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Obama Won't Wait for Clinton Concession

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May 31, 2008 8:57 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Karen Travers Report: The Obama campaign is not worried about the tempest that erupted at a Washington, D.C., hotel on Saturday when top Clinton adviser Harold Ickes threatened to take the fight over Michigan's delegates all the way to the convention.

"He said 'reserve the right,' not that he was going to do it," said Obama adviser Anita Dunn. "They have to get through the next three days. I've been there before."

Now that the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee has decided what to do with the Florida and Michigan delegations, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is 68 delegates away from clinching the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, according to the ABC News delegate estimate.

Obama's campaign expects to win around 38 delegates in the final three contests of Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Montana. If he hits that mark, it would leave him 30 superdelegates away from his party's nod.

The Obama campaign is pushing superdelegates to come on board by Tuesday so that Obama can claim his party's presidential nomination when he speaks that evening at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The site was chosen because it is the same place where Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will formally receive the GOP's presidential nomination in early September.

Asked if Obama would wait to get a concession call from Clinton before claiming the nomination, Dunn said the onus was on Clinton now that the Democratic Party has firmed up the number of delegates needed to claim the party's nod.

"He's not going to wait by the phone like a high-school girl waiting for a date," said Dunn. "That's not Barack Obama."

"After Tuesday," Dunn added, referring to the final contests of South Dakota and Montana, Clinton "can decide how united she wants this party to be."

May 31, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (891)

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"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

Posted by: William Congreve | May 31, 2008 9:05:33 PM

Obama will not have the magic number of delegates needed to clinch the nom after the remaining contests.

Nevertheless, he's satisfied that the voices of the Florida and Michigan electorate will only be half heard at the convention. He's happy as a clam.

Now, if only he could get that pesky candidate, who is far more electable than he is against John McCain, to get out of the way.

TAKE IT TO THE FLOOR OF THE CONVENTION, HILLARY!!!

Posted by: Emily | May 31, 2008 9:13:46 PM

I thought Hillary's supporters protesting outside the meeting would be in the thousands. Can someone confirm how many were?

Posted by: carl29 | May 31, 2008 9:14:18 PM

emily you have no idea what happened today do you?

and you are obviously not for party unity

because both democratic parties of florida and michigan won today, and got what they wanted

soooo what you want is chaos

clinton won 29 delegates today by the by

Posted by: bhrandon | May 31, 2008 9:17:26 PM

Answer to Carl29 - there were "dozens" hard to say. However, Hillary's plans to disrupt have been fulfilled and if she wants to bring a tornado to the Convention, she will prove she has the power becuase there are enough pawns in her game willing to do whatever she suggests. They are clueless as to what the issues truly are. Hillary got what she was looking for-- 1/2 votes. Exactlywhat she was campaigning against so now she is set to go to the credentials committee and on to Denver with protestors in hand and chaos, where she will be in her element.

Posted by: shannon | May 31, 2008 9:20:14 PM

For all the furious women in the democratic party who claim they are going to vote for McCain in November, I want you to ask yourselves...

Do I vote for
a) A man who often and always praises his wife as his rock, and has two young daughters he dotes over

or

b) A man who calls his wife an F'ING C-WORD.

Yes, b would be mccain. Look it up.

Stop complaining and join the party. We're going to the white house!

Obama 08

Posted by: McC-word | May 31, 2008 9:20:30 PM

This is a backdoor deal between Dean Obama and Nancy.. It is no more a Democratic Party... It is a party of dishonest racist sexist group.. who will win by any means.. whether it is Chicago Politica.. or introduce racial flow through church by donating Tax Payer money or .... Hillary.. go and run as Independent.. we love you

Posted by: HRC2008 | May 31, 2008 9:22:40 PM


On behalf of the MI/FL ruling may be many Democrats will vote 1/2 the ticket in November selecting only the candidates for Senator, Rep., Mayor etc.

Posted by: Angel | May 31, 2008 9:23:45 PM


White democrats WILL NOT vote for
Hussein-at least the majority.
You can take it to the bank.

Hussein will join the losers CLUB
after november 4th.
MEMBERS:
========
McGovern
Carter[2nd term]
Mondale
Dukakis
Gore
Kerry.

Posted by: Nicholas | May 31, 2008 9:24:02 PM

I expect to see a lot of caterwauling on this blog from one or another partisan troll.

Seems to me the DNC got it exactly right, "not too hot & not too cold"

I think exchange between Donna Brazile and Gov. Blanchard (MI) captured the essence of the debate.

“My momma always taught me to play by the rules,” Brazile said, adding that “when you decide to change the rules, especially middle of the game … that is referred to as cheating.”

To which Gov. Blanchard responded:

“Hillary Clinton did play by the rules, I just want to pick the paper up in Michigan … and feel that the voters were treated fairly."

Well, as my Momma used to say: "When once side is right, but the other side is also right...split the difference, COMPROMISE.

1/2 votes will not change the outcome. Obama will get the nomination, satisfying his supporters, but Clinton can have the support she received in Michigan and Florida officially placed “on the record”.

A symbolic gesture, to be sure, but the DNC WAS fully within its rights when it completely disqualified the Florida and Michigan primaries for violating the timing rules.

Moreover, no one disputes that the preferences as expressed in the flawed Michigan and Florida primaries only roughly reflect voter preferences in those states. Many potential voters did stay home, taking the DNC at its word, when it said the primaries would not count.

The gesture can give Clinton supporters satisfaction. They can use the 1/2 votes as markers to underline “what might have been”, if the process hadn’t produced this irreparably flawed outcome.

It should satisfy Obama’s supporters. He will get the nomination.

Posted by: Goldilocks | May 31, 2008 9:25:49 PM

With all due respect, I think that Clinton supporters just did such a disfavor to their candidate today. They even booed people in the panel who are Hillary Clinton's supporters.

The lady who submitted the petition for full representation and vote for the Florida delegation, a Clinton supporter, was booed by Clinton people for speaking in favor of the second resolution as an alternative.

The former DNC chairman from SC, Fowler, who is a Hillary clinton supported got booed for speaking in favor of the Michigan resolution which was put forward by another Clinton supporter from Virginia. You could see how bothered they were at the way Clinton's supporters in the audience were behaving.

They did not look like reasonable, respectful, and frankly civilized people.

Posted by: carl29 | May 31, 2008 9:26:50 PM

The new coalition = UNDEMOCRATIC PARTY

3rd World tactics - we might as well live in a communist country. Oh by the way, anybody research Mr. Obama and his communist connections?

The DNC are communists

Posted by: disgusted in Illinois | May 31, 2008 9:29:01 PM

The new coalition = UNDEMOCRATIC PARTY

3rd World tactics - we might as well live in a communist country. Oh by the way, anybody research Mr. Obama and his communist connections?

The DNC are communists

Posted by: disgusted in Illinois | May 31, 2008 9:29:02 PM

Given the unfortunate circumstances I think the delegates were seated fairly. They had to be penalized in some way otherwise it would set a bad precedent for futue elections.

Posted by: lisa | May 31, 2008 9:30:17 PM

This is biggest Joke.. when Obama's (most racist politician who spread racism by donating lot of Tax payer money for spreading venom) talk about honesty.. civilization etc etc.. go and check yourself in the mirror.. you may have money.. you could able to make some backdoor deal.. but you are not for US.. only thing I feel bad is for these nasty group.. dems are losing

Posted by: HRC2008 | May 31, 2008 9:31:13 PM

Go Obama!!!!!!!!! YOU WON IT FAIR AND SQUARE - and pleeeaaasee don't choose that witch as running mate, hell you don't need her trailer park supporters anyway!!!!! OBAMA08VOBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMOBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08OBAMA08

Posted by: Andrew R - Silver Spring MD | May 31, 2008 9:34:38 PM

Clinton got all she wanted except in the sickening case that she wanted her share of Michigan Democrats but yet Obama should not get his. What kind of a woman is that. all the votes of both Michigan and Florida have been counted.The only difference was that each delegate count relects half. No voter was penalised. The people's will prevailed. Same punishment meted out by the Republicans and yet their own case has been resolved. Romney has never cried or whined about his yet Hilary claims she is fighting for the people. Which people? She got about 23 extra delegates for an election that should never have counted. More than the total number of either the South Dakota or Montana pledged delegates. I would never have consented to any. Obama should forget about the Clinton Democrats and target to win the Republican votes. For every Clinton Democrat, there is three Republican-Democrats that could be won.

Posted by: jayjay | May 31, 2008 9:35:36 PM

It really isn't fair to put Al Gore on the Losers List. He did win the Popular Vote and would have taken Florida, but for the U.S. Supreme court. Had George W. Bush not in effect been appointed, who knows what would have happened?

He's gone on to have done a lot of good too, in bringing people around on Global Warming. In addition, a Nobel Prize is no small accomplishment. So, in my book, he is no loser, but George W. Bush is.

Posted by: Yavo Lem | May 31, 2008 9:36:20 PM

Clintonites are blind in their loyalty, how did they really think it was gonna go? It was what the states were asking for AND a compromise between what the two campaigns wanted, sounds fair... unless you are a clintonite, then "fair" is only when you get your way and win.

If Hillary had gotten her way it would have been illegitimate because under her guidence her people pushed to take away the delegates of these two states in the first place. It was to her advantage to have no one campaign, because at the time she had overwhelming name recognition. In Michigan she was the only one running, this isn't some third world country where the establishment candidate gets to keep everyone off the ballot, pretend the voting doesn't count and then after you've won use the voting to say you won. She is probably shocked, once again, everyone didn't bow down and give her what she wants. The Clinton's world must be falling around them because nothing was what they thought it was.

When everything is said and done both states will have a full delegate slate at the convention, but the party and most Democrats didn't want the contest decided by cheating and breaking of rules. You shouldn't ever punish the only one who obeyed the rules in the first place. Actually if it wasn't Michigan, an important state, they wouldn't have gotten any delegates, the punishment would have been enforced.

Posted by: Mike | May 31, 2008 9:38:05 PM

We will CHANGE washington Politics and will bring CHICAGO POLITICS.. We got our leader.. we will bring all dishonest.. racism sexism and enjoy Power... We have lobbyist.. we have all EVIL element with us...

Posted by: Obama_Hussein_Pancy_Khatun_Mamud_Dea | May 31, 2008 9:39:23 PM

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