UPDATE: New Hampshire Edwards pledged delegates come over to Obama, State Sen. Peter Burling (D-Cornish) and Hanover activist Deborah Bacon-Nelson made the announcement this morning at Lebanon High School, where Bacon-Nelson is a teacher.
I love to repeat this but expect Obama to gain 40 delegates from the three remaining contests in MT, SD and PR. Also over the next two weekends 6 Add-On superdelegates areselected in GA(2), WY(1), AK(1), HI(1), ME(1), states that Obama won by large margins.This would put him at 2015 on June 3rd without anymore superdelegate endorsements. By June 15th there are 20 more Add-On superdelegates will be chosen, (Ky, MN, PA, TX, VT, MS, MT, WI, ID, VA, WV, WA), where it is expected that Obama should pick up a minimum of 14. Naturally this would put Obama well over the top.
Now this is as strange as the entire Clinton campaign strategy as running as an incumbent where CNN is now reporting more details on the Hillary effort to negotiate into the VP slot. CNN is reporting now as Clinton insiders and close friends are actively floating three possible scenarios which they believe will influence whether or how the two teams merge. Several close friends and supporters of Hillary Clinton tell CNN they are pushing for a "graceful exit strategy" that would allow the Clinton and Obama camps to come together, and for the New York senator to save face should she fail to become the nominee. The discussions are not taking place between the campaigns, but rather among informal campaign advisers on both sides who are trying to actively influence and shape the debate as the competition nears a close June 3.
- The first scenario is if Obama ignores Clinton and her supporters and makes the vice presidential offer to someone else where on insider stated: "This would be a total dismissal of her and totally unacceptable. This could mean open civil war within the party," another said. "A rupture in the party. If he doesn't offer at all, you've got a breakdown. A real resentment there."Another source said it would not mean Clinton would refuse to campaign for Obama. But she would do so the way Bill Clinton campaigned for Al Gore, which the source characterized as "aloof." Another source said it would affect the willingness of some women's groups to raise money for Obama.
- The second scenario they foresee is for Obama to publicly offer Clinton the vice-presidential spot, with the understanding she would turn it down. But several Clinton friends say "the problem is the two sides do not trust each other" to follow through on this.
- The third scenario they envision would be trying to get both the candidates to sit down face-to-face and work out an agreement suitable to both parties. Some Clinton insiders say some points to consider would be how to help pay off the Clinton campaign debt — roughly $30 million — or whether he would offer support for a possible Clinton effort to become Senate majority leader.
- Clinton insiders say Hillary Clinton is aware that some of her supporters are pushing for her to get an offer to join the ticket, but they say she has not thought about whether she wants the VP slot, because she's still campaigning for the top job.
- There is a real split in the Clinton camp as to whether Clinton should even accept an offer to join the ticket, if it were to ever materialize.
Also a typical Clinton sublime twist is that they are now accusing the Obama campaign for leaking the story. (GOSH I recall the last leak accusation where Clinton accused Obama of leaking the NAFTA-Canada thing----but then it was found out to be a Clinton black bag job.) And then there is now the pronounced effort by Diane Feinstein (a big Hillary supporter) teaming up with Bill Clinton shamelessly demanding Clinton to be on the ballot.
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