Obama: Calls for HRC to quit premature

Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2008 10:53 AM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Obama yesterday said that Sen. Patrick Leahy's call for Clinton to leave the race was premature, declaring that Clinton had a right to stay in the race as long as she wanted.

"Yeah. I hadn't talked to Pat about it," Obama said when asked about Leahy's comments and if it was a premature move on the part of his surrogates.

"My attitude is that Sen. Clinton can run as long as she wants. Her name is on the ballot. And she is a fierce and formidable competitor, and she obviously believes that she would make the best nominee and the best opponent," he said. "I think that you know she should be able to compete and her supporters should be able to support her for as long as they are willing or able."

Obama said that the nominee should be decided upon after all the Democratic contests have been completed "some time in early June."

"At that point, we would have had contests in all 50 states and some territories. We would have tallied up the pledged delegate vote. We would have tallied up the popular vote. We would have tallied up how many states were won by who, and I think people will have more than enough information to make a decision," he said.

Obama added it was "important to pivot as quickly as possible." He called on the superdelegates to make a quick decision, so that the Democratic nominee has as much as time as possible to select a running mate and plan and prepare for the Democratic convention.

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Comments

This is refreshing to hear from Obama. I think that Hillary should stay in it until after the final primaries in June - Then the Supers should decide which candidate is the nominee.

Hillary would have NEVER afforded Obama the same courtesy. Were the situation reversed, the Clintons would have been clamoring for Obama to quit after losing 11 straight in February.

Mel (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:06 AM)

from: POLITICO
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Story behind the story: The Clinton myth

By JIM VANDEHEI & MIKE ALLEN | 3/21/08 1:32 PM EST
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One big fact has largely been lost in the recent coverage of the Democratic presidential race: Hillary Rodham Clinton has virtually no chance of winning.
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Her own campaign acknowledges there is no way that she will finish ahead in pledged delegates. That means the only way she wins is if Democratic superdelegates are ready to risk a backlash of historic proportions from the party’s most reliable constituency.
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Unless Clinton is able to at least win the primary popular vote — which also would take nothing less than an electoral miracle — and use that achievement to pressure superdelegates, she has only one scenario for victory. An African-American opponent and his backers would be told that, even though he won the contest with voters, the prize is going to someone else.
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People who think that scenario is even remotely likely are living on another planet.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…

GO OBAMA --- HILLARY GET OUT (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:14 AM)

I think the correct quote was "...best nominee and best president" (not opponent)

Greg, NYC (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:25 AM)

How gullible does he think we are? The press is reporting that his campaign advisors are whispering the 'Hillary should stop running now' party line to the public, but he is the ONLY one in his group to disagree. Puleeeez. This is strategy to continue to make him look non-partisan and squeeky clean.
Nothing else.

Margaret, Columbus, Ohio (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:29 AM)

AGAIN - A CLASSY OBAMA! Now.....please....for all of the rest us who live in the US of A - Hillary step down, and graciously support Obama.

Flint Girl (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:32 AM)

Oh were not going anywhere, until Hillary is the "nominee" for President.We will not give in, we will not give up, until she is President. "Period".

The Hilsters, we are in it to win it and win it we will. (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:43 AM)

Here is the issue, has either of them done anything so bad that if they were ahead, you would have to award it to the other person. IF they are both compelling, you pick the one ahead.

And they are both compelling, each for their own reasons

In June one will be ahead and you pick that one. The Supers are only there in case one of them is a terrible choice and neither is..............

Michael North (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:43 AM)

If Hillary has no chance of winning fairly, why does the media keep her highlighted? For instance, why are all the stories on First Read regarding the Clinton campaign? Why is Chelsea newsworthy if she does not answer media questions? If there is a double standard here, why doesn't MSNBC be the first to give Barack Obama at least a FAIR share of press?

JLM - rural Iowa (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:44 AM)

I understand why Obama has to say this but it's a pity that Clinton is planning such a nasty end-game.

The Clintons aren't stupid and can read the numbers as well as any of us. This is why their big donors are trying to bully Pelosi. This is why they are talking about a floor fight in Denver to seat Michigan and Florida. There is nothing principled about their position here - as evidenced by the Clinton's self-serving reversal on whether or not these primaries should count. They are simply trying to scare the superdelegates into over-turning the pledged delegates because otherwise the alternative is a nasty floor fight that would leave Obama to damaged to win in November.

In other words "make me the candidate in 2008 or I'll just be running against McCain in 2012".

Its sickening...

Gary, Toronto, ON (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:47 AM)

obama comment that hrc "can" stay in the race demonstartes his attitude and that of his chicago people. HRC does not need his permission or blessing to stay in the race. Turn it around and the Obama people would have softball man Mathews and Oberbama man all over saying how racist and inappropriate to tell their messiah he "can" stay in the race.

dora trujillo (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:51 AM)

Staying in is fine if she would quit trying to ruin his chances of winning when he becomes the Dem's Presidential candidate as we all know he will. It seems that her real goal is to get McCain elected so she can try again in four years.

Betsy, Houston (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:53 AM)

I believe people are missing the reason Senator Clinton remains in the race. She can afford to lose to lose (eventually) to Senator Obama. She can afford to have Senator McCain win in November. What she CANNOT afford is to have Senator Obama win in November.

If Obama is elected president, then the odds are Clinton will never be president. She wants to be president. She will do what it takes to be president. Right now, what it appears to take is to torpedo Obama's fall battle with McCain.

The driving force behind Clinton's staying in the race is to keep throwing the "kitchen sink" at Obama. Only when she feels she's done permanent damage she will withdraw ... to the tune that Obama only won because she was a woman.

The strategy is to say in December, "See, I told you he couldn't win," and to position herself as the only possible candidate in 2012. And THAT'S why she remains in a race she cannot win ... this year.

Liberal Means Open (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:59 AM)

Clinton can get out or not, as an Obama supporter my energy is going to be going towards fighting McCain and getting ready for the GE.

J, Omaha, Nebraska (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:06 PM)

James Meeks – an Illinois state senator, pastor of one of the largest churches in the state and a declared spiritual adviser for Obama – came under fire for comments rebroadcast last week calling white American mayors "slave masters" and referring to black preachers and politicians who "protect" the "white man" as "house n-ggers."

"We don't have slave masters, we got mayors," Meeks said in an August 2006 sermon broadcast on a Chicago community television channel.
Aside from his senatorial duties, Meeks is an Illinois Superdelegate pledged to Obama and also presides over Salem Baptist Church, described as the largest church in Illinois.

In 2006, Meeks informed his church during a sermon he may run for Illinois governor. He was recorded telling the mostly black congregation any "white Christian" who doesn't vote for him is a "racist."

Meeks is also notorious for his strong anti-homosexual platform, although Obama is campaigning for the "gay" vote. Meeks has routinely voted against pro-homosexual legislation and has been quoted during sermons referring to same-sex attraction "an evil sickness."

Obama told the Sun-Times that he attends Meeks' Salem Baptist Church for Wednesday night Bible study.

According to Illinois State Board of Elections records, Rezko's businesses, Rezmar Corp. and Rezko Concession, contributed to Meeks' campaign funds.

Williams Conrad (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:07 PM)

Again, Obama has taken the high road. I agree that if the roles were reversed it would never have occurred to Hillary's camp to do something like that. She'd be on all the squawkbox shows heralding victory, campaigning against McSame (while forgetting the praise she heaped on him in the campaign) and asking Obama to stop.
She is (was ?), after all, the "Inevitable" Nominee/ President.
Obama has proven again he does things differently.
Rather than preserving the politics of divisiveness, he's fighting it, attempting to bring honor back to politics.

Roy Littwin Santa Rosa, CA (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:09 PM)

It is not surprising that people are jumping off the Obama bandwagon when you consider the rude comments from his supporters. To go further, at times lately Obama supporters are not only acting against democracy they seem to think they are above it, not allowing dems in FL and MI to be heard, telling superdelegates to fall in line "with the will of the people." It doesn't seem that Sen. Kerry, Kennedy, or Gov. Richardson are following this mantra.

Roddy (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:13 PM)

"At that point, we would have had contests in all 50 states and some territories". YOU FORGOT FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN AGAIN!!!!

TOM Prole Ia (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:16 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Why would he want her to quit? Everytime she tells another blatant lie it takes the attention off of him.

twocanpete (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:17 PM)

Yes, it is true, Hillary would never have afforded the same right to Obama...she has, infact, declared that Obama would make a good VP for her as though he had lost to her. The main thing that has set me against "The Clintons" from the start is that they act as though it is their right to be elected again!
Bahhhhhhhhhh!

JC New Boston, NH (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:19 PM)

I was born in 1948. i remember lynchings, the strong an dominant KKK and wife beatings as though it was a man's right to physically abuse his mate. I am so proud of to look at from where we have come to where we are now. in some countries this could never have happened which is why we're so special and yes we have therefore so much responsibility. We can't ignore our responsibilities in this world and to abuse it is a true abuse of a scared power that is bestowed on a civilization but only limited number of times in history, when it is abused the repercussions are significant. We should be so proud of Hilary and Obama they are stand for what we shout to the world that makes us so different than anyone else. So please Hilary stand your ground make the process play itself out let us show the world that we are truly different than anyone else. I am a supporter of Obama the only thing I fear more than anything else is an assassination attempt; it would do so much harm to us, it would take us back to 1968 when Bobby and Martin was killed this is another time in our country when hope is live. Let us rejoice in it and watch it unfold and celebrate that only in our country can this happen. We are truly special. All of us each and every one of us!

Bruce (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:22 PM)

...Honestly, the longer Hillary stays in this contest the more HARM she does to herself. She should CHOOSE to drop out on her known. ...If only she made logical decisions.

I think everyone knows Hillary should quit, including poor Bill. ...But he has to sleep with the woman, so kudos to him for keeping his mouth shut.

Brien, Trivandrum, India (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:24 PM)

Lets show Obama a political miracle. Not just a win but a biggggggggg win. We can do it togeather.I am so glad Obamma gave permission.This like all his political moves was rushed and hurried a tad to much.Every political move based on lies to people put him in each position.He is so full of himself he cannt believe the world isnt waiting just for him. His pastor and Farrakhan and his wife all tell him it is .Lets show him reality. No one should be able to stop this campaign ahead of time. He drug his feet and got FL and MI out lets not let him stop the other states. We need big wins now.All these people above are against jewish,american,white,and even blacks if they dare side with Hillarynow Italian and more.This is not the unity I want.Hillary has ans. and change and unity for country here and global.

You rock Hillary!! (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:24 PM)

Nice politically correct response by Barack Obama. The reason why a lot of people were calling on Hillary Clinton to withdraw is due to the nasty campaign that she and her surrogates have engaged in. Also, complimenting McCain over a fellow Democrat is a no-no in my book. Bosnia-gate is her 'macaca' moment.
Having said all that, I am hoping that she stays a little more positive for the rest of her campaign. Drop the stupid 'kitchen sink' or 'Tonya Harding' strategies. They seem to have boomeranged on her.

Marbw (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:25 PM)

Mel, how do you know what Clinton would have done? Do you have super powers? As far as this being "refresing" to hear from Obama. BS. His surrogates are further alienating Clinton supporters and he knows it. For the pundits and politicians who say Hilary supporters will "come around" for Obama when this is settled and the one yesterday who said Hilary supporters won't vote for Barry because he's black. WRONG. The "racial" indictment is insulting. I'm ready for a black President. I actually liked Barry in the begin but something just didn't seem Wright. But, I'm not ready for a President I cannot trust. He is a liar, a fraud and a fake. We've had enough of those from both parties. We know Barry is not trustworthy going in so why put him in office?

want drama vote Obama (Sent Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:26 PM)

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