As I watched the media coverage tonight for my job as a transcript editor for MSNBC, CNN and Fox, I am convinced that something is in the works to fix the current impasse in the Democratic presidential nomination. The quote above was Dana Milbank's response to Olbermann's question on Countdown about Harry Reid's cryptic remarks. The quote is, of course, from the great '80s movie "Wall Street." It's about half way through the video, although it's worth watching the whole thing.
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Now, the Harry Reid comment is interesting by itself, especially given how certain he sounded that this would end well before the convention, but it didn't end there.
Then Chuck Todd says on "Race to the White House" with David Gregory that he sees a super delegate 'surge' coming in the next couple weeks, not a huge one, but one that could get him almost even in supers before Pennsylvania.
Then David Gregory says that the Obama campaign has intimated that they have strong non-committed super delegate support and Todd agreed. Sorry no link here, but here's the transcript I just wrote up:
GREGORY: We're back. We waited almost an hour. Now is our chance to really put the pressure on our panel. It's time for their prediction. Chuck Todd, what do you see coming?
TODD: A little bit of a small super delegate surge for Obama. Not a big one like was predicted right after March 4th had he won Texas, but a very small one, trickles that by the time of the Pennsylvania primary will make it so his current super delegate total of 218 will possibly be as high as 240, 245, almost where he pulls close to even with Clinton in super delegates.
GREGORY: It's interesting. I've talked to Obama advisers who say there is a lot of support among the supers privately, but they don't want to pull the trigger. How much pressure to get them out one by one by one, to start saying that they have defected or made up their mind.
TODD: I think that's it. In some ways they have a better shot of getting them one by one and having them trickle out. Ironically, the more this gets personal -- frankly, if it is seen that the Clintons are using the Reverend Wright issue in a way that's unfair to Obama by some of these super delegates, that's actually the easier way they are going to lure these people out.
Before that, Matthews spent all of Harball bashing Clinton
Someone also said (and I just can't find the reference right now) that super delegate support behind the scenes is strongly for Obama.
Now, I don't generally take David Gregory as a great source, but I do with Chuck Todd. I've been transcribing every Tucker, Harball and Countdown since before this election started and Chuck Todd is probably the only person I've walked away from the process thinking is doing an honorable job as a journalist. Some days Olbermann, but I usually think he needs to 'get off his horse' (I hope that's not just a reference we use in my old fraternity).
Anyways, with Clinton hitting Obama on the Wright controversy, McCain jetting around the world, and the media in love with the idea of the Democrats tearing each other apart, I think we're about to see a lot of loyal party Democrats say, 'enough.'
And, if, say, 30 super delegates support Obama before Pennsylvania, that could be enough momentum in itself to end this. Everyone seems to agree though that if Clinton doesn't win North Carolina and Indiana, it's over. Of course, it's already over, we're just waiting for her to get that message.
Anyways, the signs are out there; 'blue horseshoe loves Anicot Steel.'