Reactions to story from Top of the Ticket : Sneak Peek: Jon Stewart actually presses John McCain on a topic : Los Angeles Times

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    Feinstein: 'Negative dividends' of contest

    http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2008/05...
    12 days ago in Chicago Tribune- The Swamp · Authority: 1,227

    Feinstein: 'Negative dividends' of contest Posted May 8, 2008 8:00 AM by Don Frederick Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was an early and stout supporter of Hillary Clinton's presidential bid. Might Feinstein's latest comments be a harbinger of the

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    Feinstein: 'Negative dividends' of contest

    http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/05/f...
    12 days ago in The Swamp · Authority: 2,199

    Feinstein: 'Negative dividends' of contest Posted May 8, 2008 8:00 AM by Don Frederick Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was an early and stout supporter of Hillary Clinton's presidential bid. Might Feinstein's latest comments be a harbinger of the feedback Clinton now can expect from many backers for whom politics is a full-time occupation? The Los Angeles Times' Janet Hook trolled Capitol Hill for assessments from various Democratic lawmakers on the state of their party's presidential race and reports that Feinstein signaled that, at the least, Clinton needs to provide a renewed rationale for remaining a candidate. "I have great fondness and great respect for Sen. Clinton, and I'm very loyal to her," Feinstein said. "That said, I'd like to talk with her and get her view on the rest of the race and what the strategy is" for proceeding. The question, Feinstein continued, is whether Clinton "can get the delegates that she needs." She added, perhaps most ominously for Clinton: "I think the race is reaching the point now where there are negative dividends from it, in terms of strife within the party." Feinstein said she placed a call to Clinton the other day, and expects to talk to her soon about the campaign. Don Frederick writes for Top of the Ticket, the L.A. Times political blog. Photo of Dianne Feinstein, AP.

  • Author unknown

    The Vice Presidential Gambit

    http://www.metaobama.com/2008/05/vice-presidential-gambit.ht...
    12 days ago in Barack Obama News and Analysis · Authority: 1

    Many are questioning what Clinton wants out of this process. The math alone makes Obama the inevitable nominee. The Superdelegates are switching their Presidential preference or at least questioning it. So what is her exit strategy? Nobody knows for sure. She may want help retiring her campaign debt, input on policy issues, or a role in picking Vice President. But these rewards are simply too small for her. She wants the ability to force herself onto the ticket as the candidate for Vice President. This ability, whether exercised or not, allows her not to request things of Obama, but to demand them. Refuse them, and Obama has a running mate not of his own choosing. How does this work? The fact that Obama is rapidly closing in on the 2,025 delegate votes necessary to clinch the nomination does not mean that he can command those same delegates to vote for his Vice Presidential choice. Obama has a lead of about 168 elected delegates. The initial flood of superdelegates to Clinton, the pained stories of superdelegates suffering the anger of the Clintonites, all of the superdelegates who feel they have debts to the Clintons add up to a huge number of delegates seeking redemption from the Clintons even as they pledge to vote for Obama as the better, and inevitable, nominee. Redemption could easily be offered in exchange for a vote for Clinton as Vice President -- even over Obama's objections. Even the pledged delegates might seek to heal wounds or form a "dream ticket" by putting Clinton in as Vice President despite Obama's objections. Certainly the superdelegates would be motivated to mitigate the Clintons' wrath. Assuming an even split in the preference of superdelegates (not who they will vote for, but who they wished would win -- a very different question), and assuming the 168 elected delegate gap remains, only 85 Obama delegates need to vote for Clinton for Vice President in order to put her on the ballot. By staying in until the bitter end, Clinton cannot win the Presidential nod -- but she can, and intends to, close the gap further in a way that strengthens her the Vice Presidential gambit. This would be a horrible outcome. Barack Obama needs the ability to pick his own running mate. It would be unprecedented in modern times to deny a nominee his Vice Presidential pick. I am hopeful that delegates will honor history and reason in giving Obama his Vice Presidential pick. But forcing herself into the Vice President slot is very much within the reach of Clinton, and becomes closer with every delegate she picks up. The question is whether her ego forces her to flout tradition and reason in this way.