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Obama Camp May Approve Michigan Delegate Deal

Cross-posted at DailyKos.

Yesterday (Wednesday), the Michigan Democratic Party Executive Committee voted to propose a compromise to the DNC rules committee for seating Michigan delegates (the rules committee meets May 31). They are proposing to award 69 pledged delegates to Clinton and 59 pledged delegates to Obama.

There are several indicators that this compromise may have the approval of the Obama campaign, including the Obama campaign making positive statements about the delegate deal itself, and Axelrod and other Obama advisors saying that Obama will wrap up the nomination May 20th.

Join me after the jump...

Clinton gains 4 delegates!!! +3 net...

tomorrow.  Some may be suprised to see my name associated with a diary so entitled.  But I figured it would be good to get this out of the way early b/c I know it's coming and use it as a means to ask a question.

An excellent website, DemConWatch (which I cannot endorse enough; the reporting is beyond any other news source, including the AP) has developed a chart to track the selection of add-on superdelegates.  Some may not of heard of this term, b/c the media has constantly refered to the superdelegates, but rarely says how they are selected.  Add-on superdelegates are selected at state, county and district conventions or by the Executive Committee of the state party.  

As you will see if you check out the website, tomorrow the State Democratic Executive Committee will meet to decide on the identity of the 4 add-on delegates that New York is assigned.  Given that New York is her home state, I have no doubt that every one of those add-on superdelegates will immediately announce their support for Hillary.  On this blog and possibly in the media this will be a big story, b/c it will the largest one day total of superdelegates for Senator Clinton this year, even if she does not get any other superdelegates.  I would also point out though that if you notice the state immediately preceding New York and those immediately after New York were all won exceedingly handily by Senator Obama and will equal the number of add-on superdelegates from New York.  And those are only the add-ons to be chosen this weekend.  Prior to Illinois' selection of its 3 add-on superdelegates on Monday.

Thus it appears that in the add-on superdelegates (which total 64 unpledged) they will split down the middle or there will be a slight advantage given to Obama due to the fact that he has won more states.  After the add-ons are divied up, there are 227 superdelegates left.  Of the 227, Senators and Governors make up around 30, U.S. House Representatives are around 65 and the 139 left are elected or appointed party officials and former chairs of the party and former Speakers, Majority leaders and Presidents and VPs.  Today, Obama won 3 House members and Clinton won 2 party official superdelegates.  Moreover, we learned today that Sen. McCaskill (an Obama supporter) is "feeling good" about the U.S. House.  

Given the fact that Sen. Clinton needs at best estimates 69% of the superdelegates (both add-on and already identified) left to win the election, how does she do it?  For months now, we as a community have been arguing vehemently points large and small: Should Clinton drop out, should Obama drop out, racism, sexism, gas taxes, Wright, flip offs, and so on.  Yet in that time, I have yet to hear logical path that Clinton has to nomination.  We all agreed long ago that Obama's going to win among elected delegates.  So since then, we have been arguing whether it was right or wrong for the superdelegates to choose the presidential candidate and what methods they should use to choose.  Yet in that time Obama has gained a net of over a hundred superdelegates and Clinton has gained almost no superdelegates.  

So on the day before Sen. Clinton's biggest superdelegate total this year, let me ask: HOW DOES SHE WIN?  Don't tell me whether she should win or what her qualities are that will make her a better president, but please tell me how.  B/c if she cannot win and given the superdelegate ratio over the past several months I don't understand how she can, then what is the point of continuing the campaign?  Why should we continue this primary race which is damaging the ability of the party to unite behind either one of these presidential candidates if the outcome is already determined?  

Just a question.



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