Tuesday, April 22, 2008

McCaskill Pre-Spins Pennsylvania

PREDICTS CLINTON WIN, BUT STILL ADDS, "THE MATH IS UNFORGIVING."
SETS 60-DAY CLOCK FOR CLINTON
Sen. Claire McCaskill predicted Hillary Clinton would defeat Barack Obama in Pennsylvania, but that still wouldn't stop the tide of superdelegates marching to Obama's side.

McCaskill made the comments this morning to Brian Williams during MSNBC's all-day coverage of the Pennsylvania primary.

"I think it's making us nervous," McCaskill told Williams about the ongoing primary fight. "I think all Democrats are a little nervous right now about how we end this thing and bring everyone together."

But McCaskill quickly noted that despite what happens Tuesday night, Obama would end up the eventual nominee.

"The math is unforgiving to Senator Clinton and the superdelegate race, frankly, has not been talked about enough," McCaskill said. "Senator Clinton has lost as many superdelegates as she's gained in the last 60 days where Barack Obama has been on a relentless March on superdelegates," she added.

"It's 84 to 5 in the last 60 days," McCaskill said, referring to the superdelegate count.

"I don't think anything in the results tonight in Pennsylvania are going to stop that march of superdelegates to the Barack Obama side," she said.

After calling Clinton a terrific leader and formidable competitor, McCaskill suggested that over the next two months Clinton would decide to end her campaign.

"I think at some point in the next 60 days we will come together and move forward," McCaskill said.

She quickly added that "the more negative Clinton gets," the more it will spur Democratic party leaders into action to try to end the race. "If this begins drifting off into 'let's go after his kneecaps land', and really hurt him permanently for November, I think you're going to see some of the party elders, more importantly a lot of these superdelegates go, 'wait a minute, this isn't what we signed up for,'" McCaskill said.

No comments: