and talking point is based on four (4!) delegates, I say give 'em back to her and let the air out of their latest excuse to divide this party.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Well, she's a selfish asshole. Hopefully, the party turns a deaf ear.

[papau]

24. Hopefully, the party turns a deaf ear" - it did when it stole 4 MI delegates to give to O - Hill

will support Obama 100%

but not all her supporters will

[TwilightGardener]

28. 4 extra delegates and two bucks would have gotten her a nice cup of coffee.

[JackORoses]

36. if you support John McCain, I suggest you get lost.

[roguevalley]

32. she still is hoping something will happen. that is not coming to terms.

she is still praying for a miracle.

[dkf]

2. She is stupid...now she is going to show everyone how ineffectual she is.

And then it will be evident to all that she is no longer a power player in the party.

Why she wants everyone to publicly slap her in the face is beyond me.

[K Gardner]

3. She lost her "power player" status yesterday, in front of the cameras. And yet

she wants to continue with this public embarassment. Its mind-numbing, I agree.

[TexasObserver]

4. that photo speaks volumes about Hillary's inspirational qualities

They look like Tom Delay's goons in Florida in 2000.

[K Gardner]

6. A picture *is* worth a thousand words.

[Yotun]

8. They are using democracy to mock it and subvert it. They are disgusting.

They are turning 'Count the votes' into an argument for reversing democracy...

[speedoo]

5. What she wants is power.

But there are not very many people who are willing to give it to her. I certainly don't want her to have any. She has shown me nothing to make me think she would use it wisely for the good of the country.

[Snarkoleptic]

7. Further proof that she's in it for herself and cares nothing for the party.

She's a huge embarrassment and needs a long vacation.

[virtualobserver]

9. I will have no respect for any Superdelegate who remains uncommitted until the Convention

They need to commit one way or the other.

[flor de jasmim]

12. I agree.

[MindMatter]

29. Why would any SD want to remain uncommitted at this stage?

I understand loyalty and all, but how does it benefit any superdelegate to cause this to still be an open issue come convention time?

Obama will win the nomination anyway. Other than feeding the monumental Clinton ego, what else is accomplished by leaving this open?

And let's say you are the typical political hack sycophant who has done well traveling inside the DLC circle, how to you help your career by going down with that ship in a highly visible way?

Any SD that intends to support Obama will commit shortly after the last vote is placed in Montana. There is absolutely no reason for any of them to drag this out. So the question really becomes how many die-hard Clinton loyalists are there in the uncommitted ranks? And why have they not already committed for Hillary?

[Inuca]

10. Alice in Wonderland

That's what I kept thinking off as I watched some of the news shows this morning. Plus some clear talking points that several of the Clinton surrogates repeated almost verbatim. Examples:
1. the last nominee that did not have the popular vote was McGovern. Do you mean to say that Obama is like McGovern? No, I did not say that, said the ever charming Mr. Ickes.
2. I refuse to accept that argument. This is response to variously worded questions that referred to the impossibility (except in the above mentioned Wonderland) for Hillary to get more than 90% of the remaining SDs and what that mean in terms of the nomination.

It was RIDICULOUS.

[The River]

11. K&R nt

[cliffordu]

13. Oh, look! More Goddesses!!!

[stray cat]

14. Terry Schivo protestors anyone?

[Patsy Stone]

15. Because an asteroid might hit Obama?

:shrug:

[Inuca]

16. "four (4!) delegates"

Actually, as Chris Wallace of all people kept repeating to Wolfson, it is actually TWO delegates (half votes). It was not easy to be a CLinton surrogate this morning...

And I agree, I doubt she has a clear idea what she REALISTICALLY wants at this point. Seems like psychologically she is unable to stop, because as long as she is in, in whatever unrealistic and absurd fashion, she postpones the moment when it will no longer be possible to hide away from the truth, that in spite of all odds she actually LOST. I would not want to be in her shoes once she truly will have to stare this truth in the face, I hope she has people around her (Chelsea comes to mind) that will help her through this.

[K Gardner]

20. So it's TWO....? Wow, well, I guess they're fighting for the Principle then :-)

[hokies4ever]

17. 4 half-vote delegates = 2 delegates

Makes her look even more pathetic.

[KaptBunnyPants]

18. One last movement of the goal posts.

Until her third party bid starts, anyway.

[AllentownJake]

19. Well most super delegates aren't taking her calls

So the message won't even be delivered. Why do you think she's gone to publicly sending letters to them.

[K Gardner]

21. Good point, hadn't thought of that.. LOL. Argument is in the mail !

[AllentownJake]

22. Politians don't like being called out in public

over their endorsement decisions by candidates. Going public and calling out Super Delegates means they aren't listening to you and your trying to get their attention. That is what this shows me.

[unblock]

23. obama could win huge points by asking 2 of his pledged delegates to vote for clinton

symbolic, and he can spare them and still win.

but it would do a lot to difuse her argument AND it's a great gesture toward the state and clinton supporters.

[K Gardner]

26. At this point, I doubt she'd "take" them.. she needs to have something to fight about.

[unblock]

37. that's the beauty of it. they're still obama's pledged delegates, just told to vote for her

it's an offer she literally can't refuse. she can't tell obama's pledged delegates how to vote.

[Me.]

25. From Inevitable To Invisible

I think she, he and the hardcore, old gang members of her campaign simply cannot believe they lost this thing. They were the CLINTON MACHINE, the big Kahunas, feared and respected, unbeatable. Just by virtue of being they expected to win. And along comes a guy who ran a better campaign, figured out the rules and ran by them. He didn't dismiss or take the caucus states for granted. He got a tight fisted money guy aboard who knew what it was like when a campaign ran out of money and made damn sure it didn't. He was respectful of the grass and Internet groups and the potential power they represented.

They are in the schizo stage of a campaign, one minute they know it's over and the next they hope it isn't.

[K Gardner]

27. Excellent analysis :-)

[GoesTo11]

30. She wants Obama to come to terms with defeat too (to McCain)

She's like a super-villain now, who wants to destroy what she can't have so no one else can enjoy it.

[Median Democrat]

31. This Is Why Hillary Should Get The Blame, She's Lying Again

First, Hillary kept on moving the goal posts, thus insulting the intelligence of Democrats who knew that her campaign was in trouble.

Second, she began to validate racially polarizing attacks by openly appealing to "uneducated white working class" voters. BTW I have yet to see Obama openly appealing to male voters to vote in solidarity again women voters.

Third, Hillary lied about Michigan not counting. (Hillary never responded to this).

Fourth, and finally, Hillary said she would support a unified party and support the nominee. Well, after these last primaries, Obama will be the nominee. Yet, Hillary is going to continue to work to undermine him. I am sure on the eve of the general election, Hillary will go through the motions of supporting Obama, but the damage will be done.

The SNL skit of Hillary was dead-on.

[K Gardner]

33. "the damage will be done".. this is the rub, here. Because the Democratic Party Leaders,

and those who might have stopped her before the damage was done - didn't stop her- we will have to live with the effects of her underhanded, divisive campaign for a very, very long time.

[iconicgnom]

34. Is she trying to negotiate a bigger and more gaudy booby prize, or what?

[stillcool]

35. She is still hoping...

wishing and praying for the "Catastrophic Event".

[JackORoses]

38. I got a fever, and the only cure is more...