Obama to Declare Victory May 20th?
May 9th, 2008 at 06:09am Mark Noonan
“It’s all about psychology,” said political commentator Roland Martin. “That is, you want to create the impression, even if you don’t have 2,025, you are the nominee.”
As Obama shifts his focus to the likely Republican nominee, at his campaign headquarters on Michigan Avenue campaign workers are planning a big celebration for the evening of May 20, when votes will be counted in Kentucky and Oregon and they expect Obama will have clinched a majority of the elected, pledged delegates.
“We are building toward that day when we can claim a majority of the pledged delegates, and we believe that’s going to be on May 20 and I believe that’s gonna be a big night for those of us in this camapaign,” said Obama political strategist, David Axelrod.
But Rep. Jack Franks, a Clinton supporter, countered, “Declaring mission accomplished doesn’t make it so – all you have to do is ask George Bush about that. And that’s why we have to take this to the convention and let the delegates decide.”
Illinois co-chair of the Clinton campaign, Franks said the goal of superdelegates and all Democrats should be to nominate the strongest candidate. He predicted Clinton would eventually win.
Axelrod said that, while Clinton has the right to keep campaigning, Democrats have always given their nomination to the candidate who won the most elected delegates.
They really want Hillary out - the Obama people, I mean; they aren’t being at all kind about it, really. They want their candidate to be able to rest up and build a national organization for the fall, and they don’t want something as petty as the fact they haven’t won yet to interfere….this is getting rather standard for Democrats. You know, not actually caring what the election results are but just insisting that once they’ve got the result they want, its all over.
For Hillary, it now becomes a calculation - can she prevent Obama, even if by one delegate, from getting a majority of the elected delegates by May 20th? If so, then the Obama’s camp talk of May 20th victory will seem like the worst sort of hubris. On the other hand, if Hillary is convinced that Obama is the candidate who will get beaten in November, then perhaps her best move is to gracefully exit, loyally back Obama and then wait for another chance in 2012? Come what may, I expect Obama to be the nominee - but it will be interesting to see how all this comes out.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Democrats
6 Comments
1. Magnum Serpentine | May 9th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Seems the republicans also want hillary out…
Operation Chaos anyone?
2. George Bush » Obama&hellip | May 9th, 2008 at 8:22 am
[…] Viejoblues | Un espacio libre wrote an interesting post today on Obama to Declare Victory May 20th?Here’s a quick excerpt…a Clinton supporter, countered, “Declaring mission accomplished doesn’t make it so – all you have to do is ask George Bush about that. […]
3. NeoClown | May 9th, 2008 at 8:56 am
“they don’t want something as petty as the fact they haven’t won yet to interfere….this is getting rather standard for Democrats. You know, not actually caring what the election results are but just insisting that once they’ve got the result they want, its all over.”
Mark,
You are correct about the Democrats not caring what the election results are.
I bet it’s just a matter of time before they go whining to the Supreme Court to select the winner. Election results be damned.
4. phnx | May 9th, 2008 at 9:10 am
MS,
You obvioulsy don’t understand what Operation Chaos was all about. We don’t care who is your nominee. We just want the soap opera to continue as long as possible. In that we have succeeded. The added benefit is that your party is now in disarray and split along racial lines…your own doing.
Once again you leftists are poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Come December you’ll all be pointing fingers at each other bemoaning what might have been.
5. Danish Artist | May 9th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Hillary is paving the way for 2012.
For that, she needs an Obama loss. To that end she will quietly help McCain while undermining Obama.
Hillary did not run against Bush in ‘04 and did not help Kerry.
She can’t have Obama win and take the chance that she will again fail in 2012.
Her best bet is to run against McCain in 2012.
The Clinton’s never go down quietly
6. Cavalor Epthith, Esquire, D.S.V.J. | May 10th, 2008 at 9:13 am
What will the Right Wing do when the Democrats come out of Denver united behind Barack Obama? Looking out from 6 months away from the elction it would be easy to say that America will not elect a black man president. But to simplify the matter to race I think will backfire among the moderates who can vote either way because they really aren’t wedded to religious or moral issues anymore than they are rabidly linked to being anti-war.
In this election there is currently a bigger issue the faltering economy at the gas pump and the grocery store. If that issue is most in the forefront of voter’s minds on November 4th then the Democrats will sweep the GOP aside–handily. If the price of gasoline has moderated to below $3 per gallon and food prices along with it then McCain may be able to run on national security and win.
If the elction were held Tuesday Barack Obama would become the first president to lose Ohio and win the White House by cruising to victory on the strength of breaking up the Solid South taking Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia.