- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Obama To Meet With Superdelegates
May 07, 2008 1:48 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: The Obama campaign held a conference call with reporters Wednesday to discuss the results of last night’s primary – and look at the road ahead. On the call was campaign manager David Plouffe, in addition to some of their top supporters: Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Gov. Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz., and Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass.
“We can see the finish line here,” Plouffe said.
Kerry added of last night’s results, “Barack Obama took a giant and a decisive stride toward the nomination…. Clinton’s very tight win in Indiana and Obama’s huge win in NC fundamental changed this race. He clearly did more than he had to and she did not achieve what she had to.”
They were extremely careful to not call for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY, to withdraw from the race and continually said it is her decision to make.
“It would be inappropriate and awkward and wrong with any of us to tell Senator Clinton when it is time for this race to be over,” McCaskill said and then added, “I am confident that she will do the right thing for the democratic nominee. And confident that she will work hard for the party.”
Their clear talking point: stepping up the pressure calling for the superdelegates to make their decisions known now.
“Over the course of the next week superdelegates are going to exercise their judgment and responsibly,” Kerry advised.
Additionally, ABC can report from a campaign source that Obama plans to meet with undecided super delegates tomorrow in DC.
Gov Napolitano said, “Now is the time for superdelegates, as we wind our way down to the last states, to announce their preference.”
Speaking of the general election campaign, Plouffe danced around questions if the campaign is actively engaging in a general election strategy.
He alluded to the Obama planning on campaigning in battleground states that have already had their primary in the nomination season, but would not give any more details.
“Our core focus is continuing to commit superdelegates and campaign hard, “Plouffe said, “We have a lot of contest coming up in a short period of time.” Plouffe says Obama will continue to push a message against presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that he has focused on in past months.
Plouffe announced that the campaign has started a 50 state voter registration drive to “make sure the part is the strongest in the fall,” and no doubt another sign that the campaign is looking with one eye past the primary toward the general election.
May 7, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (30)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Dear geevil - Try really hard to follow this: Superdelegates aren't "supposed ta" do anything. Their voting patterns are not specified by the rules committee. But think -- if they WERE supposed to simply vote the way their state voters did, that would not change the election at all .. understand??
Posted by: Pica | May 7, 2008 5:09:22 PM
I'm in.
Let McCain take it and we will wait another 4 years.
Posted by: blue Irish | May 7, 2008 5:12:18 PM
Clinton has the right to stay in the race. Obama will never reach the 2,025 delegates needed to secure the democratic nomination.
If Obama gets the nomination, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT LIFE I"M VOTING A REPUBLICAN FOR PRESIDENT.
Yes the US will "change" for the worst if Obama gets elected as President. Change for the worst that we can believe in.
Obama can't stand the heat. He got wobbly when he got jab with the racist Rev. Wright issue. He can't even debate one-on-one with Clinton. McCain will just pound him. He buys superdelegates by giving them huge money donations(?). Where all those Obama's $$$ money came from? Wow! as if all/every americans donated money to his campaign. Time and time again his campaign said small and or new donors. I beleive there's a max. for donations per person. I don't think they add up. Fishy, fishy, fishy.
If he gets the nod, expect John McCain to be the next President of the US.
Posted by: giz | May 7, 2008 5:14:00 PM
I see some Obama supporters are starting to impress Hillary supporters to vote for him with selling him.
It would be interesting to watch if he is the nominee and struggles without Hillary's supporters support.
Posted by: blue Irish | May 7, 2008 5:18:19 PM
I think if Obama has any chance of beating McCain in the GE, he will need Hillary in some faction. The GE will be a major UPHILL climb for Obama. A lot of Hillary supporters will defect and vote Repub. Obama turned his campaign into a race issue, which will come back to haunt him. As one analyst said last night, all this is good for now, but just wait, Wright will emerge again and who knows what else will happen. Even though it didn't seem to affect him this time, but now he's getting ready for the GE, thats a different story. I will vote Democratic no matter who the nominee is, but I keep thinking that this is a "win - win" situation for McCain. The GOP will be ruthless on Obama....I just don't think he has the stategy or stamina to stand up to their onslaught.
Posted by: david from texas | May 7, 2008 5:26:41 PM
Obama didnt turn this into race. Its all the freaks on the side who clung onto his campaign to press their issues.
All the surrogates and other jerks who wanted to have their say used obama as their exuse to open their yaps.
Now Obama is the conduit for every racial tension african americans have.
Its not what he wanted.
Posted by: tomdavie | May 7, 2008 5:30:48 PM
Ahhhhhh.......racism is alive and thriving in the USofA.....
Racism, name calling, disrespect, lying, and who knows what else?
Folks, grow up, get a grip! We're all adults here. Both candidates are better than Sen. McCain in the fall.
Please show some respect for our Democratic party and it's candidates.
I support Barack Obama, but I am getting dog-tired of hearing the name- calling directed toward both candidates by both candidates supporters.
If you don't have anything nice to say - listen. You just might learn something!
Posted by: GrandmaCDA | May 7, 2008 5:38:56 PM
It's time for the Super Delegates to do
their job and send Hillary Clinton
home! Her only reason for staying in the
race would be to sabotage Obama so that
he can't win in November!
Get off the fence and do your job SD's!
Posted by: reaganfan | May 8, 2008 12:41:42 AM
s.b.: You're Dreaming!
Hillary has done too much damage to Obama during her "scorched earth"
campaign! If Obama loses to McCain she will be blamed for the loss!
I doubt if the Dems would reward Hillary
by nominating her in 2012!
Posted by: reaganfan | May 8, 2008 12:49:58 AM
I think it 's time for America that should send a new message for all people.
The power really flows from the grassroots and Barack Obama belongs to them.
Francisco Nguyen
Posted by: Francisco Nguyen | May 8, 2008 3:58:05 PM
Post a comment



