MyDD :: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses

Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses

by Jonathan Singer, Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:44:50 PM EST

She has still lost eight straight contests in the Democratic primaries, but now Hillary Clinton can at least point backwards to a recent win.

New Mexico's Democratic party chairman announces Thursday that Hillary Rodham Clinton won the state's Democratic caucus.

A marathon vote-count that went on for nine days after the Feb. 5 election ultimately added one more delegate to her total. That gives Clinton 14 delegates from New Mexico to 12 for her rival Sen. Barack Obama.

Notwithstanding statements from the Clinton campaign that caucuses are less democratic than primaries, and thus less meaningful, and that smaller states are less significant than larger ones, a win is a win is a win is a win. (It's for this reason why I don't understand why Clinton isn't campaigning in Wisconsin right now.) So even though this announcement does not end Barack Obama's winning streak over Clinton, it does provide the Clinton campaign with a bit of positive news that could perhaps be parlayed into some positive momentum, both ahead of the upcoming primaries in Wisconsin and Hawaii as well as the mini-Super Tuesday at the beginning of March.

Tags: New Mexico Caucuses, Democratic Primaries (all tags)

Permalink :: 71 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

And, of course, I have to come to a blog to hear about it, since the MSM doesn't cover such trivial things anymore. Thanks for posting.

by grlpatriot on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:46:09 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

E x c u s e m e ?

John McCain

by MILiberal on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:10:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

You must have missed the mind-numbing press conference on CNN (and others, I assume?). It was stretched out over about 15 minutes - the guy speaking obviously was enjoying his 15 minutes of fame. I was ready to reach into the TV and shake him - give us the results, already!

by AnnC on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:13:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I missed it (none / 0)

I'm feeling a bit snarky about the MSM today.

by grlpatriot on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:21:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

A win is a win is a win (none / 0)

Hey Gertrude Stein,

Seriously, we all know how ruthless the Clintons are, I wonder if these results were somehow held back by the Bill Richardson political machine in the event Hillary needed a mid-week "boost" to blunt any perceived momentum on Obama's part in the MSM.

Just sayin'.

But then again, for such a small state, New Mexico's election results are typically and notoriously late.

by Zeitgeist9000 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:46:09 PM EST

Re: A win is a win is a win (none / 0)

As I posted in reply to your other thread, this was a primary-like caucus, but a caucus nonetheless. The state government did not run the election; the state Democratic party did. The recount required huge numbers of volunteers to comb through all of the provisional ballots (17,000, according to most reports), to twice compare and match name and voter registrations in order to certify the ballots.

by mgee on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:00:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A win is a win is a win (none / 0)

How many times have there been election problems in NM? Seems like many times. What is their problem?

No longer a Democrat, now proudly an independent voter!

by Ga6thDem on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 08:31:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A win is a win is a win (none / 0)

As an Obama fan, I disagree with this. If Bill Richardson truly supported Clinton, he would have endorsed her prior to the caucus in his state. He was pressured by Bill Clinton who reportedly said, "What, 2 cabinet positions weren't enough?" And that still did not intimidate him into supporting her, even though you know he'd be angling for the VP slot.

by godemsin08 on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 01:00:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Even a Clinton victory is interpreted as a liability by Jonathan Singer of MyDD, who is an avowed supporter of Barack Obama.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:47:42 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Well, New Mexico's "caucus" is really a primary in form--people show up, cast a ballot, and go home. The polls were open (from what I read) from noon to 7 pm.

by OrangeFur on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:48:14 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

It's the same in MN. You can come, vote, and leave then the party building stuff happens afterwards.

Tony Romo for Secretary of Awesome

by kasjogren on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:49:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

The difference is that MN doesn't count, see it was insignifcant, NM though that's a bellweather because um.....

by Socraticsilence on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:43:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Do you have to show up at a specific time, or is it open all day? (There seems to be some tension about this topic, judging from the other reply to your post, but I'm asking out of curiosity, nothing more.)

by OrangeFur on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:05:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

It is about a 3 hour window, after work.

Tony Romo for Secretary of Awesome

by kasjogren on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 08:39:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Do you mean after work for a person that works 9 to 5? If so, there are many people that are probably left out of the voting.

by splashy on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 03:17:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Not in Minnesota. It's a state law, you have to be given time off to vote. Unpaid for the caucuses and PAID for primarys and generals if you work a shift that would take up the whole voting time.

So no, time doesn't matter in this state because we enfranchise the crap out of our electorate :D

Tony Romo for Secretary of Awesome

by kasjogren on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:55:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

By the way, I LOVE the caucus system. I lived in downtown Minneapolis for years and recently bought a house in NE MPLS (about 20 blocks from downtown) and so I was in a new state house, senate, city ward, the whole she-bang.

At the caucuses people are very forward about introducing themselves, see what part of the precinct you are in. Half the people I talked to were like "oh that white house with the maroon trim on the corner? How do you like it?"

It was great to meet my new neighbors, find out who the precinct capts and what not were in my neighborhood and all that fun jazz. In a primary I would have just voted and that was it, but with a caucus you get to meet your neighbors and find out more about your new area when you are like me and just moved but are very active in politics.

Tony Romo for Secretary of Awesome

by kasjogren on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:58:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (2.00 / 1)

Congrats to Hillary. Cue the hypocrisy from her most strident supporters who dismissed the Obama caucus victories in other states.

by conspiracy on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:50:14 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Cue the sour grapes from the Obama camp.

by rcipw on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:02:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (2.00 / 1)

See? Maybe the two groups aren't so different after all... Lets hug!

by Brillobreaks on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:05:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Pffft. Not until the end of primary season!

by mgee on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:08:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Is this an "important" state? I forget.

by Adam B on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:08:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It just became one (2.00 / 1)

John McCain

by MILiberal on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:10:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It just became one (1.00 / 0)

It always has been an important state. And notice how NM experienced record turnout, unlike ND or NE, where a small number of party activists with spare time and money elected Barack Obama.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:16:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It just became one (none / 0)

Yeah. Those aren't real Americans!

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:20:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Wow! (2.00 / 0)

Those are a lot of party activists!

Even in the deep-red bastion of North Dakota, and that of Nebraska, there are more than 56,000 party activists just in those two states put together? Who would have thought it!

John McCain

by MILiberal on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:25:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It just became one (none / 0)

Trying to keep it straight... superdelegates are good because they are party activists, but these caucus goers are bad because they are party activists.

by labor nrrd on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:29:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

If you want to tell which states matter...

..just look on Obama's glowing map of those blessed states enlightened enough to support him, versus those dark, hopeless places not wise enough to rise up and clap hard enough for tinkerbell in order to change America, the world, and the universe for the better for ever and vanquish the forces of evil.

by rcipw on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:14:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Yes, it is. Perhaps you should consult the results of the past two Presidential contests. Democrats will win NM and not ID or NE, states Obama won.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:15:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

What's your point? Do you think Democrats won't vote for Obama if he gets the nomination or something?

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:20:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

NM witnessed record turnout, while a small number of Party elites participated in the caucuses of states Bush won by staggering margins.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:21:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (2.00 / 0)

Elites. Nice right-wing framing!

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:22:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Those who work do not have time to caucus.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:22:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Whatever you say Karl. Comedy.

Starting state by state (caucuses only of course), using Iowa first, please prove your assertion that the overly affluent were responsible for Obama's wins.

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:25:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

I already did. Now congratulate the Clinton campaign for their victory in NM.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:27:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Again you failed to answer the question. I sense sheeple in your genetic background.

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:49:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Maybe that would be better worded as "those who work at jobs that are service jobs, and that have children, don't have time to caucus."

We really should go to the way Arkansas does it. They have a primary that lasts almost a week, all day long, so people can pick better days for them. Far more inclusive, so you get a much better representation of the voters.

by splashy on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 03:22:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Oh BTW. You didn't answer the question.

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:22:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Yes, I did. Perhaps you should read and reread my comments until their full import and significance is comprehended.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:23:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Nah. Perhaps the question was too vague. I'll rephrase a bit. The question was whether or not Dems would vote for Obama in traditionally Dem states or swing states like MO if he is the nominee.

Will they or won't they? A simple yes or no will suffice.

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:01:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Is Minnesota important? Iowa? Louisiana? Washington?

by Adam B on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:46:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Did the Obama camp say that certain races didn't count? I don't recall that being their theme.

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:19:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (2.00 / 0)

Er. Florida?

Michigan?

Unless y'all have changed your tune?

by mgee on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:24:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Clinton also agreed Michigan didn't matter (none / 0)

Until after it voted

John McCain

by MILiberal on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:26:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

And Obama said it would matter - (none / 0)

- before he decided it shouldn't!

Politicians playing politics: GASP. SHOCK! OUTRAGE!

by mgee on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:31:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Link? (none / 0)

John McCain

by MILiberal on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:05:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Link? (2.00 / 0)

Obama supporters explicitly campaigned for "uncommitted" votes. link

Obama took his name off the ballot to give the Michigan contest less meaning: link

More documentation of campaigning in Michigan: link

I can't find the specific link, but the actual quote by Obama was that "some accommodation" would be made for Florida and Michigan. Of course, this was before he lost. Mind you - my claim that he was for it before he was against it is about as accurate as the repeated claims made by Obama supporters that Clinton somehow agreed not to seat the delegates. She signed a pledge not to campaign in either state, and she kept to that pledge (better than Obama did, but I think his transgressions were minor. I bring them up only because - well, to set the state). Had Obama won Michigan and/or Florida, I am confident that his campaign and his supporters would be absolutely in favor of seating those delegates and that the Clinton campaign would oppose the move. Under those circumstances, (some) Obama supporters would be regularly and repeatedly outraged, and blame HRC for being cynical and a meanie and also mean and also hateful and probably racist.

It's a political question. I prefer enfranchisement, so I'd like to think that I would be in favor of seating the delegates (or giving both states 1/2 the amount of delegates, or something) regardless of the winner, but I've not been tested like that since my candidate won. Still, I find the regular, repeated outrage (faux or real) that Hillary Clinton is trying to take political advantage by arguing for a position that is beneficial to her really, really difficult to swallow.

by mgee on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:59:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Link? (none / 0)

You prefer the will of the people to be heard. Commendable. Does that mean you're against the super delegates swinging it to HRC?

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 08:01:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Link? (none / 0)

Are you against superdelegates swinging it to Obama? Have you been lobbying Kennedy, Kerry, and Patrick to swing their SD votes to Clinton, since she won their state by 15 points?

by mgee on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 08:33:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (2.00 / 1)

Funny, I remember Clinton saying that MI didn't count. I guess she was against it before she was for it.

by rfahey22 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:29:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Yeah. So did Clinton. Nice try though.

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:48:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

How much do you bet that the Hillary supporters think this particular caucus "counts"?

by godemsin08 on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 01:02:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Hillary's got the Clinton crew in Wisconsin (none / 0)

In Madison, Chelsea arrived on Monday and Bill was here today (I unfortunately couldn't see him). Chelsea got a good 500 person audience, while as I heard for Bill Clinton, a line started at 12:15 to see him at 2:30. I'll ask some people how it actually went.

by KainIIIC on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:16:12 PM EST

Re: Hillary's got the Clinton crew in Wisconsin (none / 0)

Wow, 500 people in Madison, imagine what the CLinton's could draw if Hillary actually you know deigned to show up instead of spending time in a statye that doesn't vote for 3 weeks.

by Socraticsilence on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:46:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

It's a caucus? Does it count? Do they need a President?

by illlaw1 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:18:45 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

I thought she was headed there on Saturday and planned to spend 4 straight days there - having reconsidered that particular primary.

by wchpaman on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:19:49 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

ok - sorry somehow I meant to be in a different comments section.

:-(

by wchpaman on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:20:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (2.00 / 1)

Everyone knows that New Mexico is full of wine- and cheese-consuming, limousine-riding liberals who never work and who "don't need a President." God, somebody wake me when Clinton wins a state full of REAL Americans.

by rfahey22 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:23:46 PM EST

They Did: New Mexico (none / 0)

Viva victory!

by Zeitgeist9000 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:25:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Hillary is 44.

by truthteller2007 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:26:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

It wasn't really a caucus. It was a party-run primary. So no meeting rooms.

by DaveOinSF on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:44:48 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Judging from the comments on this thread, somebody must have made some comment about caucus states today. I'm studiously trying to ignore campaign minutiae (Haircuts! Laughs! Flag pins!), so I'm not asking what it's about. But this doesn't seem to be a very enlightening discussion.

by OrangeFur on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:08:18 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

it's not. And I'd wager that it won't get better any time soon.

by poserM on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:11:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Congratulations!!! (none / 0)

HRC won a caucus. She and Bill really need to STOP bashing caucuses.

by puma on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:11:45 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Hey!!! That's fantastic!!! OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! What amazing news, really, let's just party likes it's 1999.

Is this really even worth "celebrating"???? I mean, she eked out a 1/2 percentage point victory in the midst of a month-long drubbing by huge margins EVERYWHERE.

C'mon mydders, show a little pride. There are some significant battles ahead, and it does not bode well if this actually counts as something to motivate you or Hillary or her campaign staff.

It's like finding a moist turd in the middle of the desert. Sure it's wet, but it doesn't really quench that thirst, now does it?

James

by james c on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 07:17:47 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

woohoo! new mexico does in fact matter, at least to the Clinton campaign.

new mexican's everywhere can now rejoice!

by alex100 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 08:05:54 PM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

Are you sure about the 14-12 delegate totals? I read somewhere that the delegate totals will remain the same.

New Mexico state director Carlos Monje Jr...

Not a single delegate has shifted due to the certified results today. Senator Clinton is walking away from New Mexico with the same number of anticipated delegates as she had nine days ago, and Senator Obama maintains exactly as before his substantial lead among pledged delegates across the country and significant momentum heading into the next round of primaries.

by Chili Dogg on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:59:14 AM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (2.00 / 0)

Hmmm. Two threads where the same misinformation has been stated - that Clinton isn't campaigning in Wisconsin. Since her campaign announced two days ago that she would be there Saturday until Tuesday, what about that don't you understand? Perhaps you could print a correction somewhere.

by CognitiveDissonance on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 02:16:24 AM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

I have no idea why NM would be considered a caucus state. It's a simple matter of going to your precinct voting location, getting looked up on the voter rolls, signing and then filling out a ballot and shoving it in the slot.

Voting locations were open from 12pm-7pm (like I heard was typical of other states as well) but since lines were staggeringly long in some locations, voting centers stayed open as long as it took, sometimes around 10-11pm.

It took me all of about 2 minutes to "vote" after I had pulled into the parking lot.

I heard we're going completely to paper ballots so don't expect any quick results in the GE.

Kudos to all the volunteers who spent 12-16 hour days counting.

by desertjedi on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 11:07:24 AM EST

Re: Clinton Won the New Mexico Caucuses (none / 0)

You don't believe it's a caucus, so it's not a caucus, so it counts. You don't believe those Obama-winning caucuses are caucuses, so they don't count. I love the Clinton logic.

I think we should get rid of all pledged delegates and just give Clinton the nomination. Then we really know what counts.

by drjk on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:10:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's a caucus, so it doesn't count (none / 0)

by drjk on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:08:18 PM EST

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