Clinton’s backers beg delegates’ patience

Democratic power brokers who back Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are urging superdelegates to stay uncommitted until the last contest in June, saying that by then they will be in a position to put the former first lady over the top.

This is the argument that Mrs. Clinton’s most prominent superdelegates, the party VIPs who likely will break a looming nominating impasse at the end of the primary process, are pitching to fellow superdelegates who remain uncommitted.

Their message: There are eight more contests to go and nearly 500 more pledged delegates at stake, and we can still win this one, so keep your powder dry.

The Clinton campaign’s strategy stands in sharp contrast to the “declare now” pitch from the camp of Sen. Barack Obama, who has been racking up superdelegates at a faster clip in the past few weeks, arguing that a longer nominating race helps presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain.

“I would hope after Indiana and North Carolina Tuesday she would have a very good night and that the superdelegates would say, ‘We are not going to do anything until June,’ ” said former Democratic National Committee chairman Steve Grossman, a superdelegate who supports Mrs. Clinton and veteran party insider who is close to former President Bill Clinton.

“Right now, it’s a split decision and too close to call. It’s essentially a dead heat. Roughly 30 million votes have been cast, and there’s almost no distance between them,” Mr. Grossman said in an interview.

Mr. Obama, a freshman Illinois senator, has a 139-delegate lead over Mrs. Clinton in the race for the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. But Clinton strategists say she will cut into his lead over the remaining contests.

Under the proportional delegate system that determines how delegates are apportioned in the party’s primaries, the New York senator could add another 250 or more delegates to her current total. That would put her roughly within 175 votes of the needed 2,025, which her supporters are hoping will come from the 285 uncommitted superdelegates and possibly from some of the committed superdelegates who can be talked into switching to her if Mr. Obama shows weakness.

Notably, Mr. Grossman and other Clinton supporters do not see her moving ahead of Mr. Obama in delegates when the contests are over. But they say she will move closer and be able to show more broad-based support among white, working-class voters, that they say will persuade the superdelegates.

“I think that when this is over, Obama will still have a lead in pledged delegates because of the party’s proportional system. But I suggest she will narrow the gap, and she will win the popular vote, and she will be able to demonstrate after June 3 that she is the best candidate to put up against John McCain,” Mr. Grossman said.

“The uncommitted superdelegates would be the ones to put her over the top,” he said.

But the Obama camp is encouraging superdelegates to declare support now, saying it’s time for the party to unite around a nominee.

Former Democratic National Committee chairman Joe Andrews, a superdelegate who switched from Mrs. Clinton to Mr. Obama last week, said he did so “because a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue this process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists John McCain.”

“The reality is, we are six months out from Election Day, and Senator McCain has been allowed to shoot uncontested lay-ups for the past two months while Democrats continue their vigorous campaigning,” said Allyn Brooks-LaSure of New Jersey, a member of the DNC’s convention credentials committee, which will rule on whether to seat the Florida and Michigan delegations.

“There is something to be said for leading activists, elected officials and party elders continuing to pledge their support for Senator Obama,” he said.

Story Continues →