Clinton backer: Obama will win

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Clinton backer: Obama will win

Posted: 01:10 PM ET

Cleaver, a supporter of Clinton, said he'd be stunned if Obama didn't win.

(CNN) — A key Hillary Clinton supporter appeared to be a bit off message during a recent interview with a Canadian radio station.

"If I had to make a prediction right now, I'd say Barack Obama is going to be the next president," Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said in a Canadian public radio interview this weekend. "I will be stunned if he's not the next president of the United States."

Cleaver, an African-American, endorsed Clinton's White House bid last year and formally remained aligned with the New York senator even as other black leaders shifted their support to Barack Obama.

But after his district voted for Obama in the February 5 primary, Cleaver did indicate he would consider voting for the Illinois senator at the party's convention if the delegate count was extremely tight between the two candidates.

In the Canadian radio interview, Cleaver made clear he doesn't expect Clinton to overtake Obama, comparing his support of the New York Democrat to that of his hometown losing football team.

“Even though I don't expect the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Indianapolis Colts, I cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs,” he said.

He also pushed back on the notion Clinton should take her fight for the party's nomination all the way to the August convention — though he acknowledged that is not the position he is supposed to take.

"If I do the party line, I'm supposed to say — and maybe I'll say, just so if anybody hears it they can say well, 'Cleaver did the party line before he told the truth' — we believe that a contest going all the way to the convention is good for America."

But, he added, an actual convention fight would be a “tragedy of tragedies.”

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/...obama-will-win/

[Ban Hammer 14,674]

jump now and avoid the rush!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Interesting...more will follow. She's out of money and she'll do poorly in PA...if the polls continue to favor Obama in PA, I'd venture to say she may bow out before the Primary.

[Peikko 1,575]

Not a little patronising to suggest that anyone who supports Hilary is doing so because of some 'misplaced' loyalty.

Would it not be more constructive to pose threads on all the good things Barack intends to do?

[no name 1]

Not a little patronising to suggest that anyone who supports Hilary is doing so because of some 'misplaced' loyalty.

Do as they say, not as they post. It's hard to talk out of both sides of your mouth, you know.

Would it not be more constructive to pose threads on all the good things Barack intends to do?

That's rich.

Edited April 1, 2008 by illumine