Mr Wilentz, your claim that the Obama campaign only adheres to or favors following the rules when it favors the campaign, as evidenced by their reluctance to hold a re-vote or seating of the Michigan and Florida delegations is inaccurate. The campaign is on the side of the rules established by the DNC. It is not the fault of the Obama campaign that the governments of those two states decided to move their primaries forward on the calendar to increase their prominence in deciding the nominees. Every other state abode by the rules so why should Michigan and Florida be granted a re-do. Hillary's attempt to have the votes count now that she needs the delegates when she dismissed the importance of the two "beauty contests" beforehand flies right in the face of the rules. And it can not be said that it would punish Florida democrats who do not control the state legislature. The primary move passed with complete bipartisan support.

I love it when Clinton operatives use the 'would have' plays. If they would have known Obama was going to drub them, they would have played harder. Puleeze! In a sick way I have to admit that it is fun to see what the day's new Hail Mary play will be. It's getting to be like a McGyver episode, but really there will be no miraculous escape. It is sad and pathetic. Obama and Clinton read the rules and planned their campaigns. Now that Clinton has gotten herself hopelessly behind, she's trying to renegotiate the rules in the court of public opinion. Good luck. If there had been a winner take all system in place, it would have been different for all the candidates, not just poor/rich Hillary. Why doesn't Clinton just focus on winning the remaining primaries and stop the shenanigans that have given her sky high negatives. Oh yeah, because that's hopeless. I hope Bill told his clients that past performance was no guarantee of future results.

Nice to see Clinton/DNC spin being shined up and called journalism.

Mr. Wilentz's argument that Florida and Michigan should be counted, after the bulls**t party move to strip them in the first place is completely without merit -- and I say this as a Floridian who is furious that it happened in the first place.

As they say: the rules are the rules. Spouting this "what-if" crap doesn't change the game. If the shoe was on the other foot - Clinton and her shill Wilentz would be singing the opposite tune.

Like many here, I found the article one-sided and misleading in the assumptions it brought to the table. But I've also read that Republican-controlled legislatures in Michigan and Florida were behind moving up the primaries in the first place. The outgunned Dems in Florida voted "aye" in return for legislation mandating a paper trail in future elections, something they never could get under Jeb.

In that light, I'm curious why the national DNC came down so hard and punished the state parties for a decision they did not support in the first place.

There once was a Clinton, Mrs. Hillary

Whose foes, she had locked in a pillory

And, if by chance we don't count them, Wilentz

Iraq shall get more artillery.

the ONLY way Hillary would be blamed - IF obama loses (he won't) is if exit polls show that the election would have shifted if disgruntled old bags voted for the war to continue. and if that were the case, why shouldn't they?

Eric how much did you get from the Clinton Camp to write this trash. RULES MATTER.

You can write all you want about hypothetical senarios but the RULES are the RULES and by the RULES Obama is winning big. Quit crying about it and suggesting bullshit senarios the Clinton Camp is selling.

All the canidates agreed going in that they would follow the RULES as set forth before the begining of this election. Wining about it now that your horse is being whacked is so pathetic. Get a life and give back the $$$ the Clinton Camp paid you to write this screed.

Man, there is a lot of foot-stomping going on here.

A lot of Obama supporters are attracted to him because he has framed himself as THE candidate who stands for a transformative, participatory new politics.

And this article is pointing out words and deeds by Obama and his campaign that contradict this framing.

Now all of your heads are spinning. Please add oil...you're squeaking too much. Just suck it up and let's allow two politicians (that's right, politicians, er imperfect people), duke it out. Come on, I think this is FASCINATING. You're all taking yourselves too seriously.

make that 40...5 more first timers....what is going on!?!?!?
--Desperation?

I answered you several pages back with my thoughts.

And I will add to that personally and honestly, I don't know if I will vote for Obama. I'm one of those older women who identifies with Hillary and I don't think I am wrong in my analysis of the many other women's identification with her. If I do, I don't think I will be voting for him but for his suspicious promise about healthcare reform (honestly, I don't believe Obama really means any change on this - I think he goes on about just to get elected) and hopefully to get us out of Iraq (again another doubtful and suspicious promise) and last not to vote for another republican. But if the election were held to day.... I'd have a strong impulse to just write in Clinton's name.

Yep, that's a vote for McCain but I am sick to death of being railroaded and arm-twisted by Obama and his supporters. I'm sick of the unabashed sexism that is used and tolerated against Clinton and against older women in general. I'm sick to death of lack of any real media discussion or presentation of anything that's not pro-Obama - smacks of totalitarianism and republicanism. I don't mind criticism of Clinton as long as it's fair and balanced and as long as fair and balanced criticism of Obama is presented also. And I don't find that many places and certainly rarely here.

But ya'll will just have to wait until November to see if I change my mind, won't you?

And I'll say this, if you're about to give me some arm-twisting and baited argument on "issues", blah, blah, blah, don't bother. I've heard and read it all before. I've never seen an "discussion" here by an Obama supporter that isn't used as bait to rehash all the same Obama talking points and I'm not biting.