The Wall Street Journal reports that, in addition to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the entire North Carolina Democratic House delegation -- crucial, given the approaching, May 6 primary in Tar Heel land--will come out publicly for Barack Obama. They are, of course, superdelegates all.
For about a month now I have maintained that the only way Obama is going to finally wrap up the nomination is to catch or overtake Hillary Clinton in the superdelegate count. Yes, he leads overall on the strength of his margin among pledged delegates won in state primary and caucus contests thus far, but a superdelegate lead has a variety of advantages beyond the obvious result that it would widen (rather than shrink) his pledged delegate lead.
First, it means he would be batting for the cycle, so to speak (it's baseball opening week), in terms of demonstrable measures of Democratic primary support: ahead among popular votes, ahead (insurmountably) in number of states won, ahead in pledged delegates, and ahead among declared superdelegates. In that sense, catching her among the superdelegates literally eliminates any quantifiable, results-oriented electoral claim Clinton has to the nomination.
Second, and more importantly, catching her among superdelegates would prove his support among the “Democratic establishment,” whatever and whoever they may actually be. Let's be honest: Heading into this primary it was (and still is) the Clintons' party until and unless somebody takes it away from them. And, more than any other indicator, leading among superdelegates would affirm Obama's acceptance and embrace by, and eventual control over, “the powers that be” in the Democratic Party.
--Tom Schaller
