Team Clinton is planning on attempting to win this election via Superdelegates, and her team is upset at and turning up the heat on Howard Dean to seat the delegates for Michigan and Florida, according to a fundraiser who attended a pow-wow with Clinton and her campaign management team yesterday, as reported by TPM.
The fundraisers...persistently questioned Hillary advisers about what could be done about Florida and Michigan. There was a pronounced sense at the meetings that Howard Dean needs to do more to resolve the situations in those states. "There was very much a sense that people want Dean to do more," the fundraiser says.
They are realizing that they cannot catch up in primary delegates, but they intend to put their full force behind attracting the Superdelegates.
Fundraisers were given a presentation on Florida by Senator Bill Nelson, and one on Michigan by Senator Debbie Stabenow, and senior Hillary adviser Harold Ickes walked listeners through the challenges ahead. The presentations had a tone of optimism tempered by realism, the fundraiser said, adding that Ickes didn't try to persuade his listeners that she would be able to catch up with Obama in pledged delegates.
Rather, the clear message emerging from the presentations was that Hillary's success depends on the campaign's ability to persuade the super-delegates that they should be considering three "data points," as this fundraiser puts it, in considering whom to back: The pledged delegate count, the popular vote, and the specific states won by each candidate
The good news is that I think that her case is weak if you look at Markos' analysis from yesterday. I don't think she'll have more delegates, or more popular votes, or more "Big States" where she is favored, unless the ground falls out on Obama a la Spitzer, which I doubt....
I don't know what it's going to take for them to give up the ghost on this, but I think it'll take a combination of pressure from the likes of Al Gore and Jimmy Carter and other party leaders, and some Clinton campaign controversy that could pop up that takes her down a few notches, and no I don't think Ferraro's blathering on will qualify, unfortunately...Plus, I actually think the SuperDelegates are not likely to overturn the popular vote, which Obama is likely to maintain lead through the convention even if he loses Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
I am hopeful that there have been many party leaders, including Dean and Pelosi, who say that the nomination will be decided before the Convention. But my question to them is... WHEN???? and HOW??? There is a lot of time between now and Pennsylvania. Are you waiting for something to just happen? Are we going all the way to Puerto Rico in June?
So what's the plan, Howard? Nancy? Team Obama?