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Re: North Carolina's superdelegates

feliduca — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:18:07 -0400

Congressmen David Price of the 4th District and Mel Watt of the 12th District, both former John Edwards backers, declared their support for Obama.

Price said Obama is the man to turn North Carolina blue this year. The Tar Heel State typically votes Republican overall in Presidential elections.

“I believe he’s a leader with the kind of change I want to see,” Price said. “Obama is in the strongest position to bring a new day in diplomacy.”

Congressman Watt said there is only one candidate that has captured the spirit of change and inclusiveness that is "uniquely democratic."

The Democrats say the Presidential race will be closely contested in North Carolina, a central battleground according to Obama’s national campaign manager David Plouffe.

In a press release, Obama said he was pleased to have their support.

"Congressmen Price and Watt are both among the American people's finest representatives. Their leadership is proof that with clear and common purpose, there is no challenge too great for our nation to solve," Obama said. "I look forward to working with them both to ensure America's promise for all Americans and build a better future for North Carolina and our country."

List of NC Superdelegates
Joyce Brayboy. Communications consultant who works in Washington, D.C. Committed to Obama.
Susan Burgess. Charlotte city council member and chair of Democratic Municipal Officials organization. Committed to Clinton.
Jeannette Council. Member of Cumberland County board of commissioners in Fayetteville.
Jerry Meek. Chairman of North Carolina Democratic Party. Uncommitted.
Dannie Montgomery. Party activist in Lilesville, N.C. Committed to Obama.
Muriel K. Offerman. Former North Carolina revenue secretary and current state party treasurer. Uncommitted.
David Parker. Lawyer in Statesville.
Carol W. Peterson. Buncombe County Commissioner in Asheville. Uncommitted.
Everett Ward. Former executive director of North Carolina Democratic Party. Committed to Obama.
Michael F. Easley. Governor of North Carolina. Uncommitted.
Rep. G.K. Butterfield. Obama.
Rep. Bob Etheridge. Uncommitted.
Rep. Mike McIntyre.
Rep. Brad Miller. Uncommitted.
Rep. David Price. Obama.
Rep. Heath Shuler. Uncommitted.
Rep. Melvin Watt. Obama.

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Re: Hunt: Superdelegate system worked

lanark — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:02:15 -0400

It worked by denying the Democratic registered voters the chance to elect who they wanted. The whole concept of these delegates is autocratic, elitist and not at all democratic. Hunt, like most democratic party leaders, seem to think the convention is only meant to be a big gala and series of social events. I always thought the purpose of the convention was to elect the nominee. Going into the convention with everything decided, and to a far degree decided by the super delegates, reminds me of something a dictator would do in having the "people's congress" rubber stamp what the dictator wants done.

So much for the morals and values exhibited by the Democratic Party and our previous governor.

Re: Shuler too busy on Obama question

waya_ageyutsa — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:34:03 -0400

Thank You Mr Shuler!

You are not the only one! Rep. Dan Boren, Oklahoma's lone Democrat in Congress and Florida Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney also said they have no plans to make a formal endorsement.

Re: Burgess backs 'dream ticket'

FFC1304 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:45:43 -0400

The Hildebeest is toast...get outta the way Hitlery...you and your criminal element need to get thee behind Satan...

It is purely delightful watching the democrackkks devour each other!

Re: Burgess backs 'dream ticket'

Xirumi — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:24:23 -0400

No way.

If Obama wants to ensure defeat in November, just put Billy Jeff's wife on the ticket.

Don't even think about it. You'll get Billy Jeff with the package.

Obama won and he needs to move forward. Not backward.

Re: Offerman endorses Obama

liam — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:21:22 -0400

I know, right!

My favorite was the Statesville super who just announced yesterday night. In an earlier interview he said that he "relished his role as a superdelegate." I'm sure he did, the goober.

These profiles in courage could have saved the nation a lot of anxiety and trouble by endorsing when it mattered instead of when it was the least risky. All these weak-kneed starry eyed celebrity worshiping second-rate Democratic operatives relishing their courtship from Dick Durbin or Harold Ickes over the last three months, bleh! It makes me sick.

Re: Parker endorses Obama

dahedgehog — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:51:41 -0400

I'm glad Parker's determined that now is the "time to get about the serious business about electing the next president of the United States." If he had gotten his a off the fence back in February (when it was already obvious that Hillary couldn't win the delegate count), then we could have been serious about electing the next president for 4 months already.

I don't know what to say about Peterson. If she still can't make up her mind, she should be equipped with a bike helmet and velcro shoes...maybe consider taking her meals via straw.

Re: North Carolina's superdelegates

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:45:23 -0400

Comment deleted for profanity.

— RTB

Re: Offerman endorses Obama

dahedgehog — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:31:51 -0400

What a courageous decision. Doesn't she realize that she could have "brought the Democratic party together" much earlier if she and the rest of her undecided superdelegates had simply declared for one side or the other?

Re: North Carolina's superdelegates

Proctor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:25:30 -0400

The superdelegates are to be commended for carrying out their responsibilities conscientiously under occasionally stressful circumstances and often without clear logic governing their choices one way or the other.

The Democratic Party has evolved so many special rules and conditions that it often winds up having a party nominating contest which is not even of the same political or constitutional category or character as the general election. So in the fall, the Democratic Party is often proceeding "without a trial run" whereas the Republicans head into the general election with at least some indications of what can constitute a statewide electoral college victory.

In future nominating contests, constitution-minded Democrats ought to challenge the right of the Democratic National Committee to penalize states for seeking to determine the times, places and manners of choosing members of Congress, which is precisely what Article I, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution empowers the states to do.

In the general election, for the most part, the Democratic Party cannot go chipping off a few electoral votes here and there by making a good showing in a state but instead will have to win a statewide majority in each state in order to receive that state's electoral votes.

So the Democratic Party seems to have evolved a constitutional outlook which says: we'll do whatever the heck we want in our nominating process and then in the general election, we'll agree to observe the U.S. and state constitutions. Thus you wind up with candidates who are able to receive majority popular votes in their campaigns who nonetheless are unable to bring home victories in primary or general elections (HIllary Clinton, 2008, Al Gore, 2000).

You start a general election with a campaign organization which is 0-1 in almost all of the major industrial states just so folks in Iowa and New Hampshire will not take offense at some other state holding an early primary election.

It's a heckuva way to run a political party. It keeps all the competing interest groups happy for most of the year, then in November it hands victory over to the Republicans except when the Democratic presidential nominee demonstrates exceptional popularity and adaptability.

It's like an auto race or a horse race when your team agrees to start the final race four or five lengths back. It's tough enough to win a competitive race when you start out even-steven. But as long as the Democratic Party wants to maintain a separate track for its own trial heats, then in presidential contests it will lose more often than it wins in general elections.

And if the Democrats in Congress, who won a majority in both houses in the 2006 elections, fail to act on their own initiative on an entire array of important issues facing the country, then the Republican presidential campaign may wind up running effectively against an obstructionist Democratic Congress for the rest of 2008 just as Democratic President Harry Truman successfully ran against the "Do-Nothing" Republican Congress in 1948.

David McKnight

Re: Superdelegate: Everett Ward

bill08 — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:52:23 -0400

get a life!

Re: Superdelegate: Everett Ward

bill08 — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:51:04 -0400

Yeah right! Why do Black people insist on drinking the Clinton cool aid? Are we so paralyzed by oppression and racism that we can't think objectively? Do we not see the historical significance of what's happening with this election? Sometimes I wonder if we will ever be able to achieve the greatness as a people into which we are destined, or we will forever believe that our accomplishments have to be inextricably linked to Caucasian caretakers in order to count as legitimate progress.

Re: North Carolina's superdelegates

rlferg1 — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:43:58 -0400

Who knows what goes into the decision of a superdelegate? My mind, as a lowly voter, is make up. Either Hillary Clinton or John McCain. After suffering through the Carter years, I'd rather have anyone (short of W that is) than a beginner. Obama might be ok after a few years of experience, rather than too few, but I won't take a chance on him now. And this thinking is overwhelming in the Clinton camp. Anyone that thinks buzz words like Party Unity will cut it is delusional. Maybe in ordinary election circumstances. These are extrordinary times requiring specific experienced action, not generalized calls for change. Should John McCain win election over Barak Obama, the Democrat Leadership has to take the credit.

Re: Superdelegate: Everett Ward

joflorida — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:17:39 -0400

It's true that Obama smokes and lies about it. He lies about almost everything anyway. He lies about his mother being on foodstamps, he lies about his father coming over because of Kennedy, he lies about his father being a goat herder, instead he worked in an office. He lied in his book.
The list is so long, and his whole career is beneath what we deserve as our President.

It is a sad day when the color of your skin makes you immune to truth, but that is what we are living today. Obama has made racism a part of his campaign and has used it to create a campaign that is a complete lie. I am sorry that other blacks have decided to back him just because of the color of his skin and not because of his character. I am not against him because he is black, but instead because I have checked his background and record in Chicago, and I do not like what is see and hear.

It angers me that we were led to believe that the DC Meeting to decide on seating our delegates, was a complete farce!! A pretense was made to discuss the pros and cons, and then a secret meeting was held after lunch to make the decision and then a fake vote followed. The voters are just fools and we can treat them any way we want and they will come around.

Well, I know how to spell HILLARY CLINTON. NO HALF VOTES FOR ME!! No phoney is getting my vote, even if I have to vote for McCain! You should be minding North Carolina votes where they got their votes to count.

You can email me at jferko777@aol.com, if you have the guts to eliminate my vote and ask for it in November.

Re: Offerman still waiting to endorse

dahedgehog — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:35:31 -0400

I only see two possible reasons for waiting til later in June:

1) She has a large ego and enjoys the attention; or
2) She's too stupid to be able to make a decision based off the currently available information.

Either way, it's a shame that she's a superdelegate willing to drag out this harmful (to Dem hopes in November) process due to her vanity or stupidity.