Political Punch
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper

« Previous | Main | Next »

Carter: After June 3 "It Will Be Time For Her to Give It Up"

May 25, 2008 8:15 AM

In an interview with Sky News in London, former President Jimmy Carter said that after the final primaries on June 3 in South Dakota and Montana, he expects the remaining 210 or so uncommitted superdelegates will announce who they're backing in the Democratic contest, after which Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, will have to exit the race.

"I'm a superdelegate," Carter said. "I think a lot of the superdelegates will make a decision quite, announced quite rapidly, after the final primary on June 3...I have not yet announced publicly, but I think at that point it will be time for her to give it up."

Carter was asked if Clinton was achieving anything by continuing in the race.

"I think not," he said. "But of course she has the perfect right to do so."

Carter was hinting that he was a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, as far back as April. The semi-endorsement came with strings attached, as that month Carter engaged in a public effort to engage with Hamas, which the U.S. government officially classifies as a terrorist organization. When asked by ABC News' David Wright, Obama said he wouldn't meet with Hamas and he said he disagreed with Carter's decision to meet with the group -- he called it a "bad idea" that gave Hamas "a legitimacy that was unnecessary" -- but he stopped short of condemning the former president for doing so.

- jpt

May 25, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (472)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

I really cant stand all this Clinton supporters for McCain and PUMA

CNN put the number of Clinton supporters for McCain and PUMA members at 200 000 in September/October down from its high of almost 5 Million.

CNN's poll found the reason for the change:


Sarah Palin

John McCain's handling of the economic crissis.

So enough of this PUMA stuff!

Posted by: Mike NC | Oct 15, 2008 10:00:39 AM

Newt G

Im sure most of them are fake Clinton supporters!

Clinton supports Obama thats all matters!

Posted by: Mike NC | Oct 15, 2008 9:58:14 AM

Let's turn all those arguments around that the Hillary camp insists on even making an argument. First, Obama is leading in all areas, period. But, regardless:
Any argument that this is a conspiracy against women running for or becoming president is ludicrous! Quoting the ludicrous argument from above:
"A vote for Obama is a vote against the rights of women. A vote for Obama is telling the world that we approve of the malicious way the media has treated Hillary. A vote for Obama tells every woman to go home and stop "stirring up trouble". A vote for Obama questions the "audacity" of a woman who thinks she has the right to be the President of the United States. A vote for Obama tells our daughters they shouldn't reach for the stars."

Let's turn that around:

"A vote for Hillary is a vote against the rights of all minorities. A vote for Hillary is telling the world that we approve of the malicious way the media has treated race and Obama. A vote for Hillary tells every minority to go home and stop "stirring up trouble". A vote for Hillary questions the "audacity" of a minority who thinks s/he has the right to be the President of the United States. A vote for Hillary tells minority American citizens they shouldn't reach for the stars."

So, get off the soapbox. Obama has it won and it is NO conspiracy or 'cover up'. If you choose to vote for McBush, it is your right. If you do so because you are vindictive, then it will be on your conscious and I wish you peace of mind and compassion, as it seems you are an angry person(s).

Posted by: JR | May 28, 2008 9:38:32 AM

People be aware , probably half or more of these completely asinine comments in support of Clinton or against Obama are not Democrats but low life Republicans , MCinsane /Republicans . They want Clinton to win , do not want to face Obama in the Presidential election and also want to drive a wedge between Democrats , the Obama and Clinton supporters . That is a fact .So don't be fooled , as we have seen over the last seven or eight years these people have no class and no ethics , none .

Posted by: Newt G | May 28, 2008 1:04:43 AM

It is hard to believe that some people are simply ignoring Obama's lead of 162 in pledge delegates as if she is the one who has the lead of 162 pledge delegates, not him.
162 is a huge lead, Mrs. Clinton would have wished to have.
She would have definitely announced her victory by now with that kind of lead, if she really had one.
It is hard to believe that she is claiming to be victorious, though she is far behind in pledge delegates & popular votes.
She is behind by almost half million in popular votes besides being behind by 162 in pledged delegates.
What if she was really ahead like Obama is today, she would have been making fun of him, had he been asking to give him all the delegates from MI & FL.
It was a unanimous decision and agreed upon by all, including many of them who have left the race and, are now endorsing Obama like, Edwards, Bill Richardson, Dodd and more.
I think it is time to call it quits for her with grace.

Posted by: perflead | May 27, 2008 8:51:04 PM

Carter what a joke him and Billy Boy the worst ever. Who and What does he think he is doing out there anyway He couldn't do any thing worth while when he was in office What does he think he is doing now he needs to shut up and grow peanuts!!!!

Posted by: ONE OHIOIAN | May 27, 2008 5:54:23 PM

Rae-
Exactly!!! If Hillary doesn't get the nomination, then it is McCain for those of us that feel it is time to let Obama/Media/DNC know that we won't stand quietly by and let this happen. Congress will be controlled by the Dems anyway so any fear mongering about Roe v Wade is a moot point.

Posted by: unstoppable 08 | May 27, 2008 4:45:27 PM

Rae, very dramatic rhetoric, but that works for the black argument, too: A vote for Hillary is a vote against rights for blacks / endorsement of the media's treatment of Obama / sign that minorities should go home, stop meddling or otherwise "making trouble".

In the end, those types of statements don't hold water .. they're just for effect. We owe it to ourselves to dispense with the over-generalized scare tactics.

Women will be cast into darkness if Hillary doesn't win? Hardly.

Posted by: LaOtraVoz | May 27, 2008 1:53:13 PM

Rae, you seem to think that a vote for Obama is a vote against women?! Have you ever thought that people aren't voting for Hillary because she has the personality of a snake, the temper of a bulldog, and is as self serving as a fat cat? A vote against Clinton is NOT a vote against women but a vote for not having a self-serving, self-caring PERSON in the white house. If Clinton was put in the white house then she would ruin it for all other women because would do such a bad job, and no one would ever vote for a women again.

Posted by: terri | May 27, 2008 1:23:01 PM

Just reading some of these comments makes me think I'm in a Faux News forum. How can so many people be blinded by the media and their personal bias? Hillary supporters are bitter that she didn't get "what she deserved" (the nomination) and Obama supporters (which I will admit I am for Obama) are like starry eyed little girls meeting the newest teen fad. And McCain supporters, well, they're just delusional. Thank God that the Libertarians will erase any chance they Psycho McFlipFlop has of winning. Here's a suggestion: Read what your candidate supports and stands for and then decide if they are the one for you. And if you fancy yourself a "party supporter" (i.e. lemming) support the candidate that the party picks. I mean, if you support the party it really shouldn't matter who gets the nod, right? Just chill and don't bite on the MSM's hooks.

Posted by: Eric Heroux | May 27, 2008 1:08:01 PM

For those Clinton supporters that intend to vote for McCain if Obama steals the nomination by intimidating superdelegates, please vote Democratic for your congressional elections so that the DNC will learn not to force a presidential candidate down our throats again. And it puts the Kennedys (if he lives), Kerrys and Pelosis in the position of finally having to do something about the mess in this country. They were given a mandate in the last election but they have squandered their voter directive. It also prevents McCain from having the power that Bush enjoyed to continue the war and appoint conservative justices.

Posted by: geteven | May 27, 2008 12:47:40 PM

Samir where is your support (reliable stories, printed versions of speeches, etc) for these allegations?

(1) A vote for Obama is a vote against the rights of women.
(2) A vote for Obama is telling the world that we approve of the malicious way the media has treated Hillary.
(3) A vote for Obama tells every woman to go home and stop "stirring up trouble".
(4) A vote for Obama questions the "audacity" of a woman who thinks she has the right to be the President of the United States.
(5) A vote for Obama tells our daughters they shouldn't reach for the stars.

Posted by: Rae | May 27, 2008 12:46:28 PM

When you hear some public figure or politician, regardless of who he or she is, trying to stoke anger or stir up public anger against the winner, it should be sufficient for you to understand the nature of that person.
The bottom line is Obama did not make the rules.
The rules were given to all and, all agreed & signed to it.
Now the loser wants to change the agreed & singed rules,stoking public anger to win, because now the loser has realized the rules did not suit her.
I think it is important not to create a precedence like this.
Those who left the race, lost it under the same rules.
Those who voted in every states voted under the same rule.
Rules & principles cannot change because it suits the loser who earlier agreed with the rules, thinking she was insurmountable.
Rules can be change but cannot be applied retroactively because it favors only one party & not all.

Posted by: Perflead | May 27, 2008 12:16:19 PM

Hillary is a symbol of the
past. She is old politics.

The way she has run her
campaign and the huge debt
she has accumulated also
show that she is thoroughly
incompetent.

Posted by: anon | May 27, 2008 12:01:07 PM

It is a simple matter of observing the rules & principles agreed upon by all parties ahead of the primaries, PERIOD.
It is not a matter of dismissing women or taking away somebody's rights.

Posted by: Perflead | May 27, 2008 11:52:20 AM

How is a votefor Obama a vote against women? Obama has never disrepected women rights in no way. Can Obama control the media, Rev. Wright, or anybody else? Sounds like hate to me.

Posted by: Lawrence | May 27, 2008 10:13:48 AM


Clinto agreed to disfranchise Florida and Michican becaue she thought she can win regardless.Now that she is losing, she wants Michican and Florida to be counted.. what a hypocracy!

Posted by: Samir | May 27, 2008 9:23:49 AM

A vote for Obama is a vote against the rights of women. A vote for Obama is telling the world that we approve of the malicious way the media has treated Hillary. A vote for Obama tells every woman to go home and stop "stirring up trouble". A vote for Obama questions the "audacity" of a woman who thinks she has the right to be the President of the United States. A vote for Obama tells our daughters they shouldn't reach for the stars.

Posted by: reaqlity 80 | May 27, 2008 7:18:13 AM

I hope Hillary takes this all the way to the convention. The money was raised to revote in Michigan and Florida but Obama said no way. He knew he'd lose big in those 2 states so those 2 states voters mean nothing to him until the general election. He speaks of change and hope but isn't any different than the rest of the big headed politicians.

Posted by: Dee-GA | May 27, 2008 7:05:22 AM

Jenna NY, you are so right in the remark you just made. Obama is useless on his own merit. He needs Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy to hold him up by the ropes, or he'll fall. It is the likes of such superdelegates who want to have power in America through the stupid, self opinionated Obama,and whose aim is to use him as the young inexperienced SCAPEGOAT, only to act as a mouthpiece or puppet for their own self seeking interests. The Obamas come up with STUPID and PRIMITIVE remarks like:
For the first time in my life I'm proud to be an American AND small town Americans turn to guns because they are bitter. Carter is just as much of an idiot, holding dangerous talks with a criminal, savage hooligan gang like HAMAS which would have Adold Hitler laughing in Hell.

Posted by: Magdalen | May 27, 2008 6:34:19 AM

Post a comment





 

POLITICAL VIDEOS