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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



Obama takes superdelegate lead

Posted: Monday, May 12, 2008 12:19 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Barack Obama has overtaken Hillary Clinton in the NBC NEWS superdelegate count with the endorsement of Hawaii's Dolly Strazar. This is his second of the day and puts him now officially over the top, 277-276.5.

Obama has now picked up 21 superdelegates since last Tuesday's contests in North Carolina and Indiana. Clinton has picked up 1.5

The NBC NEWS delegate counts:
PLEDGED: Obama 1,590, Clinton 1,426
SUPERS: Obama 277, Clinton 276.5
TOTAL: Obama 1,867, Clinton 1,702.5

*** UPDATE *** Another super to announce
Idaho Democratic Party Chairman Keith Roark, currently uncommitted, will endorse a presidential candidate at a press conference in Boise at about 2 p.m. ET, the state party confirms. The party was mum on who he’d endorse, but at least one Idaho blog’s speculation is he’d be for Obama. Obama won the state’s caucus overwhelmingly, 80%-17%. Obama netted 12 delegates in the state, which the Obama campaign famously touted as a larger gain than Clinton got out of New Jersey. Clinton netted 11 out of the Garden State.

 

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Comments

What's the racial breakdown of voters in Idaho?  Doesn't Hillary Clinton really mean she only wins racist voters who barely finished high school?

That's not exactly the base I'd like making decisions for the nation.
Why do people hate Hillary so much? I mean you people act like she invaded another country and dragged us in a no win war or she is making money from Halliburton. I mean if she loses then so be it. I would rather have Hillary as president any day over Barack Obama. And yes I am black.
Hilary needs to pull her head out of her "pants suit" and give it up!

GO OBAMA!
I love Obama, He is going to be the best President that the U.S. has had.  We need a change.
Go Obama. Alabama loves you!
patty,sd,ca

I just wanted to say that I think it is sad that you are so spiteful as to support McCain because Clinton lost.  

The best thing about Star Wars is that it has a lot of good solid wisdom

"Only Sith deal in absolutes"

Thank you for being self-interested enough to let your sadness for Hillary not being the nominee transpire into voting for a man who will continue down the path that led you to supporting Hillary in the first place.

Maybe this won't get posted but I would like to let you know that you are pathetic.
Never trust the Clintons,she must be workin hard to come up wid sth smart.
Clinton never surrenders.Rocky 4 real
Hilary needs to pull her head out of her "pants suit" and give it up!

GO OBAMA!
NO Hillary VP Pleassssssssssse. upstate NY 4 Obama
I would have voted for Hillary over McCain had she been able to win the nomination.  But, I just hate her tactics in this primary campaign.  She has been nasty and has been spinning and twisting this thing to death still trying to convince people that she should be the nominee when everyone knows she can't win.  She has shown that she is selfish, greedy, and that she has absolutely no class.  I look forward to that press conference where she has to face the music, admit defeat, and suffere the humiliation of having to then campaign for Obama.  We will see if she has the cojones and the dignity to do it.
I am an Obama supporter....like Barack said over the weekend, he tries not to let things get into his head, meaning we should not gloat.  He is setting the example and we should follow it.  Otherwise, I am thrilled that he is finally getting the respect he deserves from all the Superdelegates.
Funny how the super delegates are doing what the "new one in politics who is campaigning as the man who is for CHANGE has been doing what ALL poliyians do go after the big boys!!! What a joke,turns out he's also "one of the Boys" as far as politics go. He was quite vocal about the delegates not voting until the voters had their chance-just can't wait until june 3rd. I'm glad some of the delegates are waiting like they should until June-let the people VOTE(no caucus!!)
He's showing more and more that he is like ALL politians!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zUdjhKbImwE

Please watch this video
This is awesome! Let see if we can't finish this by the end of the day and focus on November, like we should've been doing since McCain won.
Obama supporters:  Time to bring the Clinton folks in.  Take it easy on them.  They have worked hard and need to recover and then fire up again for Obama.  Take the lead from Obama on this.
Means, doesn't it, that Hillary needs 322.5 out of the remaining 456.5 remaining uncommitted pledged and unpledged delegates (70%), while Obama needs only 158 (35%), a handful fewer than half as many, and leads by 164.5. With 74 percent of delegates in, Obama is 92% of the way to 2,025, while Clinton is only 84% there. Not figuring in Michigan and Florida, of course, or the popular vote from Puerto Rico, where no one can vote for President in the November election.  But not even the jokers and wild cards can help. It's time for Senator Clinton to exit with the dignity of bringing her most loyal supporters into the fall campaign with Senator Obama as the nominee.  That would be change I can believe in from the Clintons.  
Obama will be the next President! It's about time we will have someone in the White House who has some sense because WHAT we have there now certainly hasn't. He is so incompetent that he will probably flunk out in a dance contest! That's all he does is dance around every chance he gets! Bush has the short-man complex!! Poor thing!
There is a much bigger fight in the Democratic Party than which way the delegates vote.
Can the leader in delegates beat John McCain, that is the REAL QUESITION/

The Black Votes could care less; they just want Obama to win, simply because he is Black.

If you are going to have Super Delegates, then I would have to assume  that you have given them the power to elect the person most likely to win the Office.

If they are not going to do that, then get rid of them.

If John McCain wins the Office, then the whole Party has totally screwed up!
Geez, I feel sorry for people like Patty in SD, California. It must hurt to be that damn stupid. Here we are stuck in Iraq, with our military bogged down in a stupid war that creates more terrorists than it defeats. We are seen by the global community as a nation that violates its own laws and tortures its enemies. The economy is in a recession and we've got a housing foreclosure crisis in which thousands of people are losing their homes. Gas is almost $4 a gallon, and the Earth's climate is steadily warming as a result of our own misguided dependence on fossil fuels, and all she can worry about is how much a politician loves his country?

News Flash, Patty! Sen. Obama loves America just as much as Sen. McCain, or you or I or anyone else, but that is not the point. The point is that the U.S. has some serious problems now, and we need to find a way to come together and unite behind common-sense policies that change the direction we have been headed as a superpower, or everything really will fall apart beyond our ability to ever repair it. That will mean reaching across the aisle and building coalitions with conservatives, liberals, Democrats, and Republicans (just as Obama did in the Illinois state senate) to focus on practical solutions. The old labels don't matter anymore, and we need a leader who appeals to our "better angels" and desire to hope and work for a better future rather than someone who plays on our fears instead.
Obama supporters are under estimating the people who can't stand Obama, his wife, and more importantly, his supporters and as a result, Obama will pay in November and there isn't a dam thing you or any of the Obama supporters can do about it.
Bam! (Sent Monday, May 12, 2008 12:28 PM)

Yawn.  Heard the same thing for months now, saying Obama would never get the nomination after Super Tuesday, then Ohio/Tx, then Penn, then this, then that.  Now it's he won't win the general.

Sorry if I don't believe in your wonderfully accurate future telling skills.  
i think the people are tired of the old polotics of hanety and rush with thier twisted truths and out right lies.we will allways have some people out there that dont know any better,but with the media reporting every day its fast becomming a thing of the past and those who keep talking in ways to try and devide us will soon be a thing of the past ( i hope )
WHAT HAPPENED TO REV. WRIGHT?  WHERE IS THE BODY BURIED?  BOY, WE HAVE SELECTIVE REASONING!
we Hillary supporters will not supported Obama we do not believe in hate,we believe in united
patric palm beach (Sent Monday, May 12, 2008 12:30 PM)

Huh?  United?

Do you mean you are going to UNITE behind the party and vote democrat 08??!!!  You know it is about the Supreme Court.  
The Clintons camp is always making and breaking the rules, now they are saying that obama needs 2209 delegates instead of the 2025 delagates needed to win.  Just like Michagan and Florida always breaking the rules.  lets be reasonable and stop been so Ignorant.
Such caustic remarks that appear in the readers comments. Obviously not a lot of class amongst the political supporters.
I'm dismayed that the superdelegates are doing this to obtain party unity.  They are obviously not thinking about the November election. Obama is the most liberal person in the senate.  I'm sure Ohio, PA, WVA, TX, IN will never get on that train.  McCain is looking better all the time.  It's a shame the democrats are doing it to themselves again. Can't put up a candidate that will win.  Hillary all the way!
I am 70 years old me and all of my friends are for Obama the seniors who are not filthy rich and Bush fans will be voting for Obama.
by by Hillary. Hello president Obama.
Will, NYC:

Don't forget Kiki McLean-she can be official smirker.  

The country has gone to hell, thanks to the likes of the present administration.  How much more can we sink - go ahead and vote for Obama and let's see! ALL politicians will say what they know the VOTERS want to hear, they are all alike and as far Obama being all for change, don't count on it folks.  Remember, it's all about what WE WANT TO HEAR! God Bless America
Well if Obama wins the nomination hopefully Hillary runs as an Independent.
Oh YeaH!!!!  Good Bye, Hillary and Bill Clinton.  This is great news.  McCain is next!
I may be wrong, but based on the large blue states that she has won -
If….

a) all the elected house members voted as their district did,

b) Senators voted as their state did,

c) Non-elected supers voted as their state did

She would be ahead in supers - enough to win the nomination. No one in the media is doing that math…to afraid to go there???
I am afraid I will be voting against my party in November. McCain will get my vote. Obama is as arrogant as George W. Bush!
Pssst.  Patty is a die hard Obabma supporter....she just likes to talk smack to get people goin.

Pass it on!
Heaven help this country if either Osama.. oops, Obama or Mccain become president. The American people are stupid and blind. With any luck an assasins bullet will take either of them out if elected. Sorry that's just how I feel folks...
I don't like either Clinton or Obama or McCain but I can say with confidence that Mr. Obama, if the nominee, will not win in November... G U A R A N T E E D!!!
I LOVE THE FACT THAT HE HAS THE LEAD BUT I STILL THINK OF IT LIKE THIS THEY NEED TO PAIR TOGETHER OR PICK THE WHITE WOMAN FROM KANSAS OR JUST GET ON THE TICKET TOGETHER LIKE A MARRIAGE SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW SOMETHING WHITE SOMETHING BLUE .BECUASE IF HE DONT PICK HER AS A RUNNING MATE THEY WILL SET HIM UP

--------


To those of you who still think a joint ticket is possible, I feel you are wrong. There are only two things that could possibly cause a Clinton to take a number two spot: either the Clintons have a hitman targeting the number one, or the Clintons have knowledge of an assassination plot on the number one.

Likewise, after the clashes between them over the last year and a bit, there are only two things that could possibly cause Obama to select Clinton as his running mate: He has a hitman after her, or he has knowledge of an assassination plot on her. These would merely be more dramatic ways to get the VP he wants.

In other words: It won't happen.


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1.WVa, Ky and southern Ohio can leave the union and set up a new country.
2. Hilary Clinton can be named president, Bill Clinton can be named VP, Lanny Davis can be named AG, James Carville can be named Sec. of State and Wesley Clark can form a new army.
3. All those hard working whites can live in bliss forever.
4. You can move there and become "patty, potlick, ky".
5. The rest of us can go about changing this country under Barack's leadership!

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Sounds like an awesome movie, we should figure out a way to bring Abe back from the dead so he can twice witness the rise and downfall of a breakoff country.


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we Hillary supporters will not supported Obama we do not believe in hate,we believe in united

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Way to be a democrat, way to unite behind the party!


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Soooooooooooooo!!!  Does not impress me.  Just another misguided delegate.  Those delegates could go down in defeat in November.  Think about it.


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Based on that last statement I'm not sure you have the ability to think. How can you tell someone else to?

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At this point I am ready for a bush 3rd term.At least we know John McCain loves this country. The USA doesn't need a radicals like the Obamas.

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When you get sent to Iraq and explode, we'll see how much you truly like John McCain.


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