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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Ohio's top superdelegate speaks

The morning after Sen. Barack Obama won a decisive victory in the North Carolina primary and Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Obama in Indiana's primary, Sen. Sherrod Brown is still undecided about who he'll support.

Brown, a Democrat from Lorain in northern Ohio, is among the last remaining super delegates who have not endorsed a candidate. He's the highest ranking super delegate in Ohio to remain uncommitted.

"I will probably not endorse until the primary's are over in early June," Brown said this morning, speaking at a breakfast forum sponsored by the Johns Hopkins SAIS Center on Politics & Foreign Relations.

Last night's primary results have put pressure on some super delegates to make a decision, but Brown said he still isn't ready to announce who he's supporting.

"I don't know. I really don't know," Brown told The Enquirer after the breakfast. "You all think I have this plan and I've already decided. I'm not sure. I'm undecided. I mean, I'm talking to both of them. I'm talking to their staffs."

Brown said President Clinton called him at home recently and Chelsea Clinton has called his wife, Connie Schultz of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, who is a Hillary Clinton supporter. His said his chief of staff and one daughter also are supporting Clinton while his mother, brother and two daughters are supporting Obama.

Brown, a longtime opponent of NAFTA and other trade deals, said he made a decision early on not to endorse because he wanted to talk about trade and Ohio and jobs.

"I spent much of 2007 … lobbying the presidential candidates on those issues," he said.

Also at the breakfast:

-- Brown said doesn't think it'll lead to a brokered convention in which super delegates would select the Democratic presidential nominee behind closed doors.

"It's going to work itself out," he said. "I never believed it'd go to the convention. I also didn't think it would go this long."

-- Brown doesn't think the protracted primary has been bad for Democrats.

"As this is played out, it's shown the big ideas and the energy on the Democratic side. … You can look at what happened with turnout in every single state," he said.

The primary also has "gotten the country used to seeing a woman or an African American as being a significant, major candidate," he added. "That was good for the country and I think that's good for the Democratic party."

-- He supports having Obama and Hillary on the same ticket.

"I'd still like to see them run together, but I think that's looking less and less likely," he said.

----------------

CLICK HERE to listen to Brown's remarks yourself. Audio courtesy of Johns Hopkins SAIS.


14 Comments:

at 2:30 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here's an intersting tidbit that has been underreported; in every one of the recent primaries about 25% of republicans voted AGAINST John McCain. And this has happened even though all of the other republican contenders have dropped out of the race.

Many republicans have crossed lines and voted for a Democrat, many even voting for Obama, contary to the 'operation chaos' BS being pushed by that fat, pill-popping drug adict Limbaugh.

The GOP is split amongst itself, and they have lost independent voters in droves. McSame is going to get creamed in November, that is for certain.

 
at 3:40 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"McSame is going to get creamed in November, that is for certain."

Have you looked at the head to head Obama vs McCain polls nation wide especially in Ohio. Even though they are close McCain is still ahead in the states he needs to win.

 
at 6:00 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone I know is talking about Obama vs McSame. The old man doesn't stand a chance this fall. Obama will be our next President!!! The only thing your poles might be good for would be GOP 'pole' dancers.

 
at 6:27 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Didn't Obama just get like twice as many votes as McCain in red state Indiana?

The Operation Chaos voters weren't that big of a factor.

 
at 6:30 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

^^^
oh wait.. I forgot - the Operation Chaos voters were voting for Hillary. That's why she won Indiana..

 
at 8:17 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Goofy Sherrod Brown is one real nitwit without a brain!

 
at 10:35 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here is the projection for Repugs this November

19% who still support Chimpy
+
10% who listen to Rush and other wingnut radio
+ 1% wealthiest

The Jesus Freaks are all scattered amongst the above.

That makes 30% boys and girls. Even Goldwater got 37%.

This is gonna be so much fun to watch the GOP utterly implode and disband.

Without a sizable Repug caucus, watch Congressional investigations mushroom.

What's left of the GOP will be in jail when all is said and done.

There won't even be a Repugnicant party this time two years from now.

 
at 11:02 PM, May 07, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

^^^
'Operation Chaos'? HA! Hillary won a major red state by less than two percentage points. Druggie Rushie's 'operation' didn't work, did it? as many Republicans crossed the lines and voted for Obama as voted for Hillary.

McSame is toast.

 
at 9:04 AM, May 08, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Were you aware of the fact that Rev. Jeremiah Wright attended Bill Clinton's prayer breakfast at White House breakfast during the 'Monica Mess.' It's amazing how HIS connection to Rev. Wright NEVER surfaced during all of the 'anti-american' uproar. There is a photograph and "thank you" note from Bill to Rev. Wright making it's way throught the internet. I wish this site had the capabilities to post photos.

I have no problem with Rev. Wright. I do have a problem with Clintonian hypocrisy.

 
at 9:50 AM, May 08, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does Senator Sherrod Brown care about Ohio's role in the most important election of our generation in November? Barack Obama will be on the opposite side of republican John McCain. What good would it do for Senator Brown to support Hillary Clinton at this juncture? As democrats we all need to unite and support Barack Obama sooner rather then later for the good of our party. We cannot do anything to jeopardize risking four more years of tax breaks for the wealthy, our recessed economy and troops remaining in Iraq. Now is the time for Senator Sherrod Brown to help Ohio turn blue this November. Let us not forget what happened in Ohio four years ago this November.

Vaslav J. Rice
Mt. Lookout

 
at 2:45 PM, May 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

what kind of kickbacks is the Enquirer getting by supporting obama? too bad the post can't post all the enquirer fraud and extortion going on

 
at 2:45 PM, May 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

what's the difference between mccain's elitism and vocal support of the war vs obabma's elitism and passive aggressive support of the war (and blacks, the elite blacks, not the poor blacks)

 
at 2:46 PM, May 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

the AG, Strickland, Schmidt, etc don't give a damn about public safety all over the world

 
at 2:47 PM, May 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

i hope the feds rat out all the drugs in the engine businesses in Cincy

 
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