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Local leader shows common sense, pragmatism! Cantwell gives a window into the thought process even Clinton supporters aren’t okay with the idea that they will have to overturn the election…
On Monday, The Columbian (the paper of record for southwest Washington State) ran a story that started filtering through to the national media on Tuesday.
Cantwell supporting Clinton — for now
By KATHIE DURBIN Columbian Staff Writer
Sen. Maria Cantwell (Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Christine Gregoire in background)U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, one of Washington’s 17 Democratic superdelegates, isn’t ready to shift her allegiance from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama — yet.
But in an interview with The Columbian’s editorial board Monday, she said the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season in late June will have the strongest claim to the party’s presidential nomination.
“I definitely don’t want the superdelegates to be the deciding factor,†she said.
“If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,†the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.
Emphasis added.
Barack Obama has a virtual lock on the pledged delegate lead. He’s already won a majority states.
By those metrics, he will become the nominee.
The only way Clinton becomes the nominee is if superdelegates adopt hare-brained lead-counting schemes like the hilarious electoral college proposal floated by Evan Bayh.
Increasingly, it’s becoming clear that the uncommitted superdelegates won’t flout the popular vote.
And now — for the first time that I’m aware of — a U.S. Senator backing Hillary Clinton has publicly stated her commitment to the pledged delegate count.
It’s not the most sexy of stories, but it is something of a political earthquake.