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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 Political Researcher



Wyoming governor backs Obama

Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 12:15 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: , ,

From NBC's Mark Murray
The AP is reporting -- and First Read has confirmed -- that Wyoming Gov.

Dave Freudenthal, a Dem superdelegate, is endorsing Obama.

That brings our superdelegate count to Clinton 255, Obama 222.

Overall, with pledged delegates added, it's now Obama 1,638, Clinton 1,507.

*** UPDATE *** Since March 4, Obama has picked up 11 superdelegates to Clinton's one.

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Will Freudenthal now be trashed by Clinton supporters, as the first 221 were... or are even Clinton supporters suffering Clinton fatigue?
Here is the best part.  If you are going to hold Obama accountable on Pastor Wright, and call it a “JUDGMENT ISSUE,” then you had better hold Hillary accountable for Bill Clinton, and call it a judgement issue!  That’s right! Yes—I am going there!

Bill Clinton has abused Hillary in front of the whole nation with several scandals that would make the best wife–leave!  Let’s look at Hillary’s judgment concerning–Bill! What is her message to all women? That it is ok for their men to have--“affairs?” Is this her message?  You would think that she would have better "JUDGEMENT" than to stick with this guy. This is a very fair comparison concerning "JUDGMENT"
and one that is very close and personal: even more so than a person's selection of a church!  

In fact, I think we should run to the superdelagates to tell them how this could hurt Hillary’s ELECT ABILITY; because the Republicans will use this as Hillary’s bad JUDGMENT, concerning Bill’s affairs, and many other prior "Clintonian" issues.

Obama, you are too kind and good!  Good Luck
I am an Obama supporter and I agree that the super delegates should vote according to their conscience and based on who is more electable in November. They should not blindly vote based on who wins most pledged delegates.

The reason we have Primary elections is to determine electability in November so guess what, Obama is proving that he is electable, which he has done against Ms. Clinton who was the presumptive nominee up until January. Hillary is the one who is unelectable. She couldn’t even win the primaries, how can she win the General Elections. Besides she has the highest disapproval rating of any candidate. 45% of the electorate will never vote for HRC. So she only has a 55% electorate to work with. Both Obama and McCain have disapproval ratings of 26% and 27% respectively. Go figure who is more electable.

Democratic nomination was Hillary's to lose and she is losing it. How can anyone argue that she is more electable in Nov when she screwed up the primaries. It takes strategy and smarts to win elections... different strategies for primaries and general elections. Hillary has failed in the first test, and is now asking us to trust us with a bigger test in November. Obama is a once in a life time candidate who is winning against odds. And those of you who are calling him racist, you really belong in the other party, please vote for McCain whoever the democratic nominee is. I am an Obama supporter but will vote for Clinton, if she is our nominee.
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Are there enough people in Wyoming to even warrant a Super Delegate?
and the hits keep coming-----For Hillary LOL
Thank you to Governor Freudenthal and the people of Wyoming!

Obama '08!
woohoo!!
Yes We Can!!!
Obama '08
Have you noticed that every time Hillary goes negative...like trying to use the Wright controversy to sway superdelegates...that another superdelegate declares for Obama? At this rate, he'll have most of the superdelegates by the time of the Pennsylvania primary!
Tick....Tick...Tick. Time's running out Hillary supporters. Your house of cards is starting to crumble.
Wyoming Governor Freudenthal is a whack job. No real damage done here. He's one of those many superdelegate underachievers.
By betrayal of the Democratic Party, Hillary's slash and burn campaign tactics are also a betrayal of the very issue positions she claims to advance and which the Party nominee is needed to secure.
How many of Hillary's supers endorsed her before Super Tuesday?  How many have endorsed her since then?  Can't stop the bleeding.  The money has dried up.  All thats left to salvage is her already tarnished legacy.  The Queen is dead.  All hail the King.
Add that to the new PPP poll out of Pennsylvania which shows Obama leading Clinton 45% to 43% and it looks like this race may be coming to a close.  One interesting bit of information regarding the PPP poll.  The survey sample of the PPP poll was approx. 1228 people (which makes the margin of error 2.8%).  Larger sample sizes are generally more accurate.  I understand that this is only a snapshot but this same poll had Clinton up 56% to 30% two weeks ago.
Chu Chuu Chuuuu ... the Train is coming ... Full Steam ahead !

Billary .. it's time to get an exit strategy .. it's time to say goodbye .. it's time to endorse THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES .... Sen Barack Obama !
Sweet!!!!
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'...keep those endorosements coming!
Obama '08
Regardless of what you think about what type of person the Gov'na is, HE IS STILL A SUPERDELEGATE.  Score one for Obama
YES!  Open the spigot, it's starting . . .
Full Moon,

Whatever you have to say to make yourself feel better (sore loser)
Freudenthal was appointed as US Attorney in Wyoming by Former President Bill Clinton in 1994. So if he is a whack job we see who appointed him. And obviously Freudenthal is another Judas according to Carvelle. Obviously by this endorsement Freudenthal has been  able to shake off the effects of being a Clinton appointed whack job and has gained some common sense.    
Well that's a beautiful thing.  The dam is starting to break and the flood is underway.  A super-delegate a day before the Penn Primary will show how Obama can and will win the nomination before July 1.  People will be super suprised when they see that Obama either marginally wins or barely loses the Penn. Primary.

Also Breaking News: Public Policy Polling has for the first time revealed "Obama overtakes Clinton in PA" 45 -43% http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Penn_Release_040208_1.pdf Released today 4/2/08.  This polling company has been better at forecasting due to taking in account trendencies of all the newly signed up electorate.
I think we are going to start to see the slow rolling out of other Obama superdelegates.  

He is going to bring the out one or two at a time to reinforce the "time to go" rhetoric.

I agree that Hillary does deserve to continue campaigning and stay as long as she wishes, BUT be mindful that her tactics are going to have potential affects for the general.  If she is perceived as costing the Democrats the White House in November the Clinton family name will be significantly tarnished in Democratic Party circles.  Something to consider.
Here, we see a simple law of politics.

Obama attracts moderates and independents that are sick and tired of party politics and constant fighting and mudslinging.

Obama overwhelmingly wins the independent vote.  In general election match ups, he wins more independent votes than McCain.  The opposite is true for Clinton.

A basic fact about politics, very simple, clear-cut, and straight forward, yet not talked about enough over the past few months.  Democrats-, Republicans- alone are not enough to win an election.  You MUST win indepedents.  Obama wins them.  Clinton does not.
Every state obama wins doesn't matter. Every superdelegate he gets is an "underachiever." Hillary Clinton wins 100% of the things that "actually matter."

There, premptive response of the hillary camp.
I guess the Gov of Wyoming Dave Freudenthal was not SCARED by the elected boggieman Harold Icky.Hill your SD count hasn't moved in weeks and most commited before the race started(job hunters).The polls are closing in PA,some have Obama ahead and the clock is running,but keep sending out your race=baiting supporters its working well for us.   OBAMA08
Wonder what all these superdelegates know about "the Clintons" that we don't . . . maybe we'll find out on April 15th.
It is obvious what the superdelegates are doing. Most have probably talked and have agreed to this strategy. Rather then endorsing Obama in mass at one time so they don't offend the Clintons too badly as well as all those females only voting for Hillary solely based on her gender, they are coming out for Obama slowly, one at a time, to lighten the blow and to allow Hillary a little breathing room until after the PA and North Carolina primaries. Then the flood gates will open for those superdelegates left to make their move.    
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The Washington Post Fact Checker section catches BO in another example of him embellishing his and his family's history:

Addressing civil rights activists in Selma, Ala., a year ago, Sen. Barack Obama traced his "very existence" to the generosity of the Kennedy family, which he said paid for his Kenyan father to travel to America on a student scholarship and thus meet his Kansan mother.

The Camelot connection has become part of the mythology surrounding Obama's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. After Caroline Kennedy endorsed his candidacy in January, Newsweek commentator Jonathan Alter reported that she had been struck by the extraordinary way in which "history replays itself" and by how "two generations of two families -- separated by distance, culture and wealth -- can intersect in strange and wonderful ways."

It is a touching story -- but the key details are either untrue or grossly oversimplified.
Contrary to Obama's claims in speeches in January at American University and in Selma last year, the Kennedy family did not provide the funding for a September 1959 airlift of 81 Kenyan students to the United States that included Obama's father. According to historical records and interviews with participants, the Kennedys were first approached for support for the program nearly a year later, in July 1960. The family responded with a $100,000 donation, most of which went to pay for a second airlift in September 1960.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton acknowledged yesterday that the senator from Illinois had erred in crediting the Kennedy family with a role in his father's arrival in the United States. He said the Kennedy involvement in the Kenya student program apparently "started 48 years ago, not 49 years ago as Obama has mistakenly suggested in the past."
The Super Delegates know that Obama will lead us to VICTORY
He'll increase our majorities in the House and Senate

Crooked little Hillary will crash and burn

Obama is ahead of Hillary by 13% in PLEDGED DELEGATES
He seems to be having a very good primary season
Typical Clinton response, to paraphrase Full Moon, "What he's not voting for us? He must be crazy! He's not worth having." Yet somehow the DNC gave 223 lunatics super-powers.

FR, You never cover us, but the entire Northwest is Obama country.
Drip, drip, drip.  This will indeed be a long defeat for Hillary.  Where are those tax returns, donor list, and earmarks?  We haven't forgotten even though you hoped that we would.
Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 12:19 PM)

He may be trashed by Clinton supporters but remember, he is a Democratic governor in what is probably the reddest state per capita in the Union. His choice of Obama is a no brainier for him considering Wyoming's political calculus.
I have said it before and I will say it again. Recently deceased "True Red" GOP voters will claw their way out of their graves and drag their decomposing corpses to their precincts in order to vote AGAINST Hillary. That is political reality in the West.

A Wyoming Native recently transplanted to Montana.
 These foolish Super's are giving Obama the nomination. If they would just wait his campaign would implode over Pastor Wright. his numbers are holding steady because of these RECENT endorsments.
 Now we get an unelectable nominee. They could have waited till convention then supported Fla. and Mich. reseat as a matter of principal. Then Fla. and Mich. give Hillary the nomination. It would take them off the hook of doing the dirty deed that needs to be done.Hillary isn't perfect but she is better than McBush!
Hmm....Dean is down in Florida crafting a deal to seat Florida delegates as Obama is upping his take among the Supers, 2 today alone! (Hamilton of Indiana)

Settle Florida and Michigan...give Hillary a slight advantage and make it up w/Supers! GREAT IDEA! If she won't agree, make it public, make it look like it IS...That her concern is NOT that the delegations get seated BUT that they benefit HER, that SHE is standing in the way of settlement. Takes away her gripe about the delegations being not seated and Obama still gets to stay ahead...Hillary got played at her own game! I LOVE IT!
A Drip is still a Leak!!!  Pretty soon it will be a flood!!!  Her use of Rev Wright with Superdelegates will be her undoing all over the place. He, Rev Wright, has the support of Whites, priests, ministers and even the Chrisitan Science Monitor. They published a story, "Did Rev Wright preach Hate?" They state that he was preaching the Golden Rule. She just seems to alienate people where ever she goes (???)

Does she not realize that practicing Christians are not going to disown Rev Wright. Even her former pastor supported Rev Wright!!!
Who cares.  Wyoming doesn't count.

Insincerely,

Hillary Clinton
There is a reason Hillary has more superdelegates committed to her: the majority of superdelegates were appointed in the 80's and 90's and are Clinton cronies (Rendell, Ickes, Geraldine Ferraro, Richardson, etc.). They committed to Hillary long before Obama came on the scene, though many of them (like Richardson), are now switching to Obama (This makes the Clintons furious).  
 
We don't need no "Clinton!"

That's because most people in Wyoming are about ten times as tough as everybody else.

Wyoming for Obama
I am sorry to tell you Obama suppoters. Hillary will not release her tax returns. She will come up with more lies until she has to drop out of the race.

If they release their tax return to the public one of them will go to jail. Mark my words.
csh, IL / please, if that's the worst you can dig up on obama he should be considered for sainthood, wonder why bill and hillary won't release those financial documents? I believe we all know the answer to that one. face it the clintons have led a life of corruption, greed and dishonesty, people know the facts and are going to reject hillary, not everyone is a blind sexist, just a few
Wyoming Governor Freudenthal is a whack job. No real damage done here. He's one of those many superdelegate underachievers.
Full Moon (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 12:24 PM)

Typical HRC suppter, just spin it anywy you can, it will not work.


Go Obama '08
LOVE the update! "Since March 4, Obama has picked up 11 delegates to Hillary's 1". Kind of says it all, now, doesn't it?
Hey all the Obama people CALM DOWN.  Obama doesn't get closer than 10 points in Pennsylvania.  She owns the machine and you can bet there will be numerous polling places that run out of ballots and other things like Ohio.  Don't play the expectations game, all he has to do is hold serve. Hillary is unbeatable in Pennsylvania, its a party machine state like Ohio and the machine has almost all come down on her side.  Don't let them hype us up and then claim a comeback for Hillary like in Texas & Ohio.  

p.s.  They probably won't post this like 40 of my last posts, but I'm sure the nut jobs will make it.
CSH dont be bitter you know it's not to late to join a winning team.Instead of chanting No We Cant you only have to change one word , and believe it to be real and it will.  YES  WE CAN       YES WE CAN
Dont feel it yet .Try it a little louder YES WE CAN.
Now if you haven't chased away most of your friends like The Clintons have try it with a group of people it really sounds great ,Whats that I hear sounds like YES WE CAN  YES WE CAN.
Funny saw his press release and the reason he chose Obama was because he was impressed with the big crowds......Typical Obama supporter....nothing to do with policy or issues....this thing is starting to sound like highschool...the popular kid versus the nerdy kid.
I think it's getting to the point that the more she barks at the super delegates with that "I'm more electable... so therefore, you have to give me the nomination" diatribe, the more they're just seeing that as her "misspeaking" again.


Paladine - I like your enthusiasm, but Obama only picked up one SD today.  Hamilton,  while well-respected, is not a superdelegate.  He used to be, but he is a retired, not current congressman.  It's still a great endorsement for Obama though!
Another positive step in the right direction for the Obama campaign and its supporters. Nice.

This reminds me of the Tortise and the Hare fable. The Hare (Clinton) running as fast as they can to win the race they were so sure there was no way to lose, while the Tortise (Obama) takes his time to cover the same ground as the Hare to meet the same objective but at a calmer pace. We all knew who one that race too don't we?
Full Moon (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 12:24 PM)

Governor Freudenthal A wack job?  The good Republican People of Wyoming might disagree with you. He Governs at their consent.
There are more Antelope in Wyoming than there are people and there are fewer Democrats than there are endangered Black Footed Ferrets. What this signals is that Dave Freudenthal is elected by a very conservative republican majority and "Western Democratic" minority. Dave is interested in his re-election and so he will base his decision on what will please his "coalition constituency"
Obama is utterly unelectable. Look at the big swing state polls....Hillary beats McCain in all of them, while Obama is beaten by McCain or beats him by a 2point margin.  And the reason?  Obama loses the white vote to McCain.....why??? Because of Rev. Wright and Obama's support to him


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