(Cross-posted at The Field, which, thanks to you, is back.)
Just when I thought we might get through at least one primary eve in which nobody cried, when the tears are so real that they must be hid, the whole superdelegate world cries with you.
And tonight, here on The Field, it is my great honor to present to you Julie London, in the role of the American people, to sing this special tune to the Democratic Leadership Council and those that still clinged to them... until now.
Follow the bouncing ball, and sing along..
Healy has The Scoop, at the jump...
Mrs. Clinton held a buck-up-the-troops conference call on Monday with donors, superdelegates and other supporters; several of them said afterward that she sounded tired and a little down, but determined about Ohio and Texas. And these donors and superdelegates said that they were not especially soothed, saying they believed she could be on a losing streak that could jeopardize her competitiveness in Ohio and Texas.
“She has to win both Ohio and Texas comfortably, or she’s out,” said one Democratic superdelegate who has endorsed Mrs. Clinton, and who spoke on condition of anonymity to share a candid assessment. “The campaign is starting to come to terms with that.” Campaign advisers, also speaking privately in order to speak plainly, confirmed this view.
Several Clinton superdelegates, whose votes could help decide the nomination, also said Monday that they were wavering in the face of Mr. Obama’s momentum...
In the immortal words of that great British philosopher Oliver Twist... More, Sir?
Some donors also expressed concern about a widening money imbalance between Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton: Mr. Obama’s fund-raisers say he is taking in roughly $1 million a day, while Mrs. Clinton’s fund-raisers say she is taking in about half of that, mostly online. Clinton aides say that the campaign was virtually broke as of the Feb. 5 primaries, but that finances have since stabilized.
Still, Mr. Obama’s financial edge allowed him to begin running television ads in Ohio and Texas on Monday, while the Clinton campaign plans to begin advertising on Tuesday...
...some Clinton donors and superdelegates worry that the focus on Mr. McCain is premature, and that other strategic decisions by the campaign — such as counting on Michigan and Florida delegates to be seated at the Democratic convention in August even though their status is in limbo — show errant thinking that suggests the Clinton campaign does not have a short-term game plan to stem Mr. Obama’s momentum.
“They are looking way too much at Florida, Michigan and McCain, because all three won’t matter if she doesn’t blow Obama away in Texas and Ohio,” said another Democrat who is both a Clinton superdelegate and major donor, and who spoke on condition of anonymity to offer a candid assessment of campaign strategy. “Obama has momentum that has to be stopped by March 4.”
Go on, now. Cry us a river. We cried a river over you.
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