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HuffPost: Clinton Camp Considers Nuclear Option to Take Delegate Lead
Has everyone seen this? It's been kicking around for a while, but I guess the Clintons are floating another trial balloon.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/04/clinton-camp-considering_n_100051.html
Anyway, I found this line curious:
"Clinton loyalists on the Rules Committee would have to be persuaded to put their political futures on the line by defying major party constituencies, especially black leaders backing Barack Obama. Committee members are unlikely to take such a step unless they are convinced that Clinton has a strong chance of winning the nomination."
Kinda circular, isn't it? Committee members wouldn't take this step unless convinced she had a strong chance of winning the nomination -- and yet, for her to have any chance at all, they have to take this step???
Comments (21)
Circular in deed. Like all the superdels would stand idly by if she even dared attempt this asinine move.
They're blowing whatever smoke they can - they're so desperate I almost feel bad for her.
Ok, not really.
May 4, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Furthermore I blogged about Hillary essentially claiming 70% of Michigan delegates - http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/sen-clinton-pulls-a-fast-one-i.php
Which seems to go hand in hand with this news. So it's more than just in the talking stages, the groundwork is being laid...
May 4, 2008 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
NOt only that. According to her, she get the delegates she won, the popular count of people who voted for her and Obama get nil.
That's how she adds up the math when "including" MI & FL.
She's a pathetic piece of work, isn't she?
May 4, 2008 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's the part I found most interesting:
So she avoids a fight in the credentials committee, where she's outnumbered, and hides the ball by heading to the rules committee, where she at least has a shot if the members have the guts to risk blowing the party to smithereens.
I hope this makes it to the MSM. Any bettors?
May 4, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
The memberships of the rules and credentials committees are allocated in the same manner amongst supporters of each candidate.
There are 161 members, with 158 votes, "allocated to the states and territories in accordance with the same distribution formula used to allocate delegates to the Democratic National Convention."
And, "25 members, each casting one (1) vote who shall be Party Leaders and Elected
Officials." The PLEOs were appointed by the Executive Committee in January from recommendations from Chairman Dean.
So it would seem that, other than perhaps minor differences in the numbers of PLEOs of each committee supporting each candidate, the results of such a purported move by the Clinton camp would be pretty much the same.
May 4, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's all meant to scare those superdels who haven't committed and/or don't know better, you know, those DLC types who hate a good 'fight' and would rather 'make peace.'
It's meant to scare them.
May 4, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
The unpledge (super) delegates are all elected officials or party officials who, it seems to me, well understand the process and are not liable to be scared or fooled by anything the Clinton camp may cook up save her from what almost seems inevitable at this point.
May 4, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or perhaps there is a difference between the "Rules and Bylaws Committee", meeting at the end of May, and the convention "Rules" committee.
May 4, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I get the impression that this is exactly the point. If she got her perfect storm, it might go something like this:
1) Hillary cuts into Obama's delegate lead;
2) Supers have been asked by Pelosi and Dean to wait until JUNE to commit themselves to a candidate;
3) Ace Smith (aka Michael Corleone) drops a dirt bomb on Obama in late May that makes Wright look like a schoolboy and shakes the Rules committee's belief that Democrats will indeed riot if they take the nomination away from Obama. (http://www.veracifier.com/post/7311/clintons-ace-in-the-hole)
Evil genius. I think you're right, it won't work, but it just shows the kind of hard fighting they're willing to do to bag this thing.
May 4, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a good report on the effort.
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0408/514677.html
May 4, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
The nuclear option lacks a warhead--it has no feul--no clear heading; this missile will not lift off. If it does not make it to the MSM now, it will when (if) she tries to pull it off.
May 4, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quote: "If it does not make it to the MSM now, it will when (if) she tries to pull it off."
But it's not up to the media to decide if she pulls it off. It'll be more like: "The revolution is over, you may now televise the results."
In fact... getting it to the media might be helpful to breaking up her plan.
May 4, 2008 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
The media part will not play a role in whether she pulls it off, only in how ridiculous she looks for trying.
May 4, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
She certainly isn't afraid of making a fool of herself. Can you say Lieberman?
May 4, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
She looks rediculous to you and me, but the MSM is the only reason she is still treading water. When Obama reduced her PA lead from 30 to 9:
CLINTON WINS! SHE HAS MOMENTUM!
Now, I'm hearing that if Clinton reduces Obamas lead in NC from 20 to single digits:
CLINTON SUCCEEDS IN NC! SHE HAS MOMENTUM!
Stupid? Yes Unfair? Yes, but don't underestimate what the MSM can do here. I honestly believe that if Obama had won 45 states and Hillary won the last 5 the headline would be:
CLINTON HAS MOMENTUM!
May 4, 2008 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Furthermore, if she did manage to pull it off, not that I think she could, the nomination wouldn't be worth much. McCain, if he can make it to Nov 4, would be elected in a landslide.
Plenty of Hillary supporter say they will not back Barack if he wins. They are in a losing postition right now. The number may shrink but it may still end up pretty sizable. Barack, winning cleanly, has a chance to bring some of them back into the fold. He may lose but he would go down in history on a positive note and with a future.
An equal number of Barack's supporters say they will not support Hillary if she wins. They are in a winning position right now. The number would only increase if she managed to pull off her coup. Few would return to the fold. Hillary would lose and become one of the most, if not the most reviled creatures in political history. Hell, make it human history.
May 4, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's not exaggerate. She hasn't killed anyone... as far as I know.
May 4, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
"As far as you know"
;-)
May 4, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cindy Sheehan has a different take on that subject.
May 4, 2008 6:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
History would hold her accountable for the continuation of the Iraq war and hold her partially responsible for any wars McCain might start as POTUS.
May 4, 2008 6:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
"With at least 50 percent of the Democratic Party's 30-member Rules and Bylaws Committee committed to Clinton,"
And weren't these the same ones who helped institute the primary rules, the very rules we are discussing? One more sheer hypocrisy, they clearly intend to win by their own set of rules, the ones they have to make up as they go.
Sounds faamiliar...
May 4, 2008 6:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
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