Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
More Add-On Delegate News
With press interest waning for the remaining delegate news for the Democratic Primary, finding quick and reliable sources for this information is becoming more difficult.
Demconwatch is doing a great job, and they are also announcing their new website address: www.demconwatchblog.com, although the old address demconwatch.blogspot.com also works as well.
From their site I've been able to find the add-on delegates from Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Vermont from this past weekend.
Pennsylvania was the third of three tests for Senator Obama's case for party unity from the past weekend.
In one test, Kentucky, he was awarded the add-on delegate despite being trounced by Clinton in the primary.
In another test, Texas, he was awarded two of three add-on delegates and was able to engineer a compromise to keep a Clinton supporter, female and labor (AFL-CIO) leader--all wrapped up in one person--on as an add-on delegate and then convince her to support him at the Convention.
The last test, Pennsylvania, did not go as well for Obama. This site shows the complete list of Pennsylvania delegates to the National Convention, and displays the names of the three new unpledged add-on delegates:
John Street
Jack Wagner
Lynne Abraham
Doing some further research, we can determine that two of these add-on delegates (Street and Abraham) are Clinton supporters, while Wagner is an Obama supporter.
Street endorsed Clinton all the way back in July of 2007, according to this Clinton campaign press release.
Wagner endorsed Obama in April when Obama was gearing up for the Pennsylvania primary. As a Vietnam vet and Western Pennsylvania figure, Wagner's endorsement at the time was seen as very helpful to Obama's credibility with the demographic base of rural Pennsylvania.
Abraham's loyalties are harder to find but this Pennsylvania blog did post that Abraham was listed as a Clinton delegate on the state convention ballot for delegate selection to the national convention.
A 2-1 Clinton win in Pennsylvania among add-on delegates really was not that surprising given her victory in the state and her ownership of the Pennsylvania political machine, but in the context of Senator Obama becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, expressing a call for party unity around him as the leader, and needing a victory in Pennsylvania in the fall, it would have been much more fruitful for him to have picked up all three of these delegates as a sign of support for his candidacy.
Minnesota and Vermont add-on delegates will be posted in the next post.
Demconwatch is doing a great job, and they are also announcing their new website address: www.demconwatchblog.com, although the old address demconwatch.blogspot.com also works as well.
From their site I've been able to find the add-on delegates from Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Vermont from this past weekend.
Pennsylvania was the third of three tests for Senator Obama's case for party unity from the past weekend.
In one test, Kentucky, he was awarded the add-on delegate despite being trounced by Clinton in the primary.
In another test, Texas, he was awarded two of three add-on delegates and was able to engineer a compromise to keep a Clinton supporter, female and labor (AFL-CIO) leader--all wrapped up in one person--on as an add-on delegate and then convince her to support him at the Convention.
The last test, Pennsylvania, did not go as well for Obama. This site shows the complete list of Pennsylvania delegates to the National Convention, and displays the names of the three new unpledged add-on delegates:
John Street
Jack Wagner
Lynne Abraham
Doing some further research, we can determine that two of these add-on delegates (Street and Abraham) are Clinton supporters, while Wagner is an Obama supporter.
Street endorsed Clinton all the way back in July of 2007, according to this Clinton campaign press release.
Wagner endorsed Obama in April when Obama was gearing up for the Pennsylvania primary. As a Vietnam vet and Western Pennsylvania figure, Wagner's endorsement at the time was seen as very helpful to Obama's credibility with the demographic base of rural Pennsylvania.
Abraham's loyalties are harder to find but this Pennsylvania blog did post that Abraham was listed as a Clinton delegate on the state convention ballot for delegate selection to the national convention.
A 2-1 Clinton win in Pennsylvania among add-on delegates really was not that surprising given her victory in the state and her ownership of the Pennsylvania political machine, but in the context of Senator Obama becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, expressing a call for party unity around him as the leader, and needing a victory in Pennsylvania in the fall, it would have been much more fruitful for him to have picked up all three of these delegates as a sign of support for his candidacy.
Minnesota and Vermont add-on delegates will be posted in the next post.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Texas Two-Step: Clinton Add-On Endorses Obama
Earlier I had posted that there was a lot of delicate maneuvering in how the add-on delegates from Texas would be apportioned, with the complicating factors of the traditional spot for the AFL-CIO head being amplifed by the fact that this year that head is the first female ever selected for the spot, and also a big Hillary Clinton supporter.
I also cautioned that "Moeller's official vote at the National Convention is not known for sure," because we didn't know the terms of the compromise in place to allow her to go to the National Convention.
Now it turns out that Becky Moeller has embraced the call for unity and has come out clearly for Obama and can be counted as an Obama superdelegate.
BurntOrangeReport deserves a lot of kudos for their outstanding work covering the primary, delegates, caucuses and now state convention.
From Moeller's press statement:
I also cautioned that "Moeller's official vote at the National Convention is not known for sure," because we didn't know the terms of the compromise in place to allow her to go to the National Convention.
Now it turns out that Becky Moeller has embraced the call for unity and has come out clearly for Obama and can be counted as an Obama superdelegate.
BurntOrangeReport deserves a lot of kudos for their outstanding work covering the primary, delegates, caucuses and now state convention.
From Moeller's press statement:
“I am confident an AFL-CIO endorsement in the presidential contest will arrive before long, but today I am personally and independently urging Democrats, union
members and open-minded independents across Texas to rally around Barack Obama’s historic campaign for the presidency.”“Hillary Clinton’s candidacy made a permanent mark on American political history. As a union activist and as a woman who has fought to break glass ceilings in my career, I joined millions of Americans who saw in Hillary the path to a better, more just society. Democrats in both camps worked to our utmost abilities in this campaign, and it is a tribute to Sen. Obama that he became the presumptive nominee against competition that touched a chord with so many Americans.”
“Now is the time to look at the bigger picture and unite. The issues facing our nation are too important and the gap between the candidates too great to let even the greatest of political primary struggles linger. Sen. Obama has shown he, too, can lead us to a better, more just society. I thank Ron Kirk and all the Obama campaign
officials in Texas for declaring that from here on, all Democrats are invited to walk together toward victory in November. At this new juncture, I proudly, wholeheartedly and optimistically support Barack Obama for president.”“A new future is at hand for America. We know the path to positive change and we know the path to more of the same. By coming together around Barack Obama’s candidacy, Democrats will write the next chapter in an election for the ages and in the history of our great nation."
Montana Selects Obama Supporter As Add-On Delegate
Keeping true to the results of the recent primary election in Montana, the Democratic State Party selected an Obama supporter to receive the state's add-on delegate slot to the National Convention.
According to the article:
With Sorrell's support, Obama took a clean sweep of the Montana super-delegation, as all eight unpledged superdelegates have endorsed him.
According to the article:
The final delegate, Anna Whiting Sorrell, of Lake County, elected as an add-on unpledged delegate, said she would support Obama in Denver.
With Sorrell's support, Obama took a clean sweep of the Montana super-delegation, as all eight unpledged superdelegates have endorsed him.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Texas Names Its Three Add-On Delegates -- 2 for Obama, 1 for Clinton
And they are Becky Moeller, Ron Kirk and Molly Beth Malcolm.
There was a bit of a controversy brewing yesterday when it was reported by bloggers that the Obama campaign might not give Moeller, the first female head of the AFL-CIO for Texas, her traditional spot as an add-on delegate for Texas because she was a Clinton supporter.
As a result of compromise, Obama picks up two add-on delegates and Clinton one, although Moeller's official vote at the National Convention is not known for sure.
Kirk is the former Dallas Mayor and major Obama supporter in Texas, and Malcolm was a Texas state party chairwoman and current Obama supporter.
Even though Obama did not get a pure three-delegate sweep, he did strike a strong note for party unity by ensuring that a major Clinton supporter, a major Labor member, and the first female head of the AFL-CIO was invited to the Convention as well. Shunning her from the spot would have caused much more damage than any strength any extra supporter would have provided, plus it might have given Texas women Democrats a reason to back away from Obama.
There was a bit of a controversy brewing yesterday when it was reported by bloggers that the Obama campaign might not give Moeller, the first female head of the AFL-CIO for Texas, her traditional spot as an add-on delegate for Texas because she was a Clinton supporter.
As a result of compromise, Obama picks up two add-on delegates and Clinton one, although Moeller's official vote at the National Convention is not known for sure.
Kirk is the former Dallas Mayor and major Obama supporter in Texas, and Malcolm was a Texas state party chairwoman and current Obama supporter.
Even though Obama did not get a pure three-delegate sweep, he did strike a strong note for party unity by ensuring that a major Clinton supporter, a major Labor member, and the first female head of the AFL-CIO was invited to the Convention as well. Shunning her from the spot would have caused much more damage than any strength any extra supporter would have provided, plus it might have given Texas women Democrats a reason to back away from Obama.
Kentucky Democrats Name Obama Supporter As Add-On Delegate
Senator Obama passed on major test of party unity yesterday when the Kentucky Democratic Party, convening to name the delegates to the National Convention, also selected an Obama supporter as their add-on delegate.
As I noted here, the ability of the Kentucky Democratic Party to nominate an Obama supporter would show how far the state party was willing to unite around the presumpive nominee, despite his overwhelming loss in the state primary to Senator Clinton.
Matthew Barzun, an Obama backer, was named the Kentucky add-on delegate.
In other Kentucky news, three uncommitted Kentucky superdelegates--Governor Steve Beshear, State Chairwoman Jennifer Moore, and Vice-Chairman Nathan Smith--pledged themselves to Senator Obama at the Convention.
As I noted here, the ability of the Kentucky Democratic Party to nominate an Obama supporter would show how far the state party was willing to unite around the presumpive nominee, despite his overwhelming loss in the state primary to Senator Clinton.
Matthew Barzun, an Obama backer, was named the Kentucky add-on delegate.
In other Kentucky news, three uncommitted Kentucky superdelegates--Governor Steve Beshear, State Chairwoman Jennifer Moore, and Vice-Chairman Nathan Smith--pledged themselves to Senator Obama at the Convention.
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