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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



Clinton picks up AR super

Posted: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 9:52 AM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Clinton
has picked up the support of Arkansas superdelegate Mark Wilcox.
"Land Commissioner Mark Wilcox, who was selected last month as the Arkansas Democratic Party's last remaining superdelegate to the national convention, said Monday he's supporting the New York senator," the AP reports. "Wilcox says the only way he'd change his mind is if Clinton drops out of the race before the convention this summer.

"Wilcox's support gives Clinton 11 of the state's 12 superdelegates, members of Congress and other party leaders who are not selected in primaries and caucuses."

Clinton holds a 256-225 superdelegate lead over Obama. In the overall count, Obama leads by 133 (1,641 to 1,508). He has a 164 pledged-delegate lead (1,416 to 1,252).

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So.
What does that make the count since super Tuesday?  -4 for Hillary?
GO HILLARY !!! - Gee - MSNBC reporting a superdelegate for Senator Clinton - what none for obama today?  Stop all the pro-obama   trash-Clinton - please treat ALL the candidates with respect and report FAIRLY on ALL. Also - CORRECT the story
The mother/baby did both die, she was asked for $100 and did have to change hospitals - PER THE AUNT!
You really need to check your FACTS before you print a story that is false on a US Senator - Shame on you!
When are you going to report on the add-on SD's that Obama picked up over the weekend from North Dakota, DC, Missouri and Delaware?  The actual difference in SD's is about 24 or 25, not 31.
Yeah for Arkansas, pretty lop-sided there, huh?

Woman for Obama (and proud of my state, CT, lopsided for Obama :) )
The last super selected--they had to add one for Clinton.  Sympathy vote--poor Hillary.
Land Commisioner? Sounds fitting that he would endorse her possibly because they made land dealings like the Watergate or whatever in Ark. while she was a state politician there... I won't be surprised if this land commissioner turns out to be a corrupt land dealer.
You GO GIRL!! Show them at the senate hearings!  Barack can sit in the back and listen!
Well hillary's not down and out there are supers still swilling to back her.

I think that the momentums still with Obama though- if he does well in Pennsylvania either winning - not such a long shot by the polls - or closing the gap to single figures - around 5 - then and Clinton's SD support will Haemorrhage.

Clinton has a big hill to climb.
It's Arkansas people......what did you expect? She was the First Lady there. No big surprise here. Probably owes Bill something, too! (Best we don't know)
Chuck,

Nice that you decided to report Clinton's add-on Superdelegate.  What about Obama's 5 add-on Superdelegates that he recieved over the weekend.  When will you report on those?
You can put your finger over the faucet all you want Billary, but the drips will continue....


drip, drip, drip...
hey, molly. relax!  there's a reason why msnbc hasn't been reporting super d pick ups for clinton.  that is, clinton hasn't gained many (in fact, she's lost more than she has gained).  what do you expect msnbc to do, make up false stories about clinton picking up supers??  if that's the sort of reporting you're looking for, head over to fox and they'll hook you up with some feel good for the delusional.
WOW!  She got another Super from Bubba's home state.  That's surprising (sarcasm)
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Maybe they served in combat together, anybody heard?
Hillary Clinton's ENTIRE superdelegate lead of 31 superdelegates is based on the 10 delegate margin she has in her home state #1 (Arkansas) and her 40 delegate lead in her home state #2 (New York).  Other than that, she'd be losing on every metric except the new one they'll announce tomorrow.
Chuck, what appeal does "you go girl" have? Is she still a girl? Or, does that acknowledge her childish deeds, given that she cannot properly manage her campaign? Or, is it an affirmation that regardless of any scandal of any scale, she is still a girl -- a favorite of America?
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.
Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows --- for the third time in four days ---  Barack Obama with a double digit lead in the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. … Obama now attracts 51% of the vote while Hillary Clinton earns 40%. That’s the lowest total ever recorded for Clinton since the contest became a two-person race. …..
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Obama’s support has now been at or above 50% for four straight days…. Prior to this stretch, he had reached the 50% level just once in more than a year of daily tracking polls …. Obama’s gains appear to be more than just statistical noise and actually reflect a modest shift in the campaign nationally…. Still, given the nature of this campaign, it remains to be seen whether or not Obama can retain his newfound lead. Daily tracking results are updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
===================================================
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Obama Gains on Clinton in Pennsylvania
by Katharine Jose  |  April 8, 2008
.
Hillary Clinton’s lead over Barack Obama is narrowing in Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows. She leads 50 – 44, compared to 50-41 in a poll released less than a week ago (the margin of error 2.7 is percent). …
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Obama has gained among black voters, white voters, men and voters under the age of 45, as well as among voters who rank the economy (49 – 45, from 53 – 39) as the most important issue facing the nation. He leads among voters who say the same about Iraq (51 – 44).

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Go Hillary keep it up You are on your way!!!!
This is a surprise that Clinton picks up a super delegate from Arkansas?  How should we be surprised over this?  I would be surprised if she didn't pick up all of the super delegates from Arkansas and New York.  They are considered "home states" for her.  
ooooo, *ONE* superdelegate from *Arkansas*?!  Dayum!  Barack better throw in the towel!

(Even Mondale won his own home state.)
ofcourse arkansas bill home town so no big deal to me
You Hill supporters are in such denial !!!
Obama will never get elected president of the United states.The is no way in hell that this country will elect a black preident.After Michelle Obama stated that  i sure would not want her as a first LADY.Obama is lying when he says he is proud to be american.If he is why doesnt he get rid of the word AFRICAN in front of his name.He is not from Africa.If he claims so then he is not elgible to vot.Teddy Roosevelt has said to be a true American you shall have no name before you.
Since neither of them is likely to get the number of delegates required before the convention and there will be fierce lobbying and back-room deals cut at the convention, wanna guess who will win out? Obama with no experience or the snake of known quantity. And btw.....Obama has demonstrated an inability to win the big and crucial states. Just the opinions of a long-time Republican watching with some amusement.
That sit in the back Obama comment is tasteless @ Natalie.

A delegate in Arkansas is really nothing to be wowed over. As stated here already, she was the first lady there.
Not to support her with 10 of 12 in his party would have been political suicide.  This is nothing to celebrate.  This is peer-pressure on a level that you couldn't imagine.  

I appluad him for having the courage to hold out this long.  

His decision was actually a [win-win] and a perfect illustration of when to "Support it, but hope it doesn't pass"  

Perfect play from Hillary's handbook on the being an "Expert Politician"
At least the superdelegates that are supporting Hillary can THINK FOR THEMSELVES and make up THEIR OWN MINDS, unlike the superdelegates that are supporting Obama.

The superdelegates that are supporting Obama are doing so because their CHILDREN are telling them to.

The superdelegates that are supporting Obama are obviously totally incapable of deciding for themselves who is the most electable candidate, and instead are relying on their CHILDREN to decide for them.  

Their CHILDREN who don't have the experience, wisdom based on experience, or the maturity to make this type of all important decision, are telling their mommy's and daddy's what to do and these superdelegates are doing what they're being told.

At least Hillary Clinton supporters have enough brains, sense, wisdom, experience, and maturity to

THINK FOR THEMSELVES.
We're WITH YOU, Hillary!!  Stand your ground and don't let them knock you down, especially MSNBC.
Keep up the good work Hillary, we need YOU in the White House.   LM KY
I'm glad to see some more supers making their endorsements.  I wish they'd all say their minds.  

That said, I'd like to know about all of the delegates.
Did the count change as a result of District caucuses???  If not, that's fine, but would you please state that for us?  

I did not hear about five add ons over the weekend . . . I'd like to know about those.
Poor Chris Matthews he had a whole show almost dedicated to the the story of the girl with no Hospital Insurance and how Hillary needs to start getting her facts straight, guess he will have to retract his sarcasm. And does he seriously not understand why Hillary will not appear on Hardball with him or is he just acting stupid. He needs to take a lesson fromhis colleague Joe Scrborough and stop being so bias, his show is the worse MSNBC has to offer.
Unfortunately for Hillary, she can win nothing but a Pyrrhic victory at this point.  If she somehow managed to convince the SDs to overturn the will of the people, she'll have burned her bridges with at least a quarter of the party, and that could well be enough to lose states like CA in the general.  That leaves Obama the obvious candidate to replace McCain in 2012.  The negatives for Clinton are just too high, and that really describes the best outcome she can hope for.  Worse (for her), if she loses rather than bows out to Obama, she'll be ruined for presidential politics permanently, and will give up the possibility of repairing her image between now and 2012/2016 and trying to run again.  The outcomes are just all quite unfortunate for her at this point, unless she bows out to win the gratitude of the Obama voters.  But does she have the stomach to face her big money donors and say: if you want a future with me, we have to consider this race a lost investment, and focus on a win a few years down the line?  I doubt she has that kind of spine.
THINK FOR YOURSELF,
Wisdom, experience and maturity have provided a government that the younger generation of Americans have no hope for. We CHILDREN have the most invested in America's future and we dispair over a government spiraling out of control, reducing rights, providing America's corporations with an open door for job exportation, and plundering social security. We see in Obama the hope and courage to bring about governemnt that we want for our future and our CHILDREN's future What we see in Hillary is someone who speeks about change, but whose very campain exhibits the traits of old Washington, whose campain has borrowed fear tactics right from George Bush's playbook. The choice isn't between a woman and a black man, the choice is between old Washington or a Washington that works towards a future that we CHILDREN want for America.
I think about Obama's loyalty to America is funny, I am a mixed race person (Irish and Black) and I find it offensive that whenever a black person celebrates their heritage then there is a problem but I dont remember anyone questioning any other heritage celebration like St. Patrick's Day (myself included), or heritage celebrations that are in every local community. Tons of AMERICANS refer to themselves as Italian AMERICANS, Polish AMERICANS, Irish AMERICANS, so any person who brings up the fact that Obama calls him self African AMERICAN is a joke.I think the person who brings race into to this election is a moron who needs to realize there is only one color that matters in this world and its not black or white its green. Those who have it and those who dont. Wake up and maybe we can make some changes in this country so that All AMERICANS dont have to pay $4 for a gallon of gas or wall by dozens of foreclosed homes in our neighborhoods.
Cheap shot artists abound here.

Play on.
It does seem funny that many of the Obama supers are taking political advice from their children/grandchildren... makes me question their wisdom and judgement.


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