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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Superdelegate update

Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2008 11:56 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The Obama campaign announced Christine "Roz" Samuels, a DNC member and superdelegate from New Jersey, switched her support from Clinton to Obama. NBC News can confirm that Samuels had been supporting Clinton.

This also changes the superdelegate count more so than just a usual pick up because, in baseball terms, it helps in both the win and loss columns.

The NBC News Political Unit superdelegate count now stands at Clinton 260, Obama 181. This brings Obama's post-Feb. 5 superdelegate endorsements to 11-2 over Clinton. (And Clinton's lost two, including Samuels and Tom Lantos, who passed away.) Super delegate numbers reflect totals gathered by the Political Unit from the campaigns and public endorsements.

The Obama campaign also announced the endorsement of former Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, of Rhode Island. Chafee switched his party affiliation to independent after losing his seat to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, who is supporting Hillary Clinton. Rhode Island holds its primary March 4.

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You guys and your shrinking weiners everytime you even think that a woman will be president. whats the matter with you guys? are you THAT insecure about your manhood? you just cant help but trash hillary all the time. geez!domenico puuleeezz!!!
This is why I applaud NBS for not emphasizing the superdelegates. It is too stochastic to be aggregated using the ordinary rules of counting
Awesome! The wave is beginning!
You might win some, but you really lost one!
Roz Samuel, You are a DNc member and superdelegate flip flop. You have to be consistent and stick to what you believe in. You can't kepp changing T-shirt like this. These are the people that you cant count on because they will do anything when they are looking for power. Thank you.

From New Jersey
Roz Samuel, You are a DNc member and superdelegate flip flop. You have to be consistent and stick to what you believe in. You can't kepp changing T-shirt like this. These are the people that you cant count on because they will do anything when they are looking for power. Thank you.

From New Jersey
You partisans screaming about MSNBC bias against the Clintons are notoriously silent about the fact that every campaign ad she airs finds its way to this blog. And suggesting people are afraid of having a woman president is way off the mark. I certainly would support a female candidate, but not THIS female candidate. Learn the difference.
If the Obama campaign is so concerned with protecting the rights of the voters why have they fought so hard to silence the 1.7 million Democrats who voted in Florida.
Jane Jane Jane..you wrote


"Before everyone jumps on the Obama bandwagon, I want to suggest the sort of criteria everyone, including a
superdelegate might want to consider. When I choose a surgeon for a potentially life threating procedure I need-a very important decision for me to make. I will choose the person who has performed 1,000 surgeries, I will never choose the person who has performed three and HOPE it all turns out well. There is just too much at stake for me to play a role in their learning curve. On the other hand if I am choosing a singer or entertainer,I will select the person with the nice voice who looks kind of cool and has a nice delivery. "

Yet would you choose the surgeons wife just because she watched the surgeon and even attended a few conventions with him.  If you look at the records you would see that the no experience ploy is a Clinton strategy that stuck but isn't really fact.  Campare their votes....you will be shocked to see which has really worked real policies and made a real differences and it isn't Hillary Clinton.
Ohio LOVES Hillary!
Pennsylvania LOVES Hillary!
Texas LOVES Hillary!

AS Ohio goes, SO goes the Nation! No one can win the Presidency without winning Ohio, and Hillary will win Ohio, more importantly, Hillary polls well against McCain in Ohio, while Obama loses.

Hillary Clinton is the most qualified, most electable candidate in the race. She will be a GREAT President!

Stop the hating of Hillary, people! You are doing exactly what the Rethuglicans and their corporated owned media pals want you to do. You are being divided and ultimately conquered by them. Don't get fooled again! They FEAR Hillary, she's battle tested and battle ready! She can beat them at their own game.
WE MUST REMAIN UNITED!!!

VOTE SMART! VOTE HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!
If Florida and Michigan want to be counted then they need to hold a legitimate election.  I really hope they do and as an Obama supporter if Clinton wins those states then so be it. The problem with counting the votes as they are is that many Floridians didn't go vote because they were told that their votes wouldn't count.   Same with Michigan.  The solution is above my pay grade but to let the votes stand as they are isn't a solution anyone can live with (except Clinton) and to not seat them at all is bad for the Country.
Thanks to Chuck Todd for his insightful reports on the primary contests. He's the best reporter on the job, in my opinion.
This is a Democratic race between hope and reality and the difference between an optomist and a pragmatist. We love the sound of inspirational poetry more than we can endure the difficult planning for our futures. But when push comes to shove the American people will know who can better speak from the pulpit and who is better in our economic and national defense trenches. This may well be the job of our Super Delegates as well!

And;

Truth be told; the anti Hillary blogs that can't buy a clue reminds me of the "...tale(s) told by idiot(s)... full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".

Clinton is despised not because she is a woman, but because she is a highly educated, highly intelligent, former resident of the White House who pissed off the Right becasuse she dared to do more than buy new dishes or change the wallpaper.... This Senator from New York actually attempted to bring National Healthcare to those same idiots mentioned earlier while her opponent was playing local politics.

Angel has it right...Obama has not been crowned and the tide looks like it may be turning  in Hillary's direction looking at the polls. The votes from the states of Florida & Michigan should count...remember "every vote should count" well the Dems better live up to it, especially with the neck & neck race.
Roz Samuel, You are a DNc member and super delegate flip flop. You have to be consistent and stick to what you believe in. You can't keep changing T-shirt like this. These are the people that you cant count on because they will do anything when they are looking for power. Thank you.

From New Jersey
Michelet Durosier Irvington, NJ (Sent Thursday, February 14, 2008 1:55 PM)

-------------------------------------------------

Ah some people forget that super delegates CAN CHANGE THE VOTE THEY CAST, yup right up till the VERY LAST SECOND.  I guess we will not know who is voting for whom, if it gets to the SD vote.  It is a long way off, relax not a thing you can change just now.
A lot of deals to be made, promises to make, jobs and gifts to be exchanged. It will be politics as usual.
I am sure Obama knows how to play the down and dirty game of politics. Don't cha BO.
Stop the hating of Hillary, people! James & Liz, Cleveland, Ohio (Sent Thursday, February 14, 2008 2:18 PM)

Funny. If people in here support Obama they are Hillary haters. Yet I have not seen such supporters telling the Hillary supporters to stop hating Obama. Why don't you people lighten up. Just because one supports Obama and projects so on these blogs does not mean they hate Hillary. What they do state is they prefer Obama over Hillary in this nomination process. What is wrong with that? Would you deny these people their opinions and choices. If you want to support Hillary fine by most Obama supporters. But stop calling all those who support Obama, Hillary haters. You act like the republicans who state if you are aganist the war you hate the troops. Stop the nonsense. For every idiotic reason here given not to support Hillary we can find just as many idiotic reasons not to support Obama.    
Idea for Obama to resolve two questions:

The Florida anad Michigan issue and the Superdelegate Issue.

Offer to seat the two delegations if the Undemocratic Superdelegates ar eliminated.  

PEM59, Jersey (Sent Thursday, February 14, 2008 12:14 PM)


I have the ideal solution.  Since the two states in question broke the rules, all of their delegates should be split evenly between all candidates who were officially in the race at the time.  So Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Kuchinich (sp), and Gravel would split Michigan.  Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Gravel would split Florida.  This way the delegates get to be seated and since no one was able to campaign no one gets an advantage.  See if she'll support this idea!!!  Doubtful.
THINKPROGRESS,one of the more virulantly leftwinged websites,commits the sin of omission,typical to partisans. McCain has never relinquished his disfavour with ''waterboarding''. What he HAS opposed is that interrogation techniques as advanced by the Democrats,be confined to only the 19 set forth in the US Army Field Manual,which even under my former military eye,do not contain several techniques which do not involve torture.[Lying,for instance,is not in there. I.E.''Your buddy in the other cell has already confessed. Might as well spill it now Achmed''],and other methods which rely upon trickery and deception,practices already well established in our own states and used on a daily basis here in America.
             Thus Democrats,who seek in their zeal to paint America as the ''Jimmy Cleanhands''of the World,would confine entire intelligence agencies operating on a global basis to a mere ''19 Plans'',already known and trained in by al Qaeda members. Herein lay McCains opposition,and therein lay THINKPROGRESS'dishonesty. Get rid of the waterboarding[and the political grandstanding], while at the SAME time,not advancing such a reckless program of dubious worth.


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