By Pamela Gentry, Senior Poltical Producer

Posted March 27, 2008 – Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has decided she’s in this race, regardless. Does she know something we don’t about the delegate tallies and the popular vote?

I think so.  

 I’ve heard from some Texas Democrats that Clinton’s ground troops in the Lone Star State, in preparation  for the state convention, were given marching orders to do “whatever it takes” to nab more pledged delegates from her rival, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

But for the second time in as many days Clinton told reporters that the pledged delegates, which are awarded based on the results of their state elections, have the right to change their minds, and don’t have abide by election results.

  “We talk a lot about so-called pledged delegates, but every delegate is expected to exercise independent judgment,” she said.

That sounds like what I heard from folks in Texas.  They’ve been asked to ignore the “pledged” election results? Earlier this week during a conference call, Howard Wolfson, Clinton’s campaign spokesman, flatly denied the campaign was using this tactic. 

Now a new Gallup poll shows the Dems’ battle for the nomination could be driving each candidate’s supporters to Republican challenger John McCain.   The survey found that 28 percent of Clinton’s supporter would vote for McCain if Obama got the nomination, and 19 percent of Obama’s supporters would vote for McCain, if Clinton got the nomination.

 This could be part of the Clinton’s strategy as well.  If she stays in long enough to cripple the party, the power play could cost the Democrats the White House. 

The leadership of the Democratic Party should take some advice from Obama Girl’s new video, and persuade Clinton to step aside.   If the party can’t deal with the Clinton machine, the party doesn’t deserve to win. 
 

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