Obama Heads for Superdelegate Edge

[DeepModem Mom]

WSJ: Obama Heads for Superdelegate Edge
Candidate Benefits From Calculations Of Elected Officials
By JACKIE CALMES
April 29, 2008; Page A4



Despite his loss in Pennsylvania and other campaign bumps, Barack Obama is heavily favored to win what will be the final and decisive contest for the Democratic presidential nomination -- the "invisible primary" for the convention votes of party leaders. The reasons say a lot about these superdelegates' calculations for the November elections -- the presidential one, or their own. The 795 superdelegates, who can vote for any nominee, fall into one of two groups -- the elected and the unelected. Sen. Obama has taken the lead among elected officials....Sen. Clinton still leads by double digits among nonelected national and state party officials, but her edge has been narrowing.

The elected are the party's 28 governors, 234 House members, 49 senators and assorted big-city mayors and state officeholders. Democrats in both camps say that for many, these superdelegates' decisions to endorse someone -- or stay uncommitted -- reflect their answer to the question: What is best for my political future? The nonelected superdelegates are the more than 400 national and state party officers of the Democratic National Committee. While many lean to the candidate who would draw more votes in their states, Democrats say that for most the bigger question is this: Who has the best chance of winning the White House?...

If he doesn't stumble, enough elected Democrats are expected to back Sen. Obama after the last primaries June 3 to give him the delegate majority needed for nomination. Many of them see Sen. Obama as more electable than Sen. Clinton. But even those who don't have been impressed by his grass-roots organizing and fund raising and the legions of new voters he has attracted, particularly younger and African-American voters. The politicians -- especially Democrats with significant African-American populations or college campuses in their districts -- see benefit for themselves in these new voters. By contrast, many see Sen. Clinton's alienating some general-election voters....

Sen. Clinton still leads in endorsements from nonelected officials. Many have known her and former President Clinton since the couple's White House years, or worked for them then. The Clinton campaign is counting on this group to be fertile ground to sow doubts about Sen. Obama's electability, citing his weaker showings in big states and among working-class whites, seniors and Roman Catholics....

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About 300 of the 795 superdelegates remain uncommitted; they don't have to endorse anyone until Aug. 27 at the Democrats' Denver convention. Party Chairman Howard Dean, among others, is urging them to go public after the primaries end....

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Many superdelegates increasingly seem to share the view that ultimately they should support the candidate with the most pledged delegates....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120942916625251325.html

[book_worm]

1. If you are able to please post this in GD-Politics.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Hi, book_worm! I don't venture over there much. If you'd like to repost it there...

please feel free to do so. If not, let me know, and I'll repost myself.