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



Pete Stark for Obama

Posted: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:03 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: , ,

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CA Rep. Pete Stark endorsed Obama. Stark said, in part, "Obama has captured the imagination of Americans in a way we’ve not seen for decades. He’s inspired millions of young people to register to vote and join the ranks of our Democratic Party, he’s consistently opposed the war, he advocates universal health care, and he delivers a message that transcends party politics at the same time.

"I have the greatest respect for Senator Clinton and for her many years of service, but I believe the time has come to unify our party."

(Note: We are aware of the pledged delegates who have moved from Edwards to Obama -- and Jack Johnson in MD, who indicated last week he'd switch from Clinton to Obama. The numbers below reflect the official NBC News tallies and could change. At this point, NBC has not updated or changed the pledged delegate totals.)

The NBC NEWS Delegate counts:
PLEDGED: Obama 1599 to 1447
SUPERDELEGATES: Obama 292.5 to 276.5
TOTAL: Obama 1,891.5 to 1,723.5.

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Also today, TWO new Senate polls from NM and Alaska have amazing news for Democrats who lead these high-profile races: http://www.campaigndiaries.com/2008/05/senate-diary-gop-trouble-extends-to.html
This makes it something like 36 delegates for Obama to Clinton's 1.5 delegates since WV voted. The momentum seems unstoppable now, and even members of the Rules Committee are saying that MI and FL cannot help Clinton at this point.

But most importantly, yesterday Bush and McSame made it abundantly clear why we need to unify as Democrats, and they reminded us why BOTH of our candidates are in so much disagreement with McCain. We cannot let Bush, with his horrendous economic and foreign policies, serve another 4 years. And there's is no doubt that McCain is primarily concerned with starting a fight with Iran.
C'mon SD's -- it's time.  We need to spend all of our resources on the general.  McCain's comments in the last 24 hours makes it clear we're looking at another 4 years of Bush.  My grandkids deserve better!!!
Can it be that if the Clinton Campaign had not changed the metric for victory so many times, the superdelegates might have not moved the way they did?

It seems that had Hillary not changed her position on FL and MI so soon after falling behind in the count, and had Bill not made the Jesse Jackson statements, there may not have been the migration of African-Americans, or the early commitments of so many Supers?
"(Note: We are aware of the pledged delegates who have moved from Edwards to Obama -- and Jack Johnson in MD, who indicated last week he'd switch from Clinton to Obama. The numbers below reflect the official NBC News tallies and could change. At this point, NBC has not updated or changed the pledged delegate totals.)"

Okay, so whay don't you update the totals? Is Chuck waiting for Hillary's permission or is this not news worthy? I'm not even blond but...I don't get it!

Domenico,

Please adjust your delegate count to include Jack B. Johnson of Maryland, who switched from Clinton to Obama. He is a "pledged" delegate, not a super, you should be jumping all over this as it is unprescedented news, but I havent seen anything since the story broke Tuesday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202554.html?hpid=topnews
One more nail in "The Pant Suit Ladies" coffin!
Thanks for the edit on Jack Johnson.

Okay... the "popular vote must be the only metric" argument has been thrown about so often, that I need to speak up about it.

The nation's legislative government, the basis of the electoral college, is based on two principles working in harmony:

Senate
Representing the State vote, the relative equality of the individual states. Every state gets exactly two.

House of Representatives
Representing the popular vote, the relative equality of the individual person. Every state gets a proportional number based on the population in the latest census.

For these to work TOGETHER, the popular vote cannot be the only factor! A state's districts will also apportion delegates, and rightly so, based on the percentage of the whole state.

This is simply a smaller look at the electoral process, at the state level, and it has worked for many, many decades. In 1980, they added superdelegates as a "cautionary buffer", in case something went wrong.

That means for all the nay-sayers who say that the "popular vote must be the ONLY metric": It isn't, and it never will be capable of being so, until one person truly equals one vote in a "True Democracy", which means complete abolishment of the electoral college.

Good luck with that. Until then, this delegate math is the most fair and equitable measurement available to the Americans. And I would be saying this even if I were supporting someone other than Obama, as it has been made clear that nobody plans to change it anytime soon.
WOW!!!
Inspiring?
Captivating?
Hopeful?

This smells sooo much like 2000. Remember when the guy "you'd most like to have a beer with" won the White House? What is wrong with you people? How is this guy a unifier?!!? He surrounds himself with professional victims of racism. His distaste for the blue-collar worker will gut this party in Nov. I don't give a flyin crap about inspiring. I want competence. I want a proven leader. I want someone who can WIN in Nov.
Go Barack!
God Blessed America!!
Thank you SD's.
Lets get busy, we have so much work to do to clean up Bush's many disasters.
Obama '08
So heartening to see the supers getting off the fence and endorsing the best candidate for president, Barack Obama.  The sooner Barack gets into general election mode the better as he has some catching up to do in defining what a liar "NeoNazi" Bush is and how close to him "Bush Hugger" McCain is.

Go Obama 08/12!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHH

YYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEAEEEEEEAAAEEEEEEAEEEEAAAAAHHH
Hillary did insist that pledged dellies can change their little minds anytime before the convention...she just wanted them to change them in her direction...NOT!

LOL!
Thanks for the update.

By the way, I'd really like to see a completely separate end of day delegate entry that identifies all of the new delegates, both pledged (switchers) and supers.  It's been very confusing in the last week and we are very close to the end.   I trust media reports more than the ones from the respective campaigns.

Thanks for considering this request.
Its a pretty tall order to try and track all pledged Delegates prior to the Convention.  I think in past years there hasn't been much switching before the Convention (I could be wrong) and then whatever happens at the Convention is whatever happens at the Convention.  Remember almost all of the delegates stick to their pledge until after the First Vote at the convention, right?  (Maybe someone could update with a little history.).  I mean, you could make a case for delegates pledged to Edwards since he has officially pledged Obama.  You could probably switch those who have NOW declared for Obama over.  But I wouldn't sweat out the Clinton or Obama ones.  It might be hard to track the backs and forths (and truthfully I hope they stick to their pledges before the Convention).
Democrats can wait no longer.  John Bush and George McCain have declared war on America and must be defeated.  The democratic party in this country has an obligation to correct the course this failed president and his party have led us on.  Democrats together with independents and conscious republicans can and will change this country into a global leader once again.
The other night, Letterman said that Hillary's campaign is so far in debt that she is now getting her pantssuits from Goodwill.

It might seem like kicking someone when they are down, but Hillary has only herself to blame.  Her terrorist pardoning husband should sit down with her and tell her that this is over.  A few months ago she had a 100 superdelegate lead on Obama.  She is now down 16.  I don't think anyone saw that coming.

One more time, Hillary supporters.  It is not because she is a woman.  I could happily support Napolitano or Sebelius.  Hillary and her husband are just to corrupt.

Obama in 2008.  Integrity matters and the Clintons have none.

When will Bill Clinton and Jennifer Flowers endorse Obama??
When will Bill Clinton and Jennifer Flowers endorse Obama??
Is he STARK Raving MAD??
South Dakota is an appropriate place to end the primary nomination.  It was the home of George McGovern and the birth place of Hubert Humphrey.  Time to turn that page of '68 and '72.

Never give in and never give up. --- HHH
I want a proven leader. I want someone who can WIN in Nov.
                Bobbi, Eau Claire, WI
------------------------------------------------------
Have you NOT been paying attention to the campaign?
He was an unknown African American man from the midwest with a weird name. He has had to run against 3 Clintons, the Clinton machine, the Clinton name, the Clinton political hackers AND he STILL beat her in all areas, plus managed a well financed campaign and did all of this with class and dignity. If THAT doesn't show leadership, than I don't know WHAT will satisfy you.
Let us all in the Democratic party UNITE and stop all of the petty in-fighting and bickering.  Let us all put our egos on the sideline (this means you too BARACK and HILLARY). Let's do what is best for this great but conflicted country.  We should come together in PEACE!

OBAMA/CLINTON - 08
Jack Johnson switched because his county voted 79% for Obama, even though clinton won the state overall. She validated switches in the argument for actively trying to woo Obama Iowa caucus pledged delegates, she just wanted em to go her way, not Obama's way, lol. (btw, it may be somewhat taboo and until now unprescedented, but it is definitely allowed.)

Its ironic as hell. Be careful what you wish for!
Agreed, Hillary's campaign looks more and more of a goner.  She led a good fight, although not necessarily an honorable one, but then even Obama wasn't that gracious all the time, albeit more gracious than Senator Clinton.  It's well past time that she call it quits and work toward 2012 and beyond.  But just because Obama is the nominee does not mean that he gets my vote.  McCain has some things going for him, too, and I'm a lifelong Democrat.
Que bueno que la Hillary se va a rajar, aunque este Edwards anda metiendo la pata. Que buno que las millones de almas de W VA donde hay unos 4 apellidos no valio madre siempre! Viva America!

Gary E., de Roma, TX
I can't wait any longer for Barack and Hillary getting together in a big hug, i know they respect each other, once this election is finish, they'll go around together, and those hating Obama or Hillary will be ashame, now it's up to Americans to embrace that respect and follow their example...!
Did the fat lady in the pantsuit sing yet?
Pete Stark is my rep here in northern california and it's about time he got off his lazy ass and endorsed. Knowing that Hillary took the majority of the votes here means that Pete needed to show some backbone to support Obama. This move was long overdue Mr. Stark. Welcome to the new democratic party.
Thnak You Hillary, you have helped this party and this country with your campaign. Now that we have a candidate let's stop with the negative postings and rally as a unifed party to elect Barack Obama as president. To those who have ardently supported Hillary please remember it is either Barack Obama or John McCain, please vote your interests.
Its a time for unity. I think HRC has fought tremendously and I have a tremendous amount of respect for her but the GOP has moved onto the General Election and so should Democrats. Lets put the bickering aside and focus on whats important to the party and for America which is putting a Democrat in office so we can change this destructive course in American politics that we have been on for the past 8 years.

Go Obama AND Clinton!!
I'm so happy to see the party finally coming together.  George Bush's comment yesterday, and McCain's endorsement of it, should be proof enough to all democrats that regardless of whether you are a Clinton or Obama supporter, the real danger is McBush.  It's time to come together and put forth a united front.  I'd like to second what I know others have also mentioned, please fellow Obama supporters, gloating, and lambasting Clinton and her supporters is detrimental to our common purpose - it's time to reposition our sights onto a much bigger, far scarier target.  
To all of those who support Obama, please stop making all the negative comments about Hillary.  I am an Obama supporter, but would have supported Hillary in the general if she had won.  It is time the country (not just the Democrats) unify behind the one canidate that can start to bring the country out of the abyss that George Bush has put us in.  Let's stop bashing each other and get ready for the onslaught of the attack machine that will be aimed at Senator Obama.  Hillary will end her campaign soon.  She is politically savy and understands the ramifications of settling this at the convention.  So let the primary and caucus schedule play out and then unite Democrats, Independents and Republicans to vote for a Change we can Believe in instead of 3rd term of McBush.
And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
              that hold our brothers in Angola,
           In Mozambique,
           South Africa
           Sub-human bondage
           Have been toppled,
           Utterly destroyed -
           Well, everywhere is war -
           Me say war.

           War in the east,
           War in the west,
           War up north,
           War down south -
           War - war -
           Rumours of war.
           And until that day,
           The African continent
           Will not know peace,
           We Africans will fight - we find it necessary  -
           And we know we shall win
           As we are confident
           In the victory

           Of good over evil -
           Good over evil, yeah!
           Good over evil -
           Good over evil, yeah!
           Good over evil -
           Good over evil, yeah!        
Wow its unbelievable how obamabiased the CNN and MSNBC sites are.  The moderators seem to spew obamage
over everyone else at a 10:1 clip....fair and unbiased my ass.
I am hoping and praying that those HRC supporters who will vote McCain or not vote KEEP THEIR WORD.  That way, when Obama WINS (he can and will win) in November, they can pack their bags and leave this country, go jump off a bridge, slit their wrists, or whatever other SELFISH and STUPID action that they feel necessary to take.
You people don't deserve to be Americans.  You are all full of crap when you say you won't vote for Obama because you don't agree with his policies (which are pretty much the same as HRC), you don't think he's experienced enough (neither is Hillary Clinton), or you don't like his attitude (meanwhile, Hillary is tyring to change the rules in order to steal the nomination).  Most of you are: (1) clearly racially biased and are too afraid to admit it, or; (2) you're sexist and angry because a woman didn't get the Democratic nomination, or; (3) you're a complete idiot because you call Obama racist, elitist, a Muslim, an empty suit, etc. when NONE of those things are true.
Contrary to the delusional HRC campaign, Hillary is NOT winning the TRUE popular vote by ANY measure (even if you include MI & FL), she's losing in delegates, number of states won, and superdelegates.  Based on the RULES, she is losing and CANNOT win unless she STEALS the nomination.
Please show some class, dignity and patriotism and use your vote wisely.  If your candidate doesn't win the nomination, the MORALLY CORRECT thing to do is then vote for the candidate who most closely resembles your candidate.  The fact of the matter is, Barack Obama is that candidate, and deserves your support.  To do otherwise is the equivalent of burning the American flag.  You can't get around it.  REAL AMERICANS will do the right the in November.  The rest of you need to crawl back under the rock you came from.
Please, people--stop talking about Hillary's pantsuits.  I'm an Obama supporter--and also a woman.  I'm offended by the way people focus on fashion or physical attributes instead of real issues. Hillary is certainly smart enough (and attractive enough) to be president, or she wouldn't have gotten this far.  I disagree that she's riding on Bill Clinton's coattails--in some respects, he has hurt her more than helped her.  In any case, we don't need to put her down! Obama needs her support as well as her voters' support.  The Republicans have given us plenty of ammunition to work with--we don't need to waste time talking about clothing choices. UGH!

Obama '08!


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