ABC is reporting some big news: "Obama Now Takes The Lead in Superdelegates Too".
...For the first time this campaign season, Barack Obama has surpassed Hillary Clinton's support among superdelegates, according to the ABC News delegate estimate.Sen. Obama, D-Ill., picked up two superdelegates this morning giving him a new metric to tout in addition to his current commanding leads in pledged delegates, popular votes, states won, and money raised.
Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., switched his endorsement from Clinton to Obama and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., endorsed Obama. DeFazio was previously uncommitted.
With these endorsements, Obama has the support of 267 superdelegates and Clinton has 265 superdelegates.
Great news! Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports, "With numerous prominent Democrats believed to be waiting in the wings to endorse his candidacy, Obama appears poised to win the pledged delegates and superdelegates he will need to claim the Democratic nomination as early as May 20, when Kentucky and Oregon vote." And yesterday, "Obama was mobbed by well-wishers as he walked onto the House floor."
In short, whether the Clinton campaign admits it or not, Democrats now have their nominee -- Barack Obama. And from what I've been reading and hearing, the Obama campaign is already transitioning rapidly into general election mode, with some exciting plans afoot -- one of which was presented yesterday to Virginia bloggers (but about which I've been sworn to secrecy, for now, except to say that something really cool is coming soon!). Hopefully, the Republicans won't know what hit 'em, both this year and also in 2009.
I hope I can get involved with whatever they are planning.
Read the descriptions of his visit to the House floor yesterday. Wolf Blitzer's description and photo of him on CNN's political ticker. Obama is suddenly wearing the mantle.
It has a degree of luminescence that not every nominee wears. John Kerry never had this. Al Gore didn't quite have it in 2000. Bill Clinton had it in '92.
I remember when Bill Clinton clinched the nomination in 1992 he was passing through Charlottesville for a night and I waited in the lobby of the Omni hotel for 3 hours to get a glimpse of him. I was 14 years old and the place was packed and overflowing, spilling out on to the sidewalk. Just to get a look at him and maybe have a slight chance of shaking the man's hand. The energy was tremendous.
It was before my time, but from what I've heard and read, Jack Kennedy had that kind of magnetic aura once he'd gotten the nomination.
Anyway, Obama suddenly has 'it.' You don't even need to look at the delegate count any more to know that he won the nomination. Somehow, just reading a description of his visit to the House floor says it all.
... while Senator Clinton has remained close and competitive in every meaningful measure, she is a close second and the race is over. It has become clear that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee.At the moment, Senator Clinton's team is busily trying to convince Superdelegates and pundits that she is more electable than Barack Obama. For reasons discussed in a separate article, it doesn't matter. Even if every single Superdelegate was convinced that the former First Lady is somewhat more electable than Obama, that is not enough of a reason to deny him the nomination.
With this in mind, Rasmussen Reports will soon end our daily tracking of the Democratic race and focus exclusively on the general election competition between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. Barring something totally unforeseen, that is the choice American voters will have before them in November. While we have not firmly decided upon a final day for tracking the Democratic race, it is coming soon.