Let it go to the credentials committee. Isn't that their job, anyway? Right now Hillary's ahead if you count MI and Fla. and Obama's ahead (popular vote) if you don't. The credentials committee needs to decide if Fla. and MI get any of their delegates seated, anyway.

jeff: popular vote isn't what matters. it's delegates. if it were popular vote, no state in the USA would hold a caucus - caucuses only report delegates (which actually count according to the present rules). they would all hold primaries.

these rules are decades old, and that's how the campaigns organized their strategies from the very start. can't change them now. and for god's sake you can't count her votes in michigan, where he wasn't even on the ballot.

Governor Richardson has shown true leadership by endorsing Barack Obama in the early stages. I am grateful for the superdelegates who recognize Barack Obama's ability to renew and refresh the Democratic Party across the nation. As a delegate for Obama in Alaska, a state that gave 74% of the primary vote to Obama, I see what Obama can do for red states and the nation--that is energize new voters, attract Independent voters, and reenergize Democratic voters. Over 50% of the voters in our local caucus were newly registered voters and/or newly registered Democratic voters.

Here in Chicago I witnessed the rise and fall of Obama.

About 6 months ago, I polled my friends and I found out they were either for Obama or at least considering him. (On the fence between Obama and Hillary).

We are all white suburban guys and gals who grew up in Chicago. A lot of us coming from mixed neighborhoods. Some of us have 2 year degrees from going to local tech schools.

We know Chicago, we know the politics, we have had everyone from Al Capone to our last govenor George Ryan who is in a jail cell as I write this. Our current Govoner's name keeps coming up in the Rezko trial. I have a feeling he may be going to jail too.

When I got my first sppeding ticket 30 years ago, I got it fixed because...this is Chicago. So when I hear Obama got a sweet deal from Rezko on his house and the land next door I thought of the old saying, it's not what you know, it's who you know.

So, when my ticket got fixed, the guy who fixed it got money, the judge got money, my charge was dismissed. We all got something.

With Rezko and Obama...Obama got a reduced price on his house. Rezko didn't make money on the deal because he sold it for less then what he paid, and his wife had to take a loan to buy the extra land that they sold. Since the Rezko's didn't make a cash profit, I guess there would be a favor that would be owed.

That's what is exchanged in Chicago if not money. Favors can come in the form of jobs, permits, raises, dropping charges, extra garbage cans. It's been like this for as long as I can remember.

So when we see on the news about Rezko, Wrght, Ayers, 5 killed in Chicago in one house, govoners going to jail, gang violennce, murder, guns...It's just another news day. But when one of our own Chicago people try to break out and run for president and we know he is tied to the Chicago machine and gets caught then he is to dumb to be president. You see Mayor Daley is smart, he is part of the machine and has never been tied to anything, his father was Mayor and never tied to anything.

Obama, so young and so publicly tied in to this stuff now. He isn't smart.
He's not really from Chicago, he's an outsider, he thought he could play the big man's game, the Chicago game but, he got busted. You see, you DO have to know who to hang around with and who not to hang with or you commit politicial suicide and that's what Obama did.

So when I polled my friends recently and they said Hillary or McCain, I knew that I had witnessed the rise and fall of Obama!!

But caveman, what do delegates mean if you can't clinch? Neither of them can do that. So it's all going to come down to the superdelegates. The supers aren't bound to make their choice based on caucuses, primary votes, delegates or the popular vote.

This system has only existed for two decades (1982 it was revised to create more superdelegates).

We both know there won't be new elections in Florida and MI so the committee will have to make its decision based on the existing ones. You can't penalize Hillary for wanting to give those voters a voice by getting on the ballot.

Because of Howard's waffling this thing will come down to what happens with the Florida and Michigan votes.

Caveman: As far as the Super Delgates are concerned, elected delegates don't matter - it is the judgement of the super delegate to determine who has the best chance to win in November. The whole purpose of the super delegate was to insure that a 'McGovern' type wouldn't be nominated. If the super delegate's judgement isn't trusted, then why even have them - just so that some of the gray beards can watch the ballons and confetti come down?

This is really an interesting rift in the democratic party. The more centrist blue collar portion of the party is sick of the snotty wine and cheese far left liberal wing. Clinton is the champion of the former, and Obama the latter. I hope this dem primary goes all the way to Denver without being resolved. I think McCain can pick up a substantial portion of the socially conservative blue collar types that supported Hillary, after she eventually loses. Only the idiots of the DNC could find a way to blow an election when most of the country is angry with the GOP.

There is no prize for having the highest number of "pledged deligates" or "winning the most states" or "winning the popular vote". The only job the super deligates have is to nominate the "most electable" candidate. Hillary is clearly the "only" electable candidate.

caveman: Please remember that it was Obama and his "good judgement" that removed his name from the MI ballot. It was not required or reccomended and the only reason he removed his name was because he knew Hillary would win the state and "Hoped" he would be able to whine "But my name was not even on the MI ballot" at this point. Unlike the majority of voters, Obama knew this issue would likely go to the credentials committee and needed a plan, so he removed his name from the ballot. It was a better plan for him than leaving his name on because he would have lost and would still lose in MI......he took his best shot.

At this point I fear he would hurt the ticket even as VP. He should accept the VP slot before he loses in NC. With republicans playing the Wright story commercials there may be an upset in NC despite the 50% black registered dems. If that happens......he may not even be able to be VP. There are problems when you choose as he did to play the race card against people like Bill Clinton and Ms Ferraro.......they are both people that have done nothing but help all poor groups in all races.

Obama is stupid. Stuck on stupid he hasn't carried a real win in last 7 primaries since the Wright thing came out.
Obama has a paper thin resume and no foreign relations credentials. His claim to fame is Dickie Durbin his inventor and Emil Jones his friend. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

I am particularly surprised that the Democrats are allowing themselves to be taken in by the Clintons. Hilary Clinton is not sincere. She has some sinister undercurrent about her that is easy to see if one, for once, dares to objectively assess her. America has a huge opportunity to recreate herself in Obama; an Obama presidency would reconcile America to the International Community, and make a plea for her honesty and forthrightness. You need to go to Asia, Africa and even Middle East to see the supports he has there. The world is continuously getting more and more volatile and only the finer aspects of human personality can heal it. Obama is tailor-made for this era, this epoch, this historical moment. America should see this and I urge the super-delegates to ignore every suggestion that Obama is unqualified. Yes, he is pretty new on the turf, yes he is Black, yes he may not have a lot of experience, but he is supremely intelligent, charismatic, dogged and imbued with the princely qualities and demeanor that typifies a president. The evidence is there for all to see; he stands above the petty insinuations that Hilary Clinton tries hard (despite the danger to her party) to haul at him.