The Final Primary Eve
On the eve of the final primaries, a sneak peek at what is at stake tomorrow.
June 2, 2008— -- Tuesday's contests: 31 delegates at stake
SOUTH DAKOTA - closed
Polls open: 8:00 AM ET
Polls close: 9:00 PM ET
15 delegates at stake, proportional
MONTANA - open
Polls open: 9:00 AM ET
Polls close: 10:00 PM ET
16 delegates at stake, proportional
Barack Obama is now just 37.5 delegates away from the DNC's magic number to win the Democratic nomination, in the ABC News delegate estimate.
Obama picked up 12 superdelegates today, including the respected civil rights leader and No. 3 in the House, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Clyburn will formally endorse Obama on Tuesday morning and ABC News' Jake Tapper reports that Clyburn is calling other superdelegates today to get them on board before the primary season wraps up tomorrow.
Tapper reports that Clyburn had expressed concern about the negative tone of the Democratic nomination race and has criticized how Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign has dealt with Obama.
So will other uncommitted superdelegates follow Clyburn's lead and come out tomorrow? Many have said repeatedly that they would wait until voting ends, but that doesn't mean they have to wait until the polls close tomorrow night. Obama's supporters are putting the lean on some uncommitteds who have been privately backing Obama through this process. The message: If you support him, make it count and come out tomorrow to put him over the threshold.
Obama himself said today that the remaining uncommitteds will be making the decision "fairly quickly" after the final primaries in South Dakota and Montana on Tuesday, ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports.
"We feel good about the number of supderdelegates that we have been accumulating and my sense is that between Tuesday and Wednesday that we've got a good chance of getting the number that we need to win the nomination."
Tomorrow night, Obama will speak in the Excel Center in St. Paul, MN, in the same building where John McCain will accept the Republican nomination at the party's convention in September, as he wraps up the primary season in a general election battleground state
Will the speech be a victory speech? That of course depends on how many superdelegates come out for Obama in the next 24 hours. Obama is favored to win both primaries tomorrow night, but there are only 31 pledged delegates at stake, so the superdelegates will be the deciding factor.
Even if Obama hits that magic number of 2118, that does not mean the Clinton campaign will consider the race over. The New York senator picked up two new superdelegates today, but she is 205.5 delegates away from the nomination.
"I think its pretty clear that she is not conceding." Clinton spokesperson Mo Elleithee said today, per ABC News' Eloise Harper. "I think its pretty clear that she is staying in this race. She is going, in the coming days, to be aggressively courting uncommitted superdelegates aggressively courting unpledged delegates, making the case to them that she is a candidate best ready to take on John McCain."
ABC News' Kate Snow reports that Clinton staffers were sent an email inviting them to New York for the primary night party or they could go home and wait for further instructions. The kicker? Expense reports are due by Friday.
On ABC's World News, George Stephanopoulos highlighted key points to keep in mind over the next couple of day:
- Candidates' schedules: Obama will be in New York on Wednesday – will he have an event with Clinton on her home turf on Thursday? Clinton has nothing on her schedule after Wednesday.
- What does Rahm do? Chicago Rep. Emanuel is a former close aide to former President Clinton but is also close to Obama. Could Emanuel be the bridge that brings the two sides together? (The heated comments from the former president reported by the Huffington Post show that this is no easy task.)
Clinton won the hearts of Puerto Rico, but it won't alter Obama's lead. LINK
Race and the Church
Father Beck and NPR's Juan Williams provide perspective on Father Pfleger. LINK
Ted Kennedy: Surgery for Tumor
The Democratic senator undergoes brain surgery at Duke Medical Center today. LINK
Bill References 'Last Day' of Campaign
Clinton: "This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign" like this. LINK
McCain Offers Tough Line on Iran
McCain hits Obama on foreign policy approach and proposes Iranian sanctions. LINK
Down to the Delegates
Superdelegate Donna Brazile discusses the state of the Democratic Party. LINK
One Day of Voting Left
George Stephanopoulos analyses what's ahead for Democratic candidates. LINK
Superdelegates Taking Sides
Undecided delegates are center of attention as primaries end. LINK
How Will the Democratic Contest End?
Sen. Clinton still seeking superdelegates as clock winds down. LINK
Hillary Wins Puerto Rico
The N.Y. senator may have won but is it too little too late? LINK
Obama Looks Ahead
While campaigning in So. Dakota the Ill. senator plans strategy for November. LINK
Mark Halperin Weighs In
The ABC political analyst discusses the Democratic race. LINK
Obama Adviser on Trinity, Dem Unity
Obama communications director Robert Gibbs on Obama's decision to leave church. LINK
McAuliffe: Clinton Eyes 'Magic Number'
Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe: DNC decision not the "party I know." LINK
Dean Dishes on DNC Meeting
DNC leaders see deal on Fla., Mich as important step in healing the party. LINK
Roundtable: McClellan and Sexism
George Will, Donna Brazile, David Brooks and Todd Purdum. LINK
Green Room: Good Day for Equality?
Behind the scenes with George Will, Donna Brazile, David Brooks and Todd Purdum. LINK
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