ABOUT FIRST READ

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



The delegate fight

Posted: Monday, March 03, 2008 9:05 AM by Domenico Montanaro

"While Obama's candidacy has often united blacks and whites at the ballot box,” the Washington Post reports, “it has driven a wedge through the black political establishment, exposing a rift between a new generation, whose members see their political horizons as limitless, and their predecessors, who have struggled to establish a following outside of heavily African American areas.”

“Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones is pushing back hard against the kind of pressure that has come down on Rep. John Lewis (Ga.) and other black Democratic superdelegates who are being pressed to back Obama's candidacy. ‘I say shame on anyone who's engaged in that conduct, to put that kind of pressure on John Lewis,’ Tubbs Jones said. ‘I'm not trying to be a martyr. I think Senator Clinton is the best candidate. And the beauty of the United States of America is you have the right to have your opinion, and I have the right to my opinion."

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

Obama cannot delivery the knockout blow, so that is why Hillary should take the fight for the nomination to the convention. The Democratic party is split, and she should work a deal at the convention to get the nomination. Obama is the best speaker. Hillary is the best candidate.
Thank you to all of the mean spirited haters of Obama. I am an “undecided” Super Delegate no longer. It seems to me that women have decided to back Hillary only for the reason of her sex. Not only that, but if you look at the general feeling of Hate expressed in just the emails in this room you’ll see that these people are not what the democratic party is to be about!!!! That’s why we as Super Delegates were given the power to influence our party.

I’m heading over to a local tv studio this morning to announce my support for Obama. So thanks to the so called Hillary supporters you are not helping your candidate. While I can only speak for myself…..I will tell you that other delegates are watching and metering the public sentiment. None of us really cares for the general tone of “Hillary’s” supporters. It’s really a turn off and it’s no secret that most of them will sit out if she is not elected. Fact of the matter is we want you to do just that. We are not interested in your kind here, you’ll see at our convention that hate has no place here!!!!

Go Obama!!!!
Do we really need Affirmitive Action laws anymore? It looks like we're beyond that problem.
Nobody said you don't have the right to have your opinion. Just that your opinion is flawed and for obvious reasons, you're misguided.
I think that is correct in every way.Many people are pressing to support Obama or you are against your own race....I thought it was about who is best for OUR country...
And we all know that is Hillary
The Clinton Campaign Machine at work again!  I do not buy this at all.  If the Super Delegate is the reliant steadfast capable strong hand we need because they can stay above the fray, how can this be an issue?  It wasn't until the Clinton's started loosing.

They are calling in all sorts of debts to make this claim.  No one is calling them Judas or Uncle Tom's over this.  No one is labeling them "Sell-Outs" except the Clinton campaign.  

The delegates should vote the way the electorate decide, not their conscience or political obligations.  If things were going Clinton's way this would not be an issue.

Anything to cause dissention.
The arrogant tone of the Obama "supporters" is beyond belief. I really believe these so called Obama "supporters" are not my fellow dems. Dems are just not that nasty.

I support Hillary Clinton because she's the most qualified, most electable candidate in the race. Her credentials are unmatched.

Sen. Obama is simply not qualified to be President and will prove to be unelectable. As the long overdue scrutiny begins, Obama is proving to be less than truthful, Obama is telling Ohio voters he's against NAFTA while assuring Canada he doesn't really mean it, he's just pandering to the Ohio voters. Obama's relationships with criminals in Chicago like Rezko who is going on trial today in Chicago on Federal charges raises serious questions about Obama. Obama's 20 year relationship with his "mentor" the "pastor" of his church in Chicago is an avowed anti-semitic, anti-white, pro-Louis Farakaan, true promoter of black supremecy. This relationship raises serious questions about the judgment and character of Obama.  As we learn more about Obama who has a free pass from the media, his negatives will rise and he will prove to be unelectable.

**VOTE SMART!  **VOTE HILLARY!!**
TX Super Delegate, Obama, his supporters and people who post here like to use HOPE and CHANGE in the same sentence while IMHO being negative at the same time. So, I HOPE you will CHANGE your mind.
Congresswoman Tubbs, thank you for demonstrating what integrity is by standing up against the bullying tactics of the Obama campaign; making threats against black Congressmen and denying Florida and Michigan their votes is not change we can believe in.  It's the same old crap.

Obama can't "close the deal" because there are enough of us out there who know his campaign of "change" is a sham.

Stay in the race Hillary.  You're not hurting the party.
I am sick of the media trying to create DIVISIONS just
before elections.  THE Obama campaign is 100% DIVERSE,
That's the point. That's the reality.  And THAT's why
they are winning.  CHANGE is understood by ALL races.

YES WE CAN!  OBAMA 08.
I am a sixty-five year old african-american woman. Tubbs-Jones, to me, is an embarrassing caricature of other african-american women. It would have been far better if she had kept her opinions to herself since her public statements do little for those of us who know how much sacrifice has been endured.
Being an African American Superdelegate is a very tough situation to be in to say the least. Imagine having a deep inner belief that directly contradicts the belief of the overwhelming majority of people you were elected to represent.  I believe that we have the right of our opinions and beliefs.  However, each of these Superdelegates must understand the possible ramifications of their decisions.  Aren't elected officials supposed to represent the will of their constituencies? One thing I know for sure.  If they do hold their positions there will be a changing of the guard in the Congressional Black Caucus.  Maybe it's time for that to change as well.
She has the right to her opinion and her constituents have the right to make sure this is her last term.
I prefer Obama over Clinton if it comes down to it, but I completely agree with Ms. Stephanie Tubbs Jones.  Say it like it is!
Thanks Super Delegate form Texas. Not just this site but across the board HRC supporters certainly don't want to get the message that we are trying to unite not divide. I hope your colleagues follow your lead. Obama'08
if there was pressure on white superdelegats from states and districts clinton won to back her all you obamaniacs would be screaming racism
Yes, yes, Rep. Jones. And sometimes you ought to just keep your mouth shut.

I believe the reason that so many in the black power structure object to Senator Obama's candidacy is that if he wins it will prove that a qualified black person can get ahead in the USA.

And,in spite of all the appeals to black voters to walk away from their greatest opportunity to prove it, hopefully many will not be bamboozled by out of touch black political "leaders" who may find that they will have to make some changes in their approach to government when he wins!.



 LOOK WHO IS CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK. IT HAS BEEN OBAMA SUPPORTERS WHO HAVE BEEN DIVISIVE AND OUTRIGHT RUDE. OBAMA HAS SAID HE CAN 'UNITE'. WELL ON THE CONTRARY HE HAS DIVIDED THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. AS A CONSTIUENT IN ILLINOIS, I AM TIRED OF WAITING FOR 'CHANGE' FROM OBAMA. OBAMA HAS NOT MADE GOOD ON HIS PROMISES. ASK THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN TONY REZKO'S SLUM APARTMENTS. ASK THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE SHOOTINGS EVERYDAY IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT OBAMA CLAIMS HE WORKED. ASK THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF SEX OFFENDERS WHO WERE RELEASED EARLY FROM PRISON BECAUSE OBAMA VOTED TO GIVE THEM EARLY RELEASE IF THEY ARE SATISFIED WITH OBAMA AS THEIR SENATOR.
Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones is unwise for saying anything until her constituents have spoken. Sounds like she is another politician that blindly threw her support to the Clinton's, hoping for future political gain. She will be sorry when her contituents vote her out next term.
To Jane and the other people who wanna use the analogy of 'a knock-out punch or blow'. Either the referee "super-delegates" or the fighter's corner "supproters" will usually stop the fight when the fighter "Hillary" will receive anymore unecessary damage. So they will stil be able to fight another day.
If her opinion is so misguided, how is it that Barack Obama feels the need to "donate" well over 3 times the campaign contributions to the superdelegates than Hillary Clinton?  And how is it that many of the 'undecided' superdelegates are relating stories of strong arm tactics attributed not to the Clinton campaign, but the Obama campaign, including charges of being "Uncle Tom"
Just who is it that is playing the race card here?
Seems to me Obama has dealt a knockout blow to Hilliary, the old goat refuses to go way. He's leading everyway possible without having to cheat as some does.Will someone please define experience to me, because if that's what it took for Bush to take us into the wrong warn then we don't need anyone with the experience everyone keeps hollering about. better yet let me ask this, does Bush have experience?
Ms. Tubbs is one of Hillary's most ardent supporters. And if anyone has had the displeasure to see any of her appearances on TV in support of her candidate, she represents - for me - EXACTLY why I will not or cannot support Senator Clinton. This is not about Gender. I would have no problem voting for a woman candidate if it was someone I could look up to and be proud of. Where is her EXPERIENCE coming from?? Where are her ACTUAL accomplishments?? I am sad to say this is NOT the woman I want running our White House. This is about integrity, honesty, morals and who I want representing me. Why is it all right for Senator Clinton and her surrogates to inject gender/age issues into this race?? It makes me sad and a little disheartened towards all those so called feminists of NOW. Are you listening to yourselves?




SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=724231

First Read e-mail alerts


Sign up for First Read alerts
The first place for key political news and analysis

Syndicate This Site

Add First Read to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google