Bloomberg News: OBAMA ADVISORS PREDICT DEADLOCKED RACE AFTER PRIMARIES

[NJSecularist]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHVRn9HAldqg&refer=home

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama's campaign is forecasting that the Democratic presidential race will remain deadlocked after the primaries end, and the outcome may depend on a fight over whether delegations from Florida and Michigan are counted.

By the time the last primary is held June 7, Obama's advisers project he will have 1,806 delegates to 1,789 for New York Senator Hillary Clinton, according to a document outlining the scenario that was inadvertently attached to a release on delegate counts from yesterday's Super Tuesday primaries.

The forecast doesn't include Florida and Michigan, which were stripped of delegates by the Democratic National Committee for holding primaries ahead of the schedule set out by the party. Clinton, who won uncontested primaries in both states, is vowing a fight to have those delegates -- slated to be 366 in total -- seated at the nominating convention.

``This is only one of an infinite number of scenarios,'' Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, adding that the release of the information was unintended.

Another issue is the so-called super delegates, 796 Democratic officials and officeholders who aren't bound by the results of primaries and caucuses. Obama's campaign projects about half will be pledged to either the Illinois senator or Clinton, and the rest could swing the nomination.

A Draw

After a year of campaigning and 26 contested primaries and caucuses since January, Obama and Clinton have essentially battled to a draw. After yesterday's Super Tuesday voting in 22 states across the country, the two candidates are separated by less than 30 delegates in the nomination race.

Obama's advisers are predicting victories in 19 of the remaining 27 Democratic primaries and caucuses, with Clinton winning the big states of Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to the campaign document. The final contest is a primary June 7 in Puerto Rico.

Before being penalized, Florida had a total of 210 convention delegates and Michigan had 156.

Clinton, 60, won half the popular vote in Florida's Jan. 29 primary, though none of the candidates publicly campaigned in the state. While she got 55 percent of the vote in Michigan, Obama withdrew his name from the ballot and the next highest vote went to uncommitted.

The campaign document shows Obama, 46, prevailing in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia in next week's primaries. Wins are also forecast in Wisconsin, Oregon and Washington.

Democratic Party rules call for dividing delegates proportionally based on the popular vote, and Obama's campaign anticipates a close race in most states to the end.

[Bread and Circus]

1. Wow...that's probably the biggest news of the day actually.

[NJSecularist]

2. They seem to be betting on their small state strategy

It's discouraging how they think they'll lose Ohio and Texas, however.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. High excitement equals money

For the press and campaigns alike.

--p!