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'Meet the Press' transcript for May 11, 2008
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 Netcast May 11: Two former DNC Chairmen: Obama supporter Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Clinton campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe weigh in on Clinton's continuing candidacy and what it means for the Democratic Party. Plus, a political roundtable with Chris Cillizza, John Harwood, Michele Norris and Jerry Seib. |
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Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.
MR. TERRY McAULIFFE: Tim, great to be--feels good to be back.
MR. RUSSERT: You saw those numbers I had on the screen. Rahm Emanuel...
MR. McAULIFFE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: ...a member of Congress from Illinois, worked in the Clinton White House, said this on Friday.
MR. McAULIFFE: Sure.
MR. RUSSERT: "Just looking at the facts, he"--Barack Obama--"the presumptive nominee." Fair?
MR. McAULIFFE: First off, no one is the nominee. Everyone needs to be clear, until someone gets the magic number of the delegates, 2209, you are not the nominee of the Democratic Party. Right now, Tim, you have seen in these contests you've had 35 million people vote. If you take everyone who pushed a button for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, 16.6 million for Hillary Clinton, 16.7 million for Barack Obama. That is a difference of 100,000 votes out of 35 million.
MR. RUSSERT: You're counting Florida and Michigan.
Mr. McAULIFFE: Sure I am, they voted. There's no question they voted, they were certified at the county level and the state level. They voted. I'm not talking about delegates. But they voted.
MR. RUSSERT: But Obama's name wasn't on the ballot in Michigan.
MR. McAULIFFE: And that was a political decision he made to pull his name off the ballot.
MR. RUSSERT: All right.
MR. McAULIFFE: Let's be clear. He was on the ballot, he took his name off to appease Iowa and New Hampshire. It was a political decision, I'm fine with that. But they voted, two and a half million people. And the Rules and Bylaws Committee will meet on the 31st to determine their status. But just remember. Who voted? A difference of 100,000 out of 35 million.
MR. RUSSERT: Looking at the math...
MR. McAULIFFE: Sure.
MR. RUSSERT: Since Super Tuesday, Obama's gotten 104 superdelegates, Clinton's gotten 16.
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah.
MR. RUSSERT: Since Tuesday's primary in Indiana, North Carolina, Obama's got 18 superdelegates.
MR. McAULIFFE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: Clinton's won 25. Don Fowler, former Democratic Party chairman...
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah. Good friend.
MR. RUSSERT: ...passionate Hillary Clinton supporter.
MR. McAULIFFE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: Quote: "The trickle is going to become an avalanche of superdelegates going to Obama."
MR. McAULIFFE: Has it become an avalanche today? No. Did it become an avalanche after Tuesday, when you and others were all on the air saying it was over? No. Which should make you say something. We are now coming up to West Virginia on Tuesday. The last poll had Hillary up 43 points. She's up 40 points in Kentucky. What does it say for the candidate that you say has won the nomination that he can't win two states that Bill Clinton carried in 1992 and 1996? We lost them in 2000 and 2004. This is our point: Hillary Clinton in the general election can beat John McCain. She beats him in Florida, she beats him in Ohio, she beats him in Missouri. This is about winning the election on November 4th in helping the down-ballot races. She has won those 20 congressional districts that are key to us winning to keep the House of Representatives.
MR. RUSSERT: The Clinton campaign says it's the media. What we did is add up the delegates...
MR. McAULIFFE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: ...call Clinton supporters and say, "Is the math there?" Clinton supporters said "No." You heard Rahm Emanuel, an objective viewer, I think, on this.
MR. McAULIFFE: Sure.
MR. RUSSERT: John Edwards, who's been neutral on all this...
MR. McAULIFFE: Yep. Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: ...was on the "Today" show and said this:
(Videotape, Friday)
FMR. SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC): Well, I think right now Barack Obama has a better chance because it looks like he's going to be the nominee.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: About an hour later, he was on MSNBC "Morning Joe."
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah.
MR. RUSSERT: He said this.
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah.
(Videotape, Friday)
FMR. SEN. EDWARDS: I've watched Barack Obama come out of nowhere, which is basically what he did.
MS. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Isn't that amazing? Yeah.
FMR. SEN. EDWARDS: And he is clearly the likely nominee at this point.
MS. BRZEZINSKI: So who you voted for is who you'll endorse?
FMR. SEN. EDWARDS: I'd say highly likely, yes.
(End videotape)
MR. McAULIFFE: Likely nominee? That's not the actual nominee. All I can tell you, Tim, is we have seven million Democrats. We have a million-one in West Virginia. We have a million-six in Kentucky. We have 2.4 million Democrats in Puerto Rico. Seven million have yet to vote. Let's let them vote. We have been in this for 17 months. We only have three weeks to go. Let the voters vote and make a decision. Let me ask you--I know it's your show--you think it's impossible for Hillary Clinton to be the nominee? Impossible?
MR. RUSSERT: Look, look, I'm going to stay with the questions.
MR. McAULIFFE: OK, but well, I'll just say it's not impossible. Did you count the Buffalo Bills out in 1993 when the Houston Oilers were beating them by 32 points in the third quarter?
MR. RUSSERT: What--but--all right, then, well, tell me the...
MR. McAULIFFE: No!
MR. RUSSERT: Tell me the path to the nomination. What percentage...
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah.
MR. RUSSERT: ...of elected delegates would she have to get in order to win?
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah. Here's what we have to do. By the end of this process, Tim, I believe we will be ahead in the popular vote. I believe that within the delegates it will be within 100. Out of over 4,000 delegates chosen she will have been ahead in the popular vote, more people will have voted for Hillary Clinton. Then the argument's got to be for the remaining superdelegates, who is it that can best win the general election. She's going to win West Virginia. She's going to win Kentucky. We win Florida. We win Ohio. Those are important considerations.
This race is tight. All I'm telling Democrats out there today is, let's let the next three weeks go. And I tell Democrats, they need to stand down, not tell Hillary Clinton. She has 16.6 million very passionate supporters. We want to make sure at the end of this process, Tim, we as Democrats are all together. Sometimes we like to drive that car over the cliff of the Democratic Party. This is a very fragile time.
MR. RUSSERT: But, but you will admit that she cannot overtake Barack Obama with elected delegates.
MR. McAULIFFE: Very--highly unlikely.
MR. RUSSERT: That--impossible?
MR. McAULIFFE: Nothing's impossible. Look, tomorrow--something new could happen. Nothing's impossible. You are talking to Terry McAuliffe. I don't believe anything in life is impossible.
MR. RUSSERT: But you would need an act of God or for something catastrophic to happen to the Obama campaign.
MR. McAULIFFE: Sure, something big would have to happen, I will give you that, absolutely.
MR. RUSSERT: Hillary Clinton, USA Today interview on Thursday...
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah.
MR. RUSSERT: ...has received a lot of criticism...
MR. McAULIFFE: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: ...and analysis.
MR. McAULIFFE: Yeah.
MR. RUSSERT: This is what Hillary Clinton said. Let's watch and listen.
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