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Bill Clinton: Under GOP Primary System, Hillary Would Be Winning
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ShareApril 21, 2008 4:42 PM
ABC News' Eloise Harper reports: Former President Bill Clinton, speaking to reporters after his wife’s event in Pittsburgh, PA Monday, said that under the republican primary system –- his wife would be ahead by hundreds of delegates.
"I did not actually get the delegates necessary to have a first power of the nomination under the crazy system the democrats have," Clinton said. "If we were under the republican system which is more like the electoral college, she would have a 300 delegate lead ...It's an eternity 'til the general election, an eternity."
ABC News' Political Unit did some quick math and added up all the pledged delegate counts for the winner-take-all Democratic contest. As of the most recent count on the eve of the Pennsylvania state primary, Senator Hillary Clinton has won 15 state contests and was awarded 1430 delegates, not including unpledged (a.k.a. "superdelegates"). Barack Obama has won 29, and has 1257 delegates.
According to ABC's math -- Clinton would hold more like a 173 delegate-lead if her and Obama were competing in the Republican primary system given the GOP system doesn't have superdelegates. President Clinton was correct, but overestimated what his wife's lead would be by about half.
The former president also said that he thinks the people of Pennsylvania think his wife is "their girl."
Clinton said, “I've been to 45 communities, 46. In Pennsylvania alone. I think shell bring a change out there, they like her out here they know she's their girl.”
He continued, "They were dancing on her grave in Texas and she won anyway, and they never thought after they outspent her two to one in Ohio that she could still win by ten points. So well see. She's got a lot of good supporters here. I don't know what's going to happen. Depends on a lot of things, who shows up how the undecided breaks. I literally don't know, I just think they're going to be with her though."
When asked about Republican publisher Richard Mellon Scaife’s paper, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's, surprising endorsement of his wife, Bill Clinton admitted that he was taken aback.
“I’m surprised," he said, "You know I take them at their word. I think they were impressed that she had the guts to go see him."
Clinton raised eyebrows when she met with Scaife, wooing his paper's endorsement. Scaife helped to fund an effort that ultimately led to the impeachment proceedings of Bill Clinton.
When asked what he thought about Carter meeting with Hamas, the former president bit his tongue. "Well look I'm trying to help Hillary, I don't want to say anything that is going to complicate her life. If you ask her whatever she says is fine with me. You know I don't want to go there."
ABC News' Jackie Klingebiel contributed to this report.April 21, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (239)
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Bill needs to stop WHINING about how the Dems do their system.
Posted by: Stacey | Apr 21, 2008 5:20:52 PM
We've awakened, Mike, and we're turning our backs on you and your party.
Posted by: ConfuciUS | Apr 21, 2008 5:20:57 PM
The ABC math assumes that Hillary won Texas outright. She did not.
Posted by: Dave | Apr 21, 2008 5:21:42 PM
How about, Mr. President, instead of changing Democratic party rules 90% of the way into the contest to make the primaries more like the Electoral College...we just get rid of the Electoral College?
Sound good to everyone?
Posted by: Patrick | Apr 21, 2008 5:21:51 PM
Ever noticed how at every point along the way, the Clintons have tried to explain their losses on the rules.
Posted by: Steve | Apr 21, 2008 5:22:12 PM
And the basketball team that loses by a score of 60 to 100 says it would have won if they had been playing golf.
If the rules had been different, then Obama and Clinton would have campaigned differently. They campiagned according to the rules of the game and Obama won.
Posted by: joe shmoe | Apr 21, 2008 5:23:09 PM
If Obama can't win Penn, it proves again and again, he just can't win big states and just can't win over white vote..
All he won so far are most black or red states because of his skin color and street organizor experience for caucus..
WHAT STATES ARE BLACK STATES?? Your statement assumes that everyone who votes for Hillary WILL NOT vote for Obama but somehow those who vote for Obama will vote for Hillary.
Posted by: Niah Waters | Apr 21, 2008 5:23:10 PM
How ridiculous! If Bill and Hillary found fault in the Democratic delegate allocation system, then they could have readily addressed that issue during the several years that their hand-picked DNC Head - Terry McCauliffe -- held the post. Of course, they did not address the system because they anticipated a quick end to the nominaiton under the prevaiiling rules. Further, if the rules had been winner-take-all, the Obama campaign would have implemented a strategy built around the w-t-a fromat.
Posted by: ric | Apr 21, 2008 5:23:29 PM
She knew the rules before the campaigning began, and she failed to organize effectively in order to win. Bill Clinton can speak in all the hypotheticals he wants, it doesn't change the fact that his wife's campaign has pretty much been a disaster.
Posted by: Colleen | Apr 21, 2008 5:25:22 PM
But what if instead of the Democrat OR Republican rules, the primaries had been run according to KLINGON election rules? In that case, Hillary would, indeed be ahead by 45,987 Kapturs, but Obama would have garnered 67.9 Zonal Points, adding significantly to his Worfdor Total!
Posted by: balthus | Apr 21, 2008 5:26:05 PM
The truth is if Clinton would have won 30 primaries & caucuses and Obama 14, the Clinton's would have forced him out already! Everyone would be screaming for him to drop out and would be calling him another Huckabee. The only reason this is still going on is because her last name is Clinton.
She's a disgrace!
Posted by: rcamp1 | Apr 21, 2008 5:26:32 PM
Why is the story that Obama can't win Pennsylvania when the story should be Hillary can barely hold Pennsylvania. She had a 20 point lead, ffs!
Posted by: mike | Apr 21, 2008 5:27:03 PM
Hillary should run as a Republican, and take tired, Slick Willy with her!
Hillary is a closet Republican anyway! They are both disgusting!
Posted by: Wanakee | Apr 21, 2008 5:29:13 PM
These are the same rules under which Bill Clinton won the Presidency.
Posted by: Crys | Apr 21, 2008 5:30:18 PM
MSNBC: Chomping down on sausage and waffles at Glider's Diner in Scranton today, with his Pennsylvania BFF (Sen. Bob Casey) at his side, Obama avoided commenting on former President Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas.
Asked by a reporter if he had heard that Carter reported a positive outcome from the meeting, Obama looked sternly at the reporter in question and said, "Why can't I just eat my waffle?"
Asked again by the reporter, Obama bit -- not at the question but into a butter covered bite of Glider's specialty over-size Belgian waffles. With a wink this time he said, "Just let me eat my waffle."
-----
Can you believe this?! What a boneheaded phony. I need to change my name - cannot be associated with BO any more, by name or by whatever.
Posted by: Boneheaded, Chicago | Apr 21, 2008 5:31:28 PM
The answer is obvious:
THEN LET HER JOIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!
Posted by: Marcha Jenkins | Apr 21, 2008 5:32:19 PM
To put it bluntly, who cares? These aren't GOP primary rules. And last time I checked, Hillary was a Democrat. Although that's getting harder and harder to discern these days.
Posted by: Terri | Apr 21, 2008 5:35:46 PM
Leave it to a Clinton to say Democrats should follow the Republican leadership.
Posted by: Dan | Apr 21, 2008 5:36:55 PM
This stuff gets funnier all the time.
Posted by: Ben Straub | Apr 21, 2008 5:36:56 PM
The facts:
No one is doubt Obama won black states because of his skin color..
No one is doubt Obama won red states because of his street organizor experience for caucus...
That is just undeniable truth but some obama's fan liked to rebute that...
In another words, if not because of obama's skin, he won't be in the race...
That is undeniable truth..
Posted by: True Truth | Apr 21, 2008 5:37:47 PM
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