While reading an article on CNN about Hilary pulling out all the stops to try to stop the hemorraging, I came across a new Hilary website designed to talk about "facts and myths about the race for delegates". Jump below the fold for discussion.
First, I feel the website is less than truthful because it does not readily identify itself as being a shill for Hilary. It has the standard Paid for By Hilary Clinton for President at the bottom, but they effectively buried it at the bottom of the page.
Second: The site uses the 2208 number of delegates, which includes Michigan and Florida. It completely glossses over the fact that Michigan and Florida violated very clear DNC rules and were punished appropriately. (Full Disclosure: I am supporting Obama, but even if he had won those states, I would be sticking by the DNC rules. Because they were the right thing to keep the primary from getting too front-loaded.)
Third:
The Obama campaign is claiming, without precedent or justification, that automatic delegates (commonly referred to as "super delegates") should switch to Sen. Obama en masse based on arbitrary metrics, with the aim of tilting the delegate balance in his favor.
My vote was NOT arbitrary. Election results are not just a metric, they are the metric. There are precedents and justifications for using superdelegates to decided a race that threatens to go to a brokered convention. They are every brokered convention. Ever.
Now let's talk about the "facts"
Fact One:
FACT: Pledged delegates and automatic delegates are the same - they each count for ONE vote.
The Democratic Party chooses its delegates in three ways: 1) through primaries where millions vote; 2) through caucuses where thousands vote; and 3) it gives a role to elected leaders and other party activists in the process.
This statement is true on the surface, but it's forcing the reader to accept the frame that it is the Party choosing the delegates, who will choose the nominee, thus it is actually the Party choosing the nominee, not the people of the party. This "fact" shifts the power to DC insiders away from the people who own this party.
Fact Two:
FACT: Neither candidate can secure the nomination without automatic delegates.
The Obama campaign is trying to shut down the Democratic race before the rest of the country votes. There are still many states and territories that have not voted with over 1000 delegates at stake.
At this point, it appears neither candidate will secure the nomination without superdelegates. However, it is inaccur and unfair to the Obama campaign to say that they are trying to shut down the race. This is coming from the campaign that said my vote doesn't count becuase a voted in a Midwestern caucas state. (Full Disclosure: I'm a proud Jayhawker) There is a difference between trying to unify the party and trying to disenfrachise voters.
Like Hilary and college voters in Iowa.
Fact Three:
FACT: Automatic delegates are expected to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and the Democratic Party.
The Obama campaign is claiming that automatic delegates must follow the lead of pledged delegates and switch their vote to Sen. Obama.
What this is ignoring is that it is entirely likely that the best interests of the Party will be a unified Party and convention. That is the point of superdelegates. I have not seen the Obama campaign claim anywhere that candidates 'must' switch their vote. None of them have voted yet, so they're not really switching anything except a pledge.
Fact Four:
FACT: Florida and Michigan should count, both in the interest of fundamental fairness and honoring the spirit of the Democrats' 50-state strategy.
An important part of the debate over delegates is the role of Florida and Michigan. Hillary Clinton believes that the voices of 600,000 Michigan primary voters and 1.75 million Florida primary voters should be heard at the Democratic convention.
Fairness? 50-state strategy? Really? What is fair about rewarding rogue states for breaking the rules? Of course Clinton believes that the delegates from those states should be seated, she won them all. Every other campaign honored the DNC's rules by not campaiging and trying to take their names off the ballots. If Obama had won those states, we all know she'd a singing a different tune.
Fact Five:
FACT: There is a clear path to an overall delegate majority (pledged + automatic) for Hillary Clinton after all states have voted -- with or without Florida and Michigan.
Contrary to the Obama campaign's claims that the race is over, all voters should have their say before a candidate declares victory and tries to circumvent the democratic process. The race is currently a virtual tie, with the campaigns now separated by a small handful of delegates, barely 1% of all the delegates to the Democratic Convention.
This from the campaign that was ready for a coronation. I would not say that this race is a virtual tie. Who has won more states? Who is winning the popular vote? More importantly, does it benefit our party to fight all the way to Denver? No, it only benefits Hillary.
This race is opening up, and a frontrunner is emerging. I can only hope that Hillary will find the strength and intergrity to withdraw from the race in a manner befitting a US Senator. If she turns it around and wins a majority of delegates, I would hope the same would be true of Sen. Obama.