PrintJune 4, 2008
Superdelegates can switch
According to the media, Barack Obama has won the Democratic Presidential nomination (Obama Clinches Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket). That's only true if you count the so-called superdelegates. Neither Barack Obama (1750) nor Hillary Clinton (1624.5) has won enough elected delegates from the popular vote in the actual primaries and caucuses to hit the delegate number needed (2118) to seal the nomination.
That brings us to the one important thing that the major media (but not AT) aren't sharing with the public right now. Obama's nomination is secured only by the promised votes of the Democratic superdelegates -- and they are free to change their pledged support as often as they like, even right up until the time they place their vote at the Democratic convention in August. They are not bound to any candidate in any way, other than by their own word. As Obama has surpassed the 2118 delegate number by virtue of the changing whims of superdelegates once pledged to Hillary Clinton, can't the opposite happen between now and August?
That, in a nutshell, is why Hillary Clinton did not concede the race last night. The media did everything possible to throw her out, reporting at various times yesterday that Hillary was going to concede or that Hillary was going to force herself upon Obama as his Vice Presidential pick. The drive-by media is scared stiff that this thing is going to continue and rip apart the Democratic Party -- their party -- and they are doing everything in their power to put a stake through the hearts of the Clintons.
It won't work.
