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Dean: Dem Race Comes Down to Electability
April 25, 2008 6:21 PM
ABC News' Jonathan Greenberger and Teddy Davis Report: In an interview set to appear in Saturday's Financial Times, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean says that he thinks the Democratic race for president will come down to superdelegates' perception of electability.
"I think the race is going to come down to the perception in the last six or eight races of who the best opponent for McCain will be. I do not think in the long run it will come down to the popular vote or anything else," said Dean.
Dean added that he thinks it is "very unlikely" that the superdelegates will elevate a candidate who is trailing in pledged delegates and the popular vote before adding that "it is possible" and that superdelegates have "every right to do it."
Asked about speculation that a senior party figure like former Vice President Al Gore or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could prevail on one of the candidates to withdraw after June 3, Dean dismissed the scenario as "total bullshit."
Dean has gone out of his way to be impartial in the 2008 race. His early opposition to the Iraq war lines up with Obama, and he criticized the Clinton '90s in "You Have the Power," the book he wrote after his failed '04 White House bid.
But his comments to the Financial Times are interesting because they play into the Clinton campaign's closing argument: that uncommitted superdelegates should feel free to buck the pledged-delegate leader and choose the candidate perceived to be most electable at the end of the nominating process.
April 25, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (175)
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I think that Dean is trying to remain impartial and not put pressure on the superdelegates in terms of who they vote for.
Although I am for Obama, I think the superdelegates should choose who they want.
Posted by: Stacey | Apr 25, 2008 6:39:03 PM
Ha, finally Dean is talking something that makes sense. It's all about electability. Democrats can't make another mistake as they did with McGovern, Dukakis or Kerry. Obama is not electable!
Posted by: John_Chgo | Apr 25, 2008 6:41:56 PM
That should be exactly the dems race about: to pick the best candidate to beat McCain...
SD should exercise their own judgment to make their own choice....
Posted by: True Truth | Apr 25, 2008 6:46:51 PM
How about investigating that Obama is givng MONEY to the DNC to campaign with.
He is trying to BUY superdelegates and Dean needs to step up and denounce this!
Obama is NOT electable.....the left DEMS can either wise up or lose everything. If they persist in their obstinate pursuit of Barry O, then they must realize that they will lose their own seats next time around.
The people will be heard and Hillary Clinton can WIN and if the superdelegates tank this election, the DEM Party is OVER..........
Posted by: Liberaljean | Apr 25, 2008 6:48:28 PM
Yes he says electability, but also says leading delegate count, and popular vote. Translation the super delegates will vote for whoever is leading in the pledge delegate and the popular vote.
Obama08
Posted by: Thinking | Apr 25, 2008 6:51:28 PM
Finally, I agree with Dean.. SD should look at who is more electable.... Obama is not electable and will be able to withstand the heat... Clinton is a fighter and will fight for us as a President....
Vote Clinton 08
Posted by: RS | Apr 25, 2008 6:56:17 PM
Yes one could say that it what he said but listen to how it is worded and then figure out what question he was ask to elicit that response. What morons making mountains out of molehills or a moleHILL for McCain to take to the barn for a good old fashion whipping.
Posted by: Brian | Apr 25, 2008 6:57:54 PM
The race is wide open since the
delegates themselves are not bound...
Posted by: ed | Apr 25, 2008 7:01:14 PM
Finally, I agree with Dean.. SD should look at who is more electable.... Obama is not electable and will be able to withstand the heat... Clinton is a fighter and will fight for us as a President....
Posted by: raquela | Apr 25, 2008 7:02:18 PM
Ha, finally Dean is talking something that makes sense. It's all about electability. Democrats can't make another mistake as they did with McGovern, Dukakis or Kerry. Obama is not electable!
Posted by: stacy | Apr 25, 2008 7:03:07 PM
The race is wide open since the
delegates themselves are not bound...
Posted by: ed | Apr 25, 2008 7:04:13 PM
The bottom line is that Obama can only win the smaller states. Hillary should be the clear choice since she has won every major state. The major states are what is needed to beat McCain. In all honesty I would like to vote for Al Gore which is what I did when he actually ran. However since he is not running the best person for the American people (black, white or hispanic) is Hillary Clinton
Posted by: kito11 | Apr 25, 2008 7:10:29 PM
Mr Dean , please keeps your words this time.
The last time you said on tv, MI and FL should re vote again and whoever won Ohio and Texas is representing how the people want for the nominee.
Anyway,this time, I thank you.
Posted by: crisis08 | Apr 25, 2008 7:11:02 PM
Obama was electable until Hillary started acting like a Republican.
Note that Hillary was NEVER electable. Look at her negatives. McCain can't get the neo-cons to the polls, but Clinton sure will raise their ire enough to get there. Plus, you'll lose the African American bloc, the youth-vote and alot of activists which HRC has sh*t all over recently.
Obama is still electable, but the longer HRC commits hari-kari on the Democratic party, the less electable he is.
Consider this - as Rev. Wright appears in the media again, we could stand united and counter with Rev. Hagee's comments about Katrina. Did you know he just said them again?
No? Oh, why is that? Oh yeaaaaah, because HRC is stealing the lime-light yapping about debates in Oregon and some mystical math that gives her the popular vote lead - where hypothetical votes count in FL and MI but conveniently don't count caucus votes.
Seriously, HRC people. SHE HAS LOST. Say it with me,now: SHE HAS LOST. The only thing she's doing now is hanging around like a cat on a curtain, hissing at everything that walks by because she's so annoyed she got herself in this predicament and can't get out.
fin
Posted by: Junior | Apr 25, 2008 7:17:51 PM
The superdelagates need to step up an get behind Hillary because that is the reason they were created because of McGovern campaign.
A superdelagate: This pool – elected officials and dedicated Party members – was thought to be able to add a pragmatic and somewhat broader or longer-term perspective to the nominating process. In short, the point of having superdelegates is to make sure that the party does not run nominees who are highly unlikely to win in the general election, or put slightly differently, to consider a candidate’s appeal to the broader voting population that participates in the general election.
Posted by: toby | Apr 25, 2008 7:20:27 PM
Can't wait until Denver! I hope they have a better police force than Chicago did when that riot began.
I say everyone should stay in until then. Why would anyone quit over so few votes. Even Obama would fight to the last if he were only slightly trailing.
Posted by: Aston | Apr 25, 2008 7:28:15 PM
Junior,
Obama can escape from Oregon debate this time but he may not able to escape from MCCain if he is the nominee.
Look at the Rev.Wright video ad is going to air on monday.
Nobody can stop it.
So...if you think Hillary is unelectable , you better prepare how to beat Rep.
Anyway,,Hillary is electable from the very first time.
Obama made his own mistakes.
Don't blame Hillary for everything.
He got bitter by his own words.
Posted by: crisis08 | Apr 25, 2008 7:28:18 PM
Where have you been shalab>>>>>>Tax returns are out all but the Clintons they got an extension>>>She don't want people to see her little blind trust in the tune of 41 mil she got from all the big companies...oil insurance wally world medical foreign all the good crap she says she will do away with HA
Posted by: h | Apr 25, 2008 7:29:13 PM
h --- but, unfortunately, Obama has lost all of his state senate records. How do you think that could have happened?
Posted by: S | Apr 25, 2008 7:32:26 PM
shalabalaboo --
She's a fighter because she says she's a fighter.
Just like she has 35 years of experience because she says she does.
I don't trust people who repeat people who repeat and don't have any substance to back it up.
She spent like 15 years as a corporate attorney fighting against common folk's interest and fighting FOR the corporation.
she spent like 10 years on Walmart's union-busting board.
OBAMA on the other hand... has been a community organizer fighting for everyday people in chicago. he could have been on the same union-busting boards and fought for the same corporations that hillary did. but he didn't.
Also... a fighter? Obama rose out of nowhere to topple an Ex-President's Wife. He created the most expansive, efficient, powerful grassroots organization this party, na, this country has EVER seen. THAT IS A FIGHTER.
Hillary is more like a petty bar room brawler who gets drunk says something stupid throws some low blows and loses everything.
STOP REPEATING HER PROPOGANDA. Y'all sound like Bush drones in 2000 and 2004. Just because someone says a phrase like "fighter" and "35 years of experience" doesn't make it true.
Posted by: Junior2 | Apr 25, 2008 7:33:00 PM
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