Detroit News: Michigan is becoming Clinton's secret weapon ("uncommitted" votes)

[antigop]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/OPINION01/804240315/1008

If you punched your ballot for "uncommitted" in Michigan's Jan. 15 Democratic presidential primary to back Barack Obama, your vote might have essentially gone to Hillary Clinton anyway.

While all eyes were locked on Pennsylvania for the last six weeks, Clinton was quietly amassing delegates in the Wolverine State. And she was rewarded this past weekend with a significant victory at the district conventions.

This development naturally has been overshadowed by her big win Tuesday night in Pennsylvania. But the race for the Democratic nomination wasn't decided then and won't be by the remaining contests -- not North Carolina, Indiana or even Guam -- because the real fight is over delegates. And Michigan remains a key battleground.

On Aug. 25, Clinton will march into the national convention in Denver stronger than most people realize, thanks to her aggressive ground game in Michigan.

Buoyed by party elder support, Clinton seems likely to capture more than 60 percent of the state's 128 pledged delegates, according to an analysis by the Michigan Information & Research Service. Including the 28 superdelegates, which lean heavily in the New York senator's favor, she could win upward of 70 percent of delegates, provided that they're seated with full voting power.

That depends on the Democratic National Committee, which punished Michigan for leapfrogging the primary schedule. There is no deal yet to seat the delegation. But the Clinton camp is working overtime to ensure the elected slate is sent. Keep in mind that Clinton won 55 percent to uncommitted's 40 percent since Obama wasn't on the ballot. He has pushed for a 50-50 percent delegate split, but that proposal hasn't gained traction.

[JKaiser]

1. Good! All votes should count!

[Red Zelda]

3. Fuck Michigan

Maybe they should have had a primary when they were supposed to.

[purji]

7. even the uncommitted? Cuz HC doesn't want to count those votes.n/t

[Occam Bandage]

9. ...except for caucus states.

[Life Long Dem]

20. Not after Clinton said they won't count.

All candidates agreed to the state not counting. Now Clinton can't say they count now. What is so hard to understand?

[Texas Hill Country]

2. good for her.... i like the fighter she is!!!

[peace13]

8. You will love it when you , your kids and grandkids are fighting

for this war monger. Prepare to fight beside her, literally, as she obliterates Iran and Iraq.

[Texas Hill Country]

17. you are so overdramatic... and blowing everything she said way outta proportion.

[JKaiser]

10. me too! Go Hillary

[Colobo]

4. She's nuts.

[Occam Bandage]

5. All 128 of 'em can show up waving Clinton signs. Doesn't matter. They won't be seated.

[antigop]

6. Full disclosure: I am NOT a HRC supporter. Never have been. n/t

[Coexist]

11. Actually, Obama definitely has at least 30 of the 36 available for uncommitted

possibly 35 of the 36, the article needs to be updated. Its from yesterday, when it was assumed she got many of the 'uncommitted' delegates.



http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5260

Update 2: Great information provided in the comments by empywheel, and also in this thread over at Michigan Liberal. Some updates:


It appears that AFSCME, a union that has enodrsed Clinton, was also involved in organizing around the uncommitted delegates. So, there definitely was an attempt by Clinton supporters to secure some of the uncommitted, even if it did not necessarily work.

Michiganders for Obama was not the only pro-Obama group doing the organizing. So, while some MfO people lost, that does not necessarily mean they lost to non-Obama people.

Obama supporters won both uncommitted slots in the 11th, not just one. Also, people who claim to be Obama supporters won all three slots in the 12th. So, that makes the count 27-1, with results from the 13th and 14th CDs still unknown. However, these are not exactly the most solid Obama delegates around, as some of them were won by old Edwards supporters, and even some people who switched from Clinton a couple months ago.

In other words, it appears that Obama has ostensibly won just about all of the 36 uncommitted delegates, perhaps only missing one delegate in the 9th because of divisions among Obama supporting groups. However, a dozen or so of the Obama delegates are weak supporters, and might actually be truly uncommitted or even backing Clinton. I'll consider it a 35-1 Obama victory for now, but that number is tentative pending future information. In truth, mistrust of some of the more machine or union oriented Obama supporters who won the uncommitted slots is probably just hard-core Obama grassroots paranoia. If someone publicly says they are for Obama, I see no reason not to trust them until they publicly declare something has changed.

[antigop]

19. Thanks for the update! n/t

[mcctatas]

12. ...

Jesus H Christ on a crutch! She is a fighter for sure, the kind that keeps a razor blade under her tongue! :wtf:

[jaxx]

13. Changing the rules to win the game is cheating.

If she will cheat to win, what else will she cheat about? I'm not buying.

[Coexist]

14. see my reply #11

she doesn't have them.

[jaxx]

16. That is good news.

She spins the math so often, I hardly listen to her anymore.

[Buzz Clik]

15. Secret? Secrets are things you don't talk about every single day on national television.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

18. Hillary should get 95% of pledged delegates

She won 55%. The 40% "uncommitted" were really for Edwards, and all those voters would switch to Hillary now that John is out of the race. So give her the 95% She's entitled.

That makes as much sense as any other division of delegates from the non-primary.

I hope DNC sticks to their rules, and doesn't seat the delegates. Otherwise, the DNC is pointless. Just leave the MI delegates and super-d's out.

[madfloridian]

21. Shameful, she cares only about herself.

Her campaign is not going to let up on FL and MI. Breaking the rules to win.