Obama picks up superdelegates; undecideds moving his way
Barack Obama's march toward the Democratic presidential nomination picked up support from four more superdelegates Wednesday, pushing him ever closer to victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton even as their primary marathon staggered on.
Obama and Clinton neck and neck in Ohio, TexasShe added two superdelegates herself in what has become the last big contest as their race winds toward a finish.
There are just 217 delegates to be chosen in the final six primaries, and neither candidate can win enough of them to claim final victory. Meanwhile, 265 additional delegates the party elders and other "superdelegates" have yet to be claimed, and their support will be the deciding factor.
Though Obama padded his delegate lead in Tuesday's primaries, most uncommitted superdelegates still want to remain on the sidelines. The Associated Press interviewed more than 70 undeclared superdelegates or their representatives Wednesday, and many said they don't want to get involved until the voting ends June 3.
However, the comments of some of the uncommitteds were anything but encouraging for Clinton.
"I'm just wondering about the viability of Clinton's campaign at this point," said Laurie Weahkee, an add-on delegate from New Mexico. "I really want to hear from her more about if she wants to stay in the race if the reason remains very concrete."
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Doyle said Clinton's pitch to superdelegates has been that she can win the popular vote, but that was undercut when Obama netted more than 200,000 popular votes in the Tuesday contests.
"The math just got very tough for her after last night," Doyle said. "I think most of us out of respect for her are content to wait a little longer. ... The absolute best way for this to end is for the candidates to end it, not the superdelegates. That's the ending we all dream about every night."
She picked up two in the wake of Tuesday's loss in North Carolina and narrow victory in Indiana. North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler had said he would support the winner of his district, and she won it handily. A spokeswoman for Texas labor leader Robert Martinez told the AP he is committed to Clinton, but it wasn't clear when he made the decision.
But she lost another supporter, Virginia state House member Jennifer McClellan. McClellan is one of at least nine superdelegates who have switched from Clinton to Obama since the Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5. There have been no public switches in the other direction.
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