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 Political Researcher



Obama picks up three superdelegates

Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 2:59 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The Obama campaign annoucned three superdelegates -- Jeanette Council (NC); Jerry Meek (NC) and Inola Henry (CA) -- have pledged support. AP is reporting one more, a switch from Clinton in Virginia, Jennifer McClellan. (We're working to confirm that and will update.)

The Delegate Counts:
PLEDGED: Obama 1,588-1,422
SUPERDELEGATES: Clinton 273.5-259
OVERALL: 1,847-1.695.5

* Obama is 178 from the Magic Number of 2,025.
* There are 262.5 undeclared superdelegates, including about 50 who are not yet named and will be added on at state conventions or the like.

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

Get ready . . . here they come!!

YES WE CAN!!
I hope blacks are enough to win in November.

Good Luck Democrats.

Hello Mr. McCain. I am ready to help McCain become the next President of the USA.
None of this matters. Why? Here's how a Milwaukee voter commented on the Democratic nomination: "Instead of a policy-based and a 'what we can do' campaign, it's become a campaign of the women versus the blacks. It's just not a very comfortable campaign at this point,".

Democrats need to forget the primaries, super delegates, party leaders, Michigan and Florida, and just pick another candidate.
What about McGovern's switch?
Hey, you forgot George McGovern!  Or, maybe you already allocated him.  He is another switch from Hillary.

Well, we knew it was going to start and I guess it already did.
Took long enough for today's supers to announce their support. I look forward to more joining the Democratic coalition for the white house. Can't really call it the Obama coalition any longer. We're gonna need the entire party to back our guy up. I don't want to hear he's not electable anymore. YES HE IS!
Why doesn't your delegate count tally with what the Obama Campaign have posted on their website? Isn't theirs more accurate?
How do you get half a delegate?
The water has begun to rise and the flood is beginning
Dear superdelegates -

What are you waiting for?  For Pete's sake, anyone can see this thing is over.  The math doesn't lie.  What, you got something better to do with the 30 seconds it would take to issue a memo announcing your support for a candidate.

Decide Already!!! We need to add an x-ray to the vetting process for these superdelegates.  Right now, a few spines would come in handy...
And so it begins.....
Didn't Hillary win California?
How come the California Super Delegates aren't abiding by the will of their constituency?
Why do these rules only apply to super's whoi want to support her?
Dear Fellow Americans,

Our Great-grand Nation, the United States of America
is and will face very critical and substantial
"Challenges" in coming,
months, years, and decades to come.
It is very essential that we pick out our next
President on following criteria in mind.


1. A candidate with "Vision and Mission".

2. A candidate with " Stable Character and Integrity"
.

3. A candidate with "Presidential Temperament" and  
"stable Judgment".

4. A candidate with "little "Washington" exposure"
and
"real connectedness with New Voters".

5. A candidate who "Inspires us up" rather  than
"Tears us down".

6. A candidate not based on sexism, racism, and
ageism.

In my professional and personal opinion, the only
candidate who has the above qualities and
characteristics and is also cool, calm, and collected
is Senator Obama.

As an independent registered voter since 1980. I voted
for Carter, voted for Reagan, voted for First  Bush,
and second Bush in 2000 and In the process last
interest in Washington politics as usual and I
stopped voting.Not a good idea under any circumstance
particularly at present.

This time we can not afford to stay on side lines and
let Washington stay the same.We can not afford our
Greatgreat Nation to become less than what we are  and
can be.

We need to send clear and candid message to the world
and some 24 hour partisan hateful media. These media
outlets are trying to deprive, dupe, and derail us
from getting it right this time.

They are trying there best to deny us better rather
than bitter future. { Our Greatgrand Nations people
are persistently and constantly subjected to
Psychological terrorism" without their knowledge thru
these hateful partisan media outlets.

We Americans are should not and would not to allow
them
psychologically terrorized, traumatized and silence us
this time.

I am sure that we will get it right this
time and elect Senator Obama our next President. let
us not get dragged down into racism, sexism and
ageism.

Let us remember that our Greatgrand is constituted of
family, friends,fellowships, faith, funds,foundation,
fun, and future with fairness and freedom and without
fear or favor.

We can not afford to lose any of above. Let us stand
up, be counted, save, build our Greatgrand Nation for
centuries to come and regain our world economic, and
power status back.

God Bless our Great grand Nation and its diverse
people.

Our Greatgrand nation needs present and future
stability, security, safety,sustained progress and
restoration of our due status in this perilous Global
World at the all levels.

Yours sincerely,

COL.[retd] A.M.Khajawall
Forensic Psychiatrist.
Disables American Veteran.
Las Vegas Nevada.
I still don't understand how Clinton has 1/2 of a superdelegate. How did that happen? Are there some superdelegates who only get 1/2 of a vote? And if so, why?
All supers should commit now--You're supposed to be Leaders of the Party--Act like it!  I'm from South Dakota and I don't want or need you to wait until I vote on June 3.  Let's just make this official so our hard earned donations are used effectively against McCain.
Dont' forget the FOURTH one:

"Among the supporters is Virginia's Jennifer McClellan, who used to support Clinton."

So, this last delegate essentially counts DOUBLE!

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1738222,00.html
FROM HUFFINGTON POST

A senior campaign official and Clinton confidante has told me that there will be a Democratic nominee by June 15. He could not bring himself to say the words "Hillary will drop out by June 15," but that is clearly what he meant. I kept saying, "So, Hillary will drop out by June 15," and he kept saying, "We will have a nominee by June 15." He stressed what a reasonable person Hillary is.

Everything about our conversation implied that he had already had this reality-based discussion with Hillary. He said the Clinton campaign plan is to collect as many votes and delegates as they can right through June 3, then take no more than a week or so to make their case to the superdelegates. Nothing he said indicated that he actually expected the superdelegates to move to Hillary in the week after the final election. The Clinton campaign has not lost its grip on reality. Yes, Clinton spokespersons publicly seem to be lost on gravity-free planet Clinton, but privately they know the end is near.

A couple more that I have a gut feeling are pretty much on Obama's side too...

Nancy Pelosi, NJ Rep Rush Holt, Rep Clyburn, Jimmy Carter, Sen Biden and Carper of DE, Sen Baucus, Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich (remember him??).  I'd say Donna Brazile too.  just some names off the top of my head.
When is the count going to reflect the McGovern Switch?
According to his website (barackobama.com), he's only 170 delegates away.... Not 178.

Im proud of NC for their support of Obama,Jennifer McClellan make me proud of my home state again! Keep me up to date Firstread this would mean a great deal to me and others in the great state of Virginia.

Go Obama!! 2008
since obama has been nominated why don't you guys bring back the economics section?
Drip, drip, drip...

http://thepajamapundit.com/
TIME TO END THIS DEMS

IF THE MEDIA WANTS THIS OVER YOU NEED TO REPORT CLINTON V PAUL NOW
Ouch, the switches are the toughest ones. She's had TWO defections in 1 day. And of course Andrews last week. On the flip side, Obama has not lost a single delegate to Clinton. Not one.

I find it hilariously ironic that the only thing Hillary can hold onto at this point is.... HOPE.
that distant rumbling sound is the avalanche

the SDs are going to be tripping over each other trying to cash in their good will while it still has a value

look for this to snowball quickly

thank God this tortured nomination process is almost over . . . what a relief!!!
Mr. Montanaro I believe the number is 4 thre is the Ms.Council as well. I dont know how but I had misread the Shuler thing this morning.
you cats at first read out there? did everyone leave at the same time or what? post some comments already
First Read - does this include McGovern's switch today?
I understand the Clinton camp is now pointing out that since women tend to earn less then men in the same job, she only has to get 1825 to win. So she only has to get 129.5 to win making her the front runner. Now when she adds in fl and all the delegates from Michigan. After all  she was the only one to care enough about the voters to put her name on the ballot she has this thing won hands down.
How much money did the campaigns raise in April, inquiring minds want to know.

~-~-~-~-~

No matter how anyone votes, the gay population will still be 5-10% of the population and they will be living among us as tax paying productive members of society.

No matter how anyone votes, abortion will still be available.  The goal is to make it rare by sensibly teaching prevention along with morals.  

No matter how anyone votes, prayer will still be said in school, especially before tests and sporting events.

No matter how anyone votes, the second amendment will still allow lawful gun ownership.

So this time, instead of voting against abortion and gay marriage, and for prayer and guns (those issues will never go away) -- vote for your wallet , vote for the economy, vote for the environment, vote for jobs.

Vote Democratic 2008 -- don't let the corporations and their Republican stooges win again.  
Have you guys counted Mcgovern who switched to Obama this morning?
Thank you Super D's! Time to unite this party and go after McCain!
Is this going to be a trickle here and there with the superdelegates?  I know that am all for each state having their respective primary, but the superdelegates need to start stepping up.  There is the concern that a party that is this divided won't be able to unify over the summer or even at the convention.  I am hoping that is wrong.  

I would like to see some third party groups nominate some really interesting people like Ron Paul (he's not really a Republican, but a Libertarian), Pat Bucannon (sorry I can't spell the name), and Alan Keyes among other conservatives so that convervatives actually have someone to vote for since McCain is a wannabe.
Like sand through the hourglass, so go the days of Hillary Clintons dreams to be president. "Time has ran out Hillary, nomatter how you try to spin the numbers they are what they are. So why do you not concede the inevitable and help Obama unite the democrat party against McBush
Let the games begin!!!
Come on Superdelegates only 178 to go

Obama '08
WONDERFULL...TIME FOR CHANGE AND OBAMA IS THE ONLY PERSON WILLING AND ABLE.
I am an avid Obama supporter but these comments are really disturbing.  We will not be able to come together without understanding each other and realizing that we are on the same team.  The only thing worse than a poor loser is a poor winner.  Hillary has run a very courageous race and she should be respected for what she has accomplished.  While I did not agree with how she ran her campaign, I would certainly have voted for her had she been OUR candidate against McCain.  Congrats, Senator Obama!
YES-WE-CAN !
WOOOOHOOOO...YES WE CAN ! !
OBAMA '08
Of course he's electable. To those speaking to the contrary...your rhetoric has failed. Did you like having Bush crap on your 4th amendment rights? Want more from McCain? George Washington insisted on treating prisoners of war decently. The U.S must restore its standing with the world. The neo-cons are toast. Thank God for Barack Obama!!
While you are at it, confirm KALYN FREE from Oklahoma
This was on Monday. Check TulsaWorld.com
Is George McGovern a superdelegate?  He switched his endorsement from Clinton to Obama today.
Are you counting the McGovern switch in your tally? Here's hoping that his backing isn't 1000%
Let the flow begin, the end is near and a new day is dawning.
Don't blogs get updated once in a while?
well good for him  but still its not over till its over until he gets 2025 until then she still has a chance if she losese the obama supporters need to remember that almost half of the dems are supporting her and the obama supporters need to tone down or in november they might get surprised  and there will be alot vote for mccaine and a lot stay at home  being bad winners will not help bring people togeather just  something to think about
Last night was the end of the beginning.  This is the beginning of the end.

BRING ON MCSAME!!!

Obama '08
Expect Obama to catch her this week.
It has begun.  Hurry up to the White House Hillary.  The curtains need cleaning before Obama takes office as PREIDENT of The US!


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=992182

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