Two more Edwards delegates for Obama
Posted: Friday, May 23, 2008 3:07 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
NBC NEWS confirms two more Edwards pledged delegates have pledged to vote for Obama. So far, 12 Edwards pledged delegates have said they will vote for Obama, since Edwards endorsed Obama last Wednesday.
New Hampshire State Sen. Peter Hoe Burling tells NBC NEWS he and Deborah Bacon-Nelson have decided after talking with friends, family and constituents to go Obama "in large part because Obama's willing to not just consider but embrace the kind of fundamental change the country needs to go through. He gets it," Burling said. He added that Edwards' passion in his endorsement for Obama also played a part. (PolitickerNH first reported their endorsements this morning after they announced their intention at Lebanon High School in New Hampshire.)
Burling called Clinton an equally "superb" candidate, but said he believes Obama has the best chance to win in a general election against McCain. He said he "didn't buy" Clinton's latest electability argument, that she's better suited to win the key swing states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida. He called polls showing that just a "snapshot."
The NBC NEWS Delegate Counts:
PLEDGED: Obama 1,647 to 1,502
SUPERDELEGATES: Obama 309.5 to 281.5
EDWARDS PL. DELEGATES: Obama 12 to 0
TOTAL: Obama 1,968.5 to 1,783.5
* Obama is 57.5 delegates from the 2,026 required.
He went on to draw an effusive comparison of Obama, saying, "Obama's an almost Lincoln-esque figure," Burling said. "He comes to us at a time when the country is badly torn and needs to be brought together. He has the mind and the heart to do it."
Burling also noted that he thinks Obama has a good chance to win New Hampshire, because of the economy and the war, despite the Granite State's affection for McCain's maverick style. "John McCain has not yet been touched by the press," Burling said. "He will be, and he must be. John McCain in my view, comes to New Hampshire, which I would say, is ferociously ready for change. What he offers is four more years of George W. Bush. ... What New Hampshire is going to ask, is how many more of our now middle-aged men and women have to die."
Burling added he is not urging that Obama put Clinton on the ticket, saying it's not for him to decide. "I'm convinced they'll figure out how to put together the best possible ticket."
He does hope, however, that the next attorney general will be John Edwards.
Obama has also picked up three more superdelegates today, including one switch from Clinton. They are: California congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza (the switch) and Oregon DNC member Jenny Greenleaf.
