Democratic insiders in Maine and throughout the country will decide the party's nominee
By BRIDGET HUBER | March 12, 2008
MEET YOUR SUPERDELEGATES: (Clockwise from the top left) Tom Allen, John Baldacci, John
Knutson, Rita Moran, Mike Michaud, and Sam Spencer. |
The King (or Queen) Makers
John Baldacci
Governor of Maine
HOW HE’LL VOTE Has endorsed Clinton, but says he may switch to preserve party unity
TIES Received $500 campaign contribution from Clinton in 2006
John Knutson
Retired insurance executive, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party
HOW HE’LL VOTE Obama
Delegate X
Will be nominated by Knutson by late March
HOW HE OR SHE WILL VOTE Is likely to share Knutson’s commitment to Obama
Marianne Stevens
Vice-chairman of Maine Democratic Party
HOW SHE’LL VOTE Obama
Rita Moran
Owner, Apple Valley Bookstore in Winthrop; Democratic National Committee member
HOW SHE’LL VOTE Will use her vote to make sure Maine’s superdelegation reflects the state’s overall vote, which sends 15 delegates for Obama and 9 for Clinton
Sam Spencer
President, Spencer Monks Development; Democratic National Committee member
HOW HE’LL VOTE Uncommitted
TIES On the White House staff for four years during Clinton presidency; current business partner is Bobby Monks, chairman of Obama’s campaign in Maine
Tom Allen
District 1 Congressman; running for Susan Collins’s Senate seat
HOW HE’LL VOTE Has said he wants the voters to decide
TIES Was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford with Bill Clinton; received a $10,000 campaign contribution from Obama in fall 2007
Mike Michaud
District 2 Congressman
HOW HE’LL VOTE Originally endorsed Edwards; has said he wants to let the people decide before committing
TIES Received $5000 campaign contributions from Clinton in 2002 and 2004 |
This is when things get ugly.As the race for the Democratic presidential nomination heads quickly into the gutter, it’s become clear that it’s a fight neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama can win, at least not at the polls.
Despite Clinton’s claims of a comeback and her crazy talk about a shared ticket with her name on top, she’s behind Obama in every measure but one. As of March 11, Obama leads, narrowly, in the popular vote — 49.4 percent to Clinton’s 47.1 percent, according to independent political site RealClearPolitics.com. He has won 29 primaries and caucuses to her 14. And, in terms of pledged delegates, which are awarded based on the results of primaries and caucuses, Obama is ahead, with 1368 to Clinton’s 1226, as of March 11, according to the Associated Press. (Polls had not closed in the Mississippi primary at press time, but Obama was expected to win big there.)
Clinton would have to win every remaining race by huge margins to get the 2025 delegates needed for the nomination. That’s not going to happen, even if Michigan and Florida manage to have their delegates' votes counted.
But it’s doubtful Obama can get to 2025 either, particularly in light of Clinton’s recent nosedive into scare tactics and negative campaigning which, God bless America, seems to be working.
The race for the nomination, a contest that has mobilized unprecedented numbers of grass-roots Democrats and drawn countless new ones into the fold, will be decided by party elites. It’s up to the superdelegates now.
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