Howard Kurtz: "media have all but anointed Barack Obama the Democratic nominee"

Hello Everyone:

Here is the CNN transcript from Monday, May 12 where Howard Kurtz documented how that there's been surprisingly little coverage of the West Virginia primary contest "because the media have all but anointed Barack Obama the Democratic nominee:"

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/12/sitroom.02.html

THE SITUATION ROOM

West Virginia to Hold Democratic Primary Tomorrow; Over 8,000 Dead From Earthquake in China

Aired May 12, 2008 - 17:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: "I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

The battle for the Democratic presidential nomination isn't over yet. But you wouldn't know it from glancing at newsstands where Barack Obama is the cover man of the week. Howard Kurtz of CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES and "The Washington Post" is joining us live with more on this story. Howie, what's going on?

HOWARD KURTZ, CNN HOST: Wolf, Hillary Clinton is expected to score a big win in tomorrow's West Virginia primary. But there's been surprisingly little coverage of that contest because the media have all but anointed Barack Obama the Democratic nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KURTZ (voice-over): It began with the television pundits last week when Clinton lost North Carolina and barely carried Indiana in a squeaker.

TIM RUSSERT, NBC NEWS: We now know who the democratic nominee is going to be. And no one's going to dispute it.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: She's going to campaign in West Virginia today but this nomination fight is over.

BOB SCHIEFFER, CBS NEWS: I think basically, Maggie, this race is over.

KURTZ: "The New York Post" said Hillary was history and "Time" magazine called Obama the nominee. With only an asterisk saying the editors were pretty sure.

KAREN TUMULTY, "TIME MAGAZINE": We can all keep pretending there's a race going on here but the doors are closing. Barring some kind of cataclysm that Barack Obama's going to be the nominee.

KURTZ: Even Saturday night live cast Clinton as a sore loser who believes her voters will never back Obama.

AMY POEHLER, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Second, my supporters are racist.

KURTZ: With Clinton trailing Obama in delegates and time running out, even news organizations that haven't declared the race over have made clear they're treating the Illinois senator as the presumptive nominee. "Newsweek's" cover on the "O Team." "The New York Times" front page with a lengthy look at Obama's rise in Chicago and this lead story, "Already, Obama and McCain map fall strategies."

And journalists keep asking whether Obama would tap Clinton as his running mate. A subject raised by Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

OBAMA: As I said before, "Time" magazine notwithstanding, we haven't wrapped this thing up yet.

CLINTON: Let's make history, West Virginia.

KURTZ: But as the former first lady continues to campaign hard in West Virginia, vowing to stay in the race until the primaries end June 3rd, some journalists have found that some of her supporters are angry about the way the media elite have written off their candidate.

KATE ZERNIKE, "NEW YORK TIMES": I think what people are reacting to this week wasn't so much the media declaring the race is over as it was the kind of ding-dong, the witch is dead quality, about that tone to the comments.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KURTZ (on camera): All this is quite a departure for news organizations that spent last year depicting Hillary Clinton as the all but inevitable nominee. Another reminder that in presidential politics predictions can be dangerous.

BLITZER: Well, Howie, what are journalists supposed to do if they believe the math is against her, there's no way she can win. What, are they supposed to simply say it's going to continue. In other words, are they doing the right or the wrong thing by expressing their opinions what's going on?

KURTZ: Journalists owe us their best analysis, Wolf, of the state of the race and if it's a very uphill climb for Hillary Clinton we should say so. But this spectacle where we all just say it's over, let's talk about the fall, Obama versus McCain turns a lot of people off who say the contest is not over even if want to declare it so.

BLITZER: Good point. All right, Howie. Thanks very much..."

While certainly no journalist is perfect, Howard Kurtz in my opinion is a breath of fresh air when it comes to overall credible journalism and especially when it comes to keeping the mainstream media honest!

I have two main conclusions to make about this dialogue:

1) I agree with Howard Kurtz's conclusion when he said "But this spectacle where we all just say it's over, let's talk about the fall, Obama versus McCain turns a lot of people off who say the contest is not over even if want to declare it so."

Roger Simon of The Politico who I strongly dislike clearly does NOT understand this concept in my opinion when he made this very stupid comment to Howard Kurtz on his show CNN Reliable Sources last Sunday, May 11 where he does not think that this blatant anti-Hillary media bias will hurt Obama among many of Hillary's turned off supporters:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/11/rs.01.html

CNN RELIABLE SOURCES

Coverage of the Democratic Presidential Race; Myanmar Government Bans Western Journalists

Aired May 11, 2008 - 10:00 ET

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST: "Roger, I think Hillary got some grudging respect in recent weeks for being a fighter and maybe, you know, finding her voice, to use another journalistic cliche. But basically, journalists seem to have had very little sympathy for her in this campaign compared to what some would describe as the swooning over Barack Obama.

ROGER SIMON, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO.COM: Well, that's how she and her supporters certainly see the race. And I find that if you go into Hillary crowds, the anger you find on the part of her supporters, especially women supporters, is directed not against Barack Obama, but against the media.

There is a real deep hatred for how the media has treated Hillary Clinton. We've treated her unfairly, they say. We've been sexist. The debates of male-dominated media have beaten her up, have given her tougher questions. She complains she got the first question.

This actually makes it easier for Obama to unify the party. They're not angry at him. They're angry at the media..."

Many credible polls very clearly show how that Roger Simon's reasoning about this anger not affecting Obama is dead wrong in my opinion:

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15327

POLLS: Democratic unity will be very hard to achieve after this primary is over!

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on April 20, 2008 - 11:59pm.

Roger Simon needs to ask himself the key question of why such a large percentage of Hillary's supporters in so many different polls are NOT willing to support Obama IF he is the nominee?

Their anger is not just directed at the media as Roger Simon wrongly thinks but it is also very clearly directed at Obama as well from what these polls show!

These poll numbers of so many Hillary supporters who will not support Obama IF he is the nominee may possibly go down over time once the general election officially starts BUT if even a small percentage of Hillary's supporters stand firm in their decision to not support Obama, then that can clearly turn the election to McCain if the vote is close!

From my standpoint the more blatant anti-Hillary media bias that I hear which I think is definitely causing Hillary to be losing this primary race for all of the wrong reasons, the more angry that I get and this does directly affect Obama because I absolutely refuse to legitimize what the biased media has unfairly done to Hillary out of holding to my strong principles!

However that is the lesser of the two reasons why I will definitely NOT support Obama IF he is the nominee. The greater of the two reasons why I will NOT lift a finger to help Obama IF he is the nominee is because there is nothing I see that I can do to credibly help a weak candidate in Obama who I think is probably unelectable:

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15112

Two reasons why I will NOT lift a finger to help Obama IF he is the nominee!

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on March 26, 2008 - 6:00am.

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14885

How can Obama be credibly defended from GOP rapid response when they are right?

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on March 1, 2008 - 3:28pm.

2) My second conclusion is that the many pundits in the media who do not like Hillary are focusing on the wrong kind of math when they are declaring Obama to be the winner when he is currently about 170 pledged delegates ahead of Hillary out of well over 3000 delegates and when neither candidate can win enough pledged delegates to secure the nomination without the votes of superdelegates!

These media pundits in my opinion need to be focusing on the electoral and electability math which is what the superdelegates should be voting on according to the rules when neither Hillary or Obama have enough pledged delegates to secure the nomination which is the case right now:

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15388

My answer to the pundits who are saying the race is over and that Obama has won!

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on April 28, 2008 - 6:32am.

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15488

The Superdelegate Dilemma: Obama's lack of electability vs. splitting the party?

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on May 12, 2008 - 6:10am.

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15487

VIDEO: Terry McAuliffe making the case for Hillary's campaign on Meet The Press!

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on May 12, 2008 - 4:42am.

Fortunately there are still some impartial media pundits in Presidential politics like Lou Dobbs who understands that this primary race is not over yet and who will openly talk about it which I appreciate:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/12/ldt.01.html

LOU DOBBS TONIGHT

Tornado Destroys Picher, Oklahoma; 2008 Tornado Season Deadliest in Years; Massive Earthquake Hits China

Aired May 12, 2008 - 19:00 ET

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: "It is a broker nomination, so, what's all the talk about not having a broker convention. They brokered the nomination. He hasn't got the pledge delegates. Neither one of them can possibly doing do it. What is the great, you talk about the great fictions, the great fiction here is that these candidates, either one of them will not be a brokered candidate. They haven't won anything..."

I also appreciate Lou Dobbs for being so vocal about the need for Michigan and Florida to be included in the Democratic primary process in this same transcript:

DOBBS: "7 million of them and I have to say, without equivocation, it is inexcusable that the Democratic voters in Michigan and Florida, irrespective of the decisions made by their leadership are being denied a voice and a vote in this primary election when it's so close. It's absurd and the gamesmanship of the Democratic National Committee and the candidates themselves. You know, it is unseemly at best and down right ashamed for a democracy in this country, in my opinion..."

Please forward this information on so that many more people will understand how important that Hillary's win will be in West Virginia as far as her electability argument to the superdelegates is concerned when many pundits in the biased media will be unfairly trying to downplay this win as much as they possibly can in their efforts to try and pressure Hillary to drop out of the race!

Mitch Dworkin

http://www.securingamerica.com/

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/10756
StopIranWar.com: "War is not the answer"
Submitted by Wes Clark on February 21, 2007 - 11:40am.

http://www.securingamerica.com/ccn/node/7191
Listen to Gen. Wes Clark fight for Dems on Sean Hannity's radio program: An excellent example for all of us to follow and what we all need to be doing to help fight back against extreme right wing Neocon smear propaganda!

he allowed Hillary's surrogate Lisa Caputo to make the case for Hillary:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24512150#24512150 (07:41)

Media Bias?
May 7: The media are already calling the race against Hillary Clinton even though she shows no signs of dropping out yet. Is it right for the pundits to count her out? Dan Abrams is joined by Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, Clinton campaign advisor Lisa Caputo and MSNBC political analyst Craig Crawford.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24512150#24512150 (07:41)

I appreciate Dan Abrams for being willing to discuss this very important topic and for his giving Lisa Caputo the final word in this dialogue:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24522169/

'Verdict with Dan Abrams' for Wednesday, May 7
Read the transcript to the Wednesday show

Guests: Jonathan Alter, Craig Crawford, Lisa Caputo, Nancy Keenan, Lawrence O‘Donnell

DAN ABRAMS, HOST: "Hang on. I want to make sure Lisa gets the final word. Lisa.

LISA CAPUTO, SENIOR CLINTON ADVISER: If you recall, there was a massive tidal wave effect, you know. It‘s over for Hillary Clinton unless she wins Pennsylvania. I mean they were prejudging Pennsylvania before Pennsylvania even cast votes. And I just think let the process play and report it objectively.

ABRAMS: All right. Fair enough. Fair enough. All right. Look, it‘s an interesting discussion and that‘s why we have such good guests on to talk about it.

Craig, Lisa, Jonathan, thanks a lot. Appreciate it..."

This video is short but it has a lot of substance and it is very important to watch in my opinion:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5bab7_clinton_news (01:50)

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15435

Howard Kurtz and Joan Walsh summarized how the media went wrong covering Obama!

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on May 5, 2008 - 12:30am.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5bab7_clinton_news (01:50)

little ladies and do what we're told! Obama, his minions, and the fawning media have all attempted to demean Hillary and her followers with sexist attacks, accusations of racism, and allegations that we're wrecking the party! They've informed most of us that we're no longer needed or wanted in the ranks and that we can take a hike. I personally feel like I've been run over by a proverbial truck. I'd have to be a masochist to even consider voting for Obama after all that! And anyone who would encourage or even allow such outrageous dirty tricks cannot be trusted with the Oval Office!
But I don't think we have to worry about it, ultimately. How many white folk do you think would vote for Michelle Obama's husband--or Jeremiah Wright's acolyte? How many patriotic Americans would vote for Willaim Ayers's political trainee? And we can go on and on--and the Republicans will.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/opinion/10herbert.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Bob Herbert NY Times 5/10/08 Seeds of Destruction

This column was printed in today's Austin American-Statesman print edition, entitled "A Slur against whites". This is printed on the editoral page, top of the fold. Bottom of the fold is the Ellen Malcolm piece "Quitters Never Win". (They finally printed something about Senator Clinton that isn't tearing her down.)

I went online to the Statesman website to find the Bob Herbert piece, but it is not there. The Malcolm piece is.

I do not want to quote any of Herbert's piece here. Please go to the link above and read his writing. I will never read anything he writes ever again.

What Hillary said, in quoting an AP article, was both true and stupid to repeat. She should have been able to forecast the backlash, no matter the truth of what she said, and how what she said would be twisted.

Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!

while Hillary got slammed for quoting an AP article. That is blatant media hypocrisy in my opinion but what else is new?

When did we last hear about these important stories in the mainstream media about Obama's Campaign Manager (David Plouffe) and his top strategist (David Axelrod)?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Plouffe_McCain_has_the_racist_vote_anyway.html

April 25, 2008
Categories: Barack Obama

Plouffe: McCain has the racist vote anyway

David Plouffe tells Linda Douglass that real racists are probably voting Republican in any case:

http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20080425_7012.php

"[T]he vast, vast majority of voters who would not vote for Barack Obama in November based on race are probably firmly in John McCain's camp already," he says.

Plouffe also made a four-pronged case for Obama's electability. One, primary-focused, is that Clinton has big problems too.

He also pointed out that Obama's actually been winning white men and younger white voters.

And looking ahead, he pointed to the issues: "They won't agree with John McCain on issues like the economy and health care. And so I think that we are going to get the vast, vast majority of Democratic voters," he said.

Finally, the Obama campaign is counting on its ability to change the electorate -- a powerful argument, if one with real limits.

"If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, I think turnout amongst African-Americans, turnout amongst all voters under 40, and our ability to register new voters is going to be a very important piece of the puzzle," he said.

(via Hotline)

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/04/plouffe_to_doug.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0804/25/ldt.01.html

LOU DOBBS TONIGHT

Revival of Obama's Pastor Flap; Democratic Campaign Turning Nasty; Big Business Scare Tactics; Bankruptcy Filings are Soaring

Aired April 25, 2008 - 19:00 ET

MICHAEL GOODWIN, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: "Well, I don't think there's any silver lining at all for Obama. I think the comments by David Plouffe, the campaign manager, about that basically all of the racists will be voting for John McCain, David Axelrod...

LOU DOBBS, HOST: Since you brought that up, let's go to this. Ben Smith of politico.com reporting from the Obama campaign manager, David Plouffe as told to Linda Douglas from "The National Journal," here is what Plouffe said: "The vast, vast majority of voters who would not vote for Barack Obama in November based on race are probably firmly in John McCain's camp already."

That may be one of the dumbest things that anyone associated with Obama's campaign could possibly say. What am I missing, here?

GOODWIN: Nothing, because what's interesting, in the rest of the interview he goes on to talk about how the Obama campaign is counting on the black vote. So, you know, there's a real double standard here, if you vote against Obama you're probably a racist, if you vote for him, well, we can just count on that because you're black. I mean, there's a real racial calculation going on now in the Obama campaign, and I think it's going to backfire.

DOBBS: You think it's going to backfire.

GOODWIN: Yes.

DOBBS: Is there any way you can rationalize that kind of stupid comment?

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Now look, I have taken on the Clinton surrogates for their obnoxious statements, I have been -- think have been way over the top, this one though, stands alone. For a candidate that's trying to, and had previously, been a unifier and energizing new people to the process, to make such -- for his campaign manager to make such a divisive statement, and for David Axelrod, just a few days ago, to say -- to diminish the importance of what he called "white working class voters" in choosing a president, shows that this campaign has really become almost a caricature of old-fashioned politics..."

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

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89873144

Obama Strategist Looks Back on Pa. Primary

Listen Now [4 min 57 sec] add to playlist

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=89873144&m=89872951

Morning Edition, April 23, 2008 · After Sen. Hillary Clinton's win in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary Tuesday night, Sen. Barack Obama is looking ahead to the next race. Steve Inskeep talks with David Axelrod, chief strategist for the Obama campaign.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0804/23/ldt.01.html

LOU DOBBS TONIGHT

Clinton Will Fight to the Finish; McCain Courts Democrats & Independents; Amnesty for Illegal Aliens; Border Boondoggle: Virtual Fence is Ineffective

Aired April 23, 2008 - 19:00 ET

LOU DOBBS, HOST: "This from the Obama campaign's top strategist David Axelrod saying this on national public radio today. Are you ready?

"The white working class has gone to the Republican nominee for many elections, going back even to the Clinton years. This is not new that Democratic candidates don't rely solely on those votes."

What do you think of that? Ed, you were ready to jump out of your chair.

ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well first of all, the majority of Americans are white working voters and if you don't get a majority of voters, you're not going to win. If Axelrod's strategy is to basically get nothing but African-American voters and thinks he's going to win, he's sadly mistaken.

DOBBS: Errol?

ERROL LOUIS, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: A dumb piece of spin that's at odds with the stated message of the campaign. This is supposed to be the campaign that doesn't slice and dice and put them in demographics.

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: What a shock that is Errol but the bigger issue is it's historically wrong. Bill Clinton was elected twice because he was able to appeal to white working class voters and if the Democrats can't do that, we're not going to win again.

DOBBS: OK.

ROLLINS: Especially in Pennsylvania.

DOBBS: I'm sorry.

ROLLINS: Especially in Pennsylvania.

DOBBS: I thank you, gentlemen, for your analysis, your passion, your fervor and for restraining yourselves throughout the remainder of the time we had together. Thank you..."

They think they will guilt-trip us into voting for the black guy. Nearly every white person I know gets angry when he/she hears an unfounded, unfair accusation like this, and it serves only to cause resentment for the black person saying it--or even for blacks in general. It's polarizing and causes a visceral, tribal reaction as strong as nationalism or even gingoism. If whites believe they're being muzzled now, what will they imagine happening if the President is black? And I'm sure Mr. Herbert would accuse me of being a racist worthy of the Klan for just writing this. Some people wouldn't dare utter such words. But, in the voting booths, no one will see what they write.

I completely agree with him and I am glad that he said this:

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mcauliffe-says-media-in-the-tank-for-obama-2008-05-13.html

McAuliffe says media ‘in the tank’ for Obama

By Klaus Marre
Posted: 05/13/08 11:43 AM [ET]

Terry McAuliffe, campaign chairman for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), said Tuesday that the former first lady is hamstrung by a biased media.

“Clearly it has been a biased media, no question about it,” McAuliffe said on Fox News. When asked how much of the mainstream media is “in the tank” for Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), who leads Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination, McAuliffe estimated that about 90 percent of the media favor Obama.

“It is what it is. We’re not complaining,” he stated. “We have to deal with the hand we’re dealt with.”

McAuliffe added that “every independent study has said that this is the most biased coverage they’ve ever seen in a presidential campaign.”

He also praised Fox News, which is often viewed as a conservative media outlet, as “one of the most responsible in this presidential campaign.”

Roger Simon is the same IDIOT who I quoted in this post above. This openly biased and unprofessional so-called "pundit" can go jump in a lake as far as I am concerned:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10332.html

Hillary wins — does anybody care?

By ROGER SIMON | 5/13/08 9:58 PM EST

"If a tree falls in the forest when everybody expects it to fall, does it make a sound?

Yes, says Hillary Clinton. It makes a deafening roar, says Hillary Clinton.

SHE WON THE WEST VIRGINIA PRIMARY BY A KAZILLION PERCENTAGE POINTS TUESDAY NIGHT, AND THAT, SHE SAYS, HAS TO MEAN SOMETHING!

Except the press doesn’t think so. The press is unimpressed. This may be the first time in election history in which the press has withdrawn from a race before the candidate.

As John Harwood of the New York Times and CNBC said on MSNBC Tuesday several hours before the polls closed, “The headline tomorrow will be: ‘Hillary Clinton Wins Big in West Virginia; Democratic Party Yawns...’”

the people." This lady, who first voted 70 years ago for FDR, said she's a lifelong Dem and could personally accept either Hillary or Obama, but that "the press should represent the people, not a person". She can't countenance the party going back to "back room politics" and failing to count MI and FL votes. She also believes Bill Clinton is the best Prez in recent times and "will go down in history."
With age comes wisdom.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100587.html/

Networks Dismiss Hillary Landslide

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 14, 2008; 8:06 AM

"When Hillary Clinton wipes the floor with Barack Obama, the pundits have to give her her due, right?

I mean, when she just crushes him by a 2-to-1 margin, the talk would immediately turn to why the Democratic front-runner, the man anointed by the media as the party's nominee, can barely manage a third of the vote in West Virginia. Wouldn't it?

Here is how the cable networks reacted when they called the race at 7:30 last night:

On MSNBC, Tim Russert called it an "overwhelming victory" for Hillary. And then said that the 10 delegates she would net were more than offset by the 27 superdelegates Obama has picked up in the past week or so. As for West Virginia, he said, "the Obama campaign believes it's already been discounted, the way they do on Wall Street."

On CNN, John King said that "Barack Obama is the nominee even if he only gets 30 percent of the delegates the rest of the way."

On Fox, Shepard Smith asked his panel: "Anybody have a path to victory for Hillary Clinton, in a word?" The three guests simultaneously said no.

How did Clinton's big night immediately turn into a wake?

Far be it from me to suggest that the commentators didn't want to contradict their own declarations last week that Obama's got the thing wrapped up. Nor am I saying that the math isn't extremely daunting for Clinton.

But her West Virginia romp must mean something. If not, why are the cable nets bothering to cover it? Why not just relegate the news to the crawl?

(Actually, Fox didn't. It quickly went back to "The O'Reilly Factor" and other regular programming. O'Reilly's second topic: "Is there a feud between Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama?")

Meanwhile, David Gregory was saying that perhaps Hillary would run with Obama because the Clintons would want to be part of the huge event that his election would represent.

One spin is that Obama blew off the state, making just one appearance Monday. But the Hillary team says he still outspent her in West Virginia..."

when was the last time you saw a late night comedian or political cartoon making shit about Obama? Letterman and Leno, etc. can't say a good word about Hillary; it's usually some put down because she's a woman and Obama is a MAAN. (What a joke that is, all by itself. Obama is perceived as a 98 lb. weakling by members of his own race.)

We're electing the President of the United States, not some g.d. prom king.

I really appreciate Lou Dobbs for publicly talking about this issue and for his at least trying to help keep the media honest!

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0805/14/ldt.01.html

LOU DOBBS TONIGHT

Edwards Endorses Obama; Plans to Build Border Fence in Arizona Stirs Controversy; New Concerns About Heparin; Gun Rights under Fire

Aired May 14, 2008 - 19:00 ET

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Joining me now in Washington, D.C., Democratic strategist and contributor Robert Zimmerman, also national Democratic committeeman, establishment elite of the Democratic Party, and a Senator Clinton supporter. He met with the senator, by the way, today, welcome. And good to see you there in Washington.

Here in New York with me, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, New York Daily News and contributor, Michael Goodwin, good to have you with us, Michael.

And Ben Smith, senior political reporter, politico.com. Good to have you with us,. Ben.

Let's start with this, the headlines. There were none. This morning, counting and advertising Senator Clinton's 41-point win. Why not? I mean, The New York Times, The Washington Post, they dismissed it. Politico.com did, as well.

BEN SMITH, POLITICO.COM: I was up all night writing about West Virginia.

DOBBS: Oh, I know you were.

SMITH: I just think people were not reading. But as one of my colleagues said, the press has dropped out of this race before the candidate.

(LAUGHTER)

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, the press has dropped out before the voters have. That's the real issue.

DOBBS: The real issue, Robert Zimmerman, is your candidate is still rolling on.

ZIMMERMAN: She's rolling on and it's not just -- even though I'm supporting Hillary Clinton, Lou, I can still do math. And the math shows me that based upon West Virginia and the upcoming contests, she can end this winning the popular vote. Right...

(CROSSTALK)

DOBBS: But she needs delegates, not a popular vote.

ZIMMERMAN: But since no one's going to have enough delegates to qualify to win the nomination, the superdelegates come into play, they're going to be persuaded by that popular vote.

DOBBS: Can I ask you something, Michael, what am I missing here? The reality is, we look at that sliver that separates these two in the popular vote, really. Why is the national media going along with this subterfuge, this absurdity, this artifice that this thing is over and that's it's not a brokered nomination?

They keep taking about the superdelegates. This is a decision by the Democratic National Committee about who will be the nominee. They disenfranchised the voters in Michigan and Florida, Democratic voters. And they're going to say that's it. I mean, it's going to be a very ugly legacy. And it would, I would think, taint the nomination of Senator Obama.

MICHAEL GOODWIN, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Well, one of the things, Lou, that I think when you look back on the whole process, is that the Democratic Party has not had good leadership. Don't forget, the...

(CROSSTALK)

DOBBS: You don't love (ph) Howard Dean?

GOODWIN: Howard Dean has made a mess of it, but he has not done it alone, his minions have helped. Nancy Pelosi took over the party effectively just last year when the Democrats took the House. So I think they've been kind of rudderless. You didn't -- you know, normally the incumbent...

DOBBS: All right. That all said, what's the impact here? Because what they're really doing, this -- the Democratic Party no longer has a small d when it comes to democrat, because this is purely a rollover by the elites, right, Ben?

SMITH: Well, I mean, I think that they're going to have to -- they're going to have a lot of making up to do with the voters in Florida and Michigan.

DOBBS: Oh wait, time out, Ben. Seriously, you're not running for office here, are you?

SMITH: Well, there's a question of whether people in Florida and Michigan are going to vote on whether they got the -- whether they got to vote in the primaries...

(CROSSTALK)

DOBBS: ... question is (ph) whether or not they should. Is there some rule I'm not aware of? Some atmospheric that would dictate that suddenly democracy doesn't exist and the two-party political system doesn't exist in Florida and Michigan?

GOODWIN: It's going to work fine. The Republicans are probably going to win those states as a result of the Democratic screw-up.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: Let's not jump to any conclusions here. Let's not jump to any conclusions here. First and foremost, I've not given up on democracy in the Democratic Party. And I would hope the votes would be recognized in Michigan and Florida.

But I think the more important point here is that while the media has determined this race over, the fact is, we're getting record voter turnout and I don't think it should be dismissed. And, in fact, according to every survey that's being conducted, Democrats want this vote to go forward. And I don't think we should dismiss and say, oh, come on...

(CROSSTALK)

DOBBS: I'm lost, do you want the vote to go forward or do you not? I'm confused.

ZIMMERMAN: I absolutely want...

(CROSSTALK)

DOBBS: But you don't care about Florida or Michigan and those folks getting to vote?

ZIMMERMAN: Now, Lou, I have fought as strong as anyone you'll know to make sure Florida and Michigan...

DOBBS: Well, I'm just trying to understand what you're saying here tonight. Because I'm starting to hear a little political shift.

ZIMMERMAN: No. Not quite the -- then I wasn't clear. I have fought very hard to make sure Florida and Michigan count...

DOBBS: We're going to take a little break. And you can be even clearer when we come back, Robert.

ZIMMERMAN: OK.

DOBBS: I'll be joined as well later by Luis Gutierrez who is a little critical of my views on open borders and illegal immigration. We'll be joined by him shortly. We'll be back with our panel. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DOBBS: It's amusing in some ways, and annoying I'm sure to others that after every one of these election victories by Hillary Clinton, the answer is, is it time for her to get out of the race? It seems to be dominating the media. The national political media is completely has completely dismissed this. Where do we go here? What will be the story? What's the narrative going forward?...

ZIMMERMAN: If I can give you both any sort of comfort, Michael and Ben, ultimately let's leave it to the voters. We don't need the pundits or political operatives to call this race..."