Obama’s “Strategery” (Updated x2)
[Guest post by DRJ]
Denis Keohane at The American Thinker explains why Obama’s strategic decisions may jeopardize his Democratic nomination:
“It looks like Obama’s belief in his inevitability may have led him into a blunder, making it easier for Hillary supporters to prevent a nomination on the first ballot. After that point, anything goes, as all super delegates and many pledged delegates are free to vote their preferences.
After accepting the party’s decision last June to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida but with half votes, only days ago Obama said he wanted the delegates to have full votes
Obviously, he said this believing he has won the nomination and that pandering to voters in critical general election states is of more importance.
If the party goes along with Obama’s request, it reduces the number of super delegates who would need to sit out the first ballot for Obama to be denied the nomination, opening the way for Clinton! Ouch!
This is proof that the man should not be negotiating with Ahmadinejad. If he cannot think strategically and recognize his vulnerability to a last minute ambush at the convention, he would be eaten alive in big league world affairs.”
Of course, Obama doesn’t need to worry about Ahmadinejad yet. He has his hands full dealing with Hillary.
UPDATE 1: NBC/MSNBC says the Obama campaign, “in an effort to quiet talk of the Obama-Clinton drama,” offered Bill Clinton a speaking role at the Democratic Convention before the vice presidential running mate speaks. Clinton has reportedly accepted the speaking offer.
That quiets this brouhaha down for now but if the VP isn’t Hillary, he or she won’t get much media attention the next day. Is that a good thing or a bad thing for Obama?
UPDATE 2: ABC’s Jake Tapper notes that Hillary still describes Obama as “her opponent.” She apparently also said that putting her name in nomination and having a roll call vote is “obvious” — although she said she would not win. Finally, Tapper reports that the Obama campaign is reluctant to have a roll call vote because it would highlight “the narrowness of his victory.”
— DRJ