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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



Delegate update: NE super to Obama

Posted: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 5:52 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Audra Ostergard, the lone remaining Nebraska superdelegate, publicly endorsed Obama, per a campaign release. Obama now has the backing of all six Nebraska superdelegates. Today, Obama announced two superdelegates (Ostergard and OK Gov. Brad Henry) and Clinton announced one (TN Rep. John Tanner).

Clinton now holds a 263-239 superdelegate lead.
Obama leads by 133 overall: 1,729-1,596.
Obama leads by 157 in the pledged delegate count: 1,490-1,333

The Pennsylvania pledged count (updated 4/23, 6:15 pm): Clinton 82-73 (three delegates still to be allocated.)

There are 408 delegates up for grabs in the remaining nine contests.

And a new addition, some "fun" with POPULAR VOTE numbers...
Without MI/FL:
Obama: 14,447,566
Clinton: 13,965,192

With FL, but NOT MI:
Obama: 15,016,607
Clinton: 14,822,400

With MI/FL, including "uncommitted" for Obama:
Obama: 15,254,369
Clinton: 15,150,551

With MI/FL, giving Obama 0 in MI and Clinton 328,000-plus (the only metric which gives her a lead):
Clinton: 15,150,551
Obama: 15,016,607

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Comments

Who is the stronger candidate?

Who is the new kid on the block that has the established Clinton dynasty fighting for their lives?
BARACK OBAMA

How is he doing it?
Playing by the rules of the game.

American's are waaaaaay underestimating the strenght of this American.

Obama 08
I've been wondering what makes a woman so relentless in her quest, against all odds, far beyond just being a fighter and into an obsessive desperate attempt as if without it her oxygen will be cut off.

It came to me. Her husband took what should have been terrific years - first lady of a state and then the nation - and turned it into a tawdry sideshow of his/their sex life. It wasn't a vast rightwing consipiracy, it was the corner porn shop. I can't imagine a more humiliating experience. And so public.

Yet here they still are, and now her fortunes are rising while he's relegated to backyard incendiary remarks. If she's president she becomes an historic figure while he's a footnote, notable only for his impeachment.

Could it be the ultimate revenge? Could it be her deep rage at her husband's chronic infidelity that drives her, not passion for the American people? How else to explain her inability to face the truth about delegate counts, just as she seems to avoid the truth about the definition of marriage.

And to Clinton supporters I would remind them: do you really want that circus again? The behavior that left Al Gore in a bind by not being able to run on the Clinton administration successes? And a country so exhausted from it all that Bush and his fake morality looked good?

Think about it. The Clinton years came with a very high cost. She doesn't have experience, she has a very thick skin and a white hot rage at the injustice of it all.
Hillary Clinton is no different from George W. Bush, who won by dividing the nation. The Clinton camp has been very successful at painting Obama as the "dark" candidate, interjecting race at every turn of this primary season. In some ways I wish that Obama supporters were has hateful and irrational as Clinton supporters are. Irrational, because despite the state of nationwide depression that eight years of Bush and a Republican led leadership has reaped upon the United States, huge numbers of Clinton supporters are willing to vote of McCain instead of Obama, for no other reason than "because its Obama". I am beginning to regret switching to the Democratic Party. Clinton is doing everything possible to divide this electorate, which is just plain sad and unfortunate. It is clear to me that Clinton has played every card in the deck...the race card, the gender card, the working-class card, etc. And, it appears to be having an impact. The Clinton camp knows exactly what it is doing and I for one cannot stand to think of ANOTHER Clinton Administration. I guess Americans are NOT ready for change, because if Clinton supporters truly believe that change will come with Hillary Clinton, then they are the delusional ones!
Enough with the popular vote nonsense.  Do you know what a campaign based on popular vote would look like?  It'd be 6 months of candidates hanging around Brooklyn coffee shops.  Chuck, sit down with a cold beer and some Thomas Jefferson, and you'll soon see how utterly ridiculous HRC's popular vote contortions are.  Come on, buddy, you're the numbers guy, but you can also be the substance guy.
Thank you for your "fun with popular vote" numbers -- it does put it partially into perspective, but I wish you would also include some representative number for the record numbers of people who caucused.  It is appalling that the caucus states are routinely dismissed by Senator Clinton as meaningless and worse when the media fails to tell us that the overall popular vote numbers ridiculously underrepresent the caucus states.


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