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Obama Reaches Pledged Delegate Majority
May 20, 2008 11:30 PM
ABC News' Karen Travers Reports: Barack Obama has been allocated 24 pledged delegates so far tonight and now claims a majority of the pledged delegates at stake in Democratic nominating contests, according to the ABC News delegate estimate. Delegates continue to be allocated as the results come in from the Oregon Democratic primary.
There are 3253 total pledged delegates –- 1627 is a majority.
Obama has not secured the Democratic nomination –- he is still 86 delegates away from reaching the DNC's magic number of 2026 to win the nomination.
The Obama campaign hopes that reaching this marker will be a convincing argument for the remaining 200 uncommitted superdelegates – to follow the will of the voters and support him.
Obama spoke Des Moines, Iowa, the place where he started his path to the Democratic nomination back in January.
In those remarks, Obama stopped short of declaring victory in the nomination fight but did note the pledged delegate milestone.
"And tonight, in the fullness of spring, with the help of those who stood up from Portland to Louisville, we have returned to Iowa with a majority of delegates elected by the American people, and you have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination for President of the United States," he said.
The Obama campaign is mindful of the fact that there are three more primaries on the calendar, that Hillary Clinton shows no signs of dropping out of the race before June 3 and that they don't want to be seen as pushing her off the stage. Campaign officials have stressed that tonight marks a milestone in the nomination process but not the coronation.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in March that the superdelegates should back the pledged delegate leader.
"If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what's happened in the elections," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said to ABC News, "it would be harmful to the Democratic Party."
May 20, 2008 in Bush, George W., Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (115)
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NOT PROUD OF BACKWOODS WV AND KENTUCKY,PROUD THAT SOME AMERICANS WANT TO TURN THE PAGE, AND TRULY MAKE AMERICA A LAND OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL !!!!!!
Posted by: PROUD AA | May 20, 2008 11:49:13 PM
One step closer to the presidency! We won't be stopped! Obama '08
Posted by: dem in chicago | May 20, 2008 11:50:03 PM
He doesn't even care about the people who voted in WVa, KY, FL. and MI. I thought dems cared about ALL the votes..
Posted by: annie | May 20, 2008 11:50:47 PM
The only person Hilliary can elect now is John McCain. She needs to decide for herself if her legacy will be defined by that. If she really thinks that she can win in '12, then why throw it all away now; But if she wants to destroy the party and give us John McCain while alienating the black vote for the Democratic party, I'm sure the GOP won't mind a bit.
Posted by: blog | May 20, 2008 11:52:47 PM
Newsflash..Obama's camp said tonight they didn't need Clinton. They feel they can do this thing without her and the past she brings!
Posted by: annie | May 20, 2008 11:55:28 PM
Go Obama!!! America turns a new page.
Posted by: TK | May 20, 2008 11:57:46 PM
Blue Collar Americans reject Obama.
Obama fooled many Democrats before his radical ties with Jeremiah Wright was widely known, but his secret is out now.
I'm a long-time Democrat, but, like millions of other Democrats, there is no way I'm voting for Far Left Obama.
If Obama supporters think differently, they are only fooling themselves.
Posted by: USmarine0331 | May 21, 2008 12:05:34 AM
This democrat will not vote for Obama!
Posted by: Ron | May 21, 2008 12:10:21 AM
This is the right time to support Obama and give courage to HILIARY for all boldnesss she has taken. These two people can joint together to bet MC CAIN in general election, which mean HILIARY didn't lose because her party still won the general election.
Posted by: AYO | May 21, 2008 12:10:56 AM
Some of these "superdelgates" better wake up and smell the coffee not be drinking the cool aid, Clinton is destroying Obama in the states necessary to win the white house, and by margin spreads that seem to keep growing, some of the turncoats that broke from the Clinton camp ought to stop and think, you want to lose the white house then stay with the cool aid kid Obama
Posted by: Jim from Pa | May 21, 2008 12:11:24 AM
liberal,
That figure is for you and people from Obama side, not for us. We have done our homework before go to the polls.
Posted by: Sowhat? | May 21, 2008 12:18:18 AM
I have sent email requesting Hillary to forsake Democrat party and switch to Independent. If this happens, will end the hope for Obama! We don’t need DNC. We don’t need a party. All we need is a best candidate!
Posted by: Sowhat? | May 21, 2008 12:29:24 AM
I certainly hope the best candidate stays in this race until the convention. Senator Obama has not been honest in his campaign nor what he can and will do for our country. He care little about a large segment of the population. He is all talk and no substance or action.
Hillary, hang in there. And yes, all 50 states should have their votes counted.
Posted by: Mai | May 21, 2008 12:41:19 AM
Mtheracist,Annie,
He went to Michigan 2 days ago and there were some protesters against him.
Yes, he is beginning to kiss and tell now to FL and MI.
Posted by: catleya | May 21, 2008 12:46:57 AM
Tungsten,
You are talking like Obama has won. He has not. Why can't he ever close the deal? Why is the so-called presumptive nominee being crushed in swing states even at this late date, even when people like Edwards tries to rescue him. Obama has a problem, his 15 minutes got used up by Wright, he's just waiting for the tsunami to hit in his wake.
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Obama and BitterGate, we shall not forget!
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Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | May 21, 2008 12:48:00 AM
Ron,
I agree.
DNC has odd rules.
He leads in pledge delegates now because of the endorsements also.
Hillary worked so hard in Ohio, PA and other big states but she got nothing.
Posted by: catleya | May 21, 2008 12:52:42 AM
SuperDelegates,
The will of the voters as shown by more people having pulled the lever for Clinton than Obama is that Hillary Clinton shall be the next President of the United States of America. Either choose Hillary now, or wait until the rules committee meets and decides in favor of Democracy when it comes to at least Florida (all names were on the ballot), then pull the lever for Hillary
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Hillary '08 or '12, the lower the number the higher the IQ of the Democratic Party.
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Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | May 21, 2008 12:53:07 AM
What about more than 2.5M voters in FL and MI? Shouldn't they have a say in this very close primary? What about electoral map? What about popular votes? Why is the pledged delegates so important? Most of Obama's lead in pledged delegates came from those caucus states where democrats have no chance winning in the fall.
At this stage of primary, Obama still lost huge in Kentucky. He is a very flawed nominee for the General Election. Those ultra-liberals in the Democrat Party are so in the bed with Obama that they could not (or are not willing to) see it.
Posted by: George | May 21, 2008 12:53:34 AM
Obama is a hypocrite and will end up a loser. The whole MI and FL vote is a shell game played by the DNC on Obama's behalf. First they don't count it to create momentum for Obama, now that the numbers are in Obama's favor they will find some crooked way to "count" MI and FL.
Regardless of whether the delegates are eventually seated or not FL&MI voters will never have a say throughout this process as their vote did not influence the elections in any way until now, unlike all the other states that voted. Each of those states' votes influenced the perception of who's winning and who's losing, which in turn influenced how other states voted.
Obama = Hypocrite = Bitter = Loser
Posted by: Mahesh | May 21, 2008 1:15:50 AM
Hillary won Kentucky by 35% tonight, a significant victory, yet CNN chooses to splash Obama's picture over it's front page. Tell me the media isn't biased.
I'm not voting Obama in the fall. No means no. I will either stay home or vote Mccain if Hillary is not the nominee. Having Obama shoved down our throats as some sort of celebrity messiah is just wrong.
Posted by: Tom | May 21, 2008 1:21:14 AM
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