Capps Endorses Obama

Obama won HUGE in Santa Barbara County by a 7.4% margin for the WHOLE COUNTY, with close to 11% spead in Santa Barbara City.

The other counties were far closer, with a final vote spread of 1.9% in favor of Obama for the whole of Capps Congressional District.

The full numbers are here in this news note at Edhat:
http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?id=...

Lois is indeed a gracious woman and was kind enough to call the Clinton Delegates before making her announcement public. I am also sure she was thoughtful in making her choice even though I disagree with her decision. She does clearly point that Senator Clinton is a great Presidential candidate and one that will serve us very well as President

Obama did indeed win Lois’ district but only by a small margin of 1.9 To those who think this is a valid basis for super-delegate choice, ask yourself if that would mean that in all districts and states, the candidate winning in that district or state would get all of the super-delegate votes in that district or state. If so be aware that such a policy would likely prevent Obama from getting enough super-delegates to prevail.

However, there are many quite important things to think about in the upcoming months until the Convention in August

First of all, as of right now, there is no expressed “will of the people”. Millions of voters not yet been able to cast their votes, and in statistical terms, the totals (both in votes and in delegates) remain in a virtual tie. A very small percentage separates the two candidates and that difference is hardly a “mandate”.

Secondly, the Democratic Party established a complex and arduous procedure to determine the nominee of the party. It is dramatically different than that of the Republican Party, which system had it also been used by the Democrats, would have already confirmed Clinton as the nominee. Once a procedure has been established, changing it midstream to the benefit of one candidate over the other can only undermine the integrity of that process and the integrity of the party

Thirdly, to those who feel continuation of the primary process will undermine the eventual Democratic nominee, I say HOGWASH. It is only those who feel that short- circuiting that process can benefit their chosen candidate who express that view. In a larger view, a well contested primary will only prepare each of the candidates for their eventual run in the November election.

To those who feel that recent attacks on Obama are unfair and counterproductive, please be assured that the GOP will undertake a far more aggressive approach and no issue is safe from exploitation in the general election. If he is the eventual nominee, he will be all the more prepared to fight the kind of battle necessary to beat John McCain in November

Finally, it is apparent that the longer the process continues, the more it will become apparent that Clinton will more easily beat McCain than would Obama. The ultimate goal of the Democratic party is to prevent the GOP from staying in the White House and Obama stands a far greater chance of losing in November.

In the meantime, the candidate most prepared for this office will find her strength grow even more in the remaining primaries which will carry her to victory in Denver in August.

I thought the Democratic nomination was based on the candidate with the most number of delegates.

Rob, have you changed the rules?

Your math is a bit fuzzy.

1. Rep. Capps may have made passing reference to the fact that Obama carried her district, but it’s misleading to pretend that this is the actual reason for her support, which boils down to the following: “Walter once said that ‘we are strongest as people when we are directed by that which unites us, rather than giving into the fears, suspicions, innuendos and paranoias that divide.’ For years I have been waiting for a President that speaks to that vision. I believe Barack Obama may very well be that rare leader.”
2. The notion that Clinton would be the nominee if the Dems used the same rules as the GOP is a ridiculous non sequitar.
3. "Once a procedure has been established, changing it midstream to the benefit of one candidate over the other can only undermine the integrity of that process and the integrity of the party." Um, it's Clinton who wants to change the rules she previously agreed to about whether to count Michigan and Florida.
4. Speaking in "statistical terms" of a "virtual tie" overlooks the fact that we aren't talking about sampling probable votes according to some model, but counting actual votes. In actual votes, the person with at least one more than the other wins. The only way Clinton becomes that person is to get a huge majority of superdelegates. In fact, she is nowhere near close to that, and Obama has been the one gaining ground.
5. If someone on the LA Lakers decided that the best way to practice for their next playoff round was to beat up on Kobe as much as possible because that would make him "all the more prepared" for the real games ahead, he'd been tossed out on his ear for sabotaging the team's chances.
6. The major capacity that Clinton has shown is her willingness to exploit for her own sense of entitlement the precise sorts of " fears, suspicions, innuendos and paranoias" that Rep. Capps wishes to see overcome and is why she is supporting Obama.