Superdelegates Moving Toward Clinton

A rather high profile superdelegate and former DNC chairman has switched from Hillary to Obama, and his reasoning suggests that some superdelegates are finally waking up to the damage being done to the party:

WASHINGTON (AP) - A leader of the Democratic Party under Bill Clinton has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow Democrats to "heal the rift in our party" and unite behind the Illinois senator.

Joe Andrew, who was Democratic National Committee chairman from 1999-2001, planned a news conference Thursday in his hometown of Indianapolis to urge other Hoosiers to support Obama in Tuesday's primary, perhaps the most important contest left in the White House race. He also has written a lengthy letter explaining his decision that he plans to send to other superdelegates.

"I am convinced that the primary process has devolved to the point that it's now bad for the Democratic Party," Andrew said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Bill Clinton appointed Andrew chairman of the DNC near the end of his presidency, and Andrew endorsed the former first lady last year on the day she declared her candidacy for the White House.

Andrew said in his letter that he is switching his support because "a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue this process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists (Republican) John McCain."

"While I was hopeful that a long, contested primary season would invigorate our party, the polls show that the tone and temperature of the race is now hurting us," Andrew wrote. "John McCain, without doing much of anything, is now competitive against both of our remaining candidates. We are doing his work for him and distracting Americans from the issues that really affect all of our lives."

Andrew said the Obama campaign never asked him to switch his support, but he decided to do so after watching Obama's handling of two issues in recent days. He said Obama took the principled stand in opposing a summer gas tax holiday that both Clinton and McCain supported, even though it would have been easier politically to back it. And he said he was impressed with Obama's handling of the controversy surrounding his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

This guy must impress pretty easily given that it took Obama weeks and weeks to finally deal with Rev. Wright. He tried to defuse it with his "race" speech, tried to downplay the comments in a variety of ways, and after Wright acted the fool at the National Press Club, finally had to say what he should have said weeks ago. Not that impressive a performance.

It's becoming clear to me (and the superdelegates) that the Dem contest is now all about race and about trying to hold together various special interest groups who might abandon the party should they choose Hillary. It's not even about winning anymore, though Andrews tries to suggest that it is. Obama is now clearly the weaker candidate against McCain, but it now appears that he will get the nod regardless of how Hillary performs in the coming primaries.

By choosing Obama the party will decide that it's better to lose than to be accused of racism. Works for me.