The Fight for Iowa Delegates Heats Up

As you can see in most of my news articles tonight, the talk is surrounding John’s Iowa delegates and what they are going to do. The NY Daily News reported,

"Edwards’ campaign co-chair in the state, Rob Tully, tells us the Edwards Team will be sending out an e-mail tonight asking their delegates to hang tough.
"Neither of these candidates can make it all the way to the nomination on their own, and it allows us to reiterate our loyalty to John Edwards and the issues he championed," Tully said."

I couldn’t agree more! Why should they throw their support to Clinton or Obama? Sure, it would help one of them gain more delegates but they honestly don’t deserve them. I don’t say this because I am bitter over the fact no one paid attention to John. I say this because we all know John was the best choice when America is in a recession. And this is just looking at the issue of the economy. Anyways, The Quad City Times went on to report this e-mail is coming from John’s own mouth stating,

"Tully said he had talked to a top Edwards campaign official about how to proceed this weekend and expected to send an e-mail sometime Thursday.

"I’m speaking for John. The word came from him," Tully said."

With all of the chatter, guess who’s campaign is the most active in getting Edwards delegates. Hillary. In Newsweek, an Iowan web designer Lance Jenkins received a solicitation from the Clinton campaign. Listen to their strategy:

"....both campaigns are actively pursuing the 30 percent of county delegates pledged to John Edwards; his estimated 14 statewide delegates--now free-agents--would be a major boon. "Absolutely they’re fair game," says Karen Hicks, a senior adviser to the Clinton campaign. "We are reaching out to a lot of them, trying to persuade them to join our team." But Jenkins says that the Clintonites are going a step further--and cites himself as evidence. According to Jenkins, the robocall he received from the Clinton campaign was a solicitation. "It said something like, ’As the county convention nears, we ask that you consider Hillary,’" he recalls. "It rattled off a bunch of Clinton’s talking points, like experience, substance, ready on day one, etc." The only problem? Jenkins is committed to Obama--meaning that, in Jenkins words, "Clinton is actively pursuing pledged delegates."

This isn’t to say Obama’s people aren’t fighting too because all of the articles below tonight mention that his people are doing so.... it just appears that Hillary’s people are being more aggressive about it. The thing is, this is a lose-lose situation for both Hillary and Barack because the NY Daily News reported,

"Hillary herself called me," said Edwards’ co-chairman Rob Tully

"All of a sudden we matter again," said Edwards backer John Heitland, the Hardin County Democratic chairman.

The bad news for Clinton is she left a poor impression with many Edwards supporters and other Iowans when she bad-mouthed the state’s caucuses after she finished third, calling them undemocratic. And some blame her for the negative tone that’s crept in.

"It’s gotten kind of nasty, and I think most of that’s come from the Clinton side," said Heitland.

The bad news for Obama is that Tully planned to ask his people to go to the conventions and stick with Edwards. "It gives us a chance to say that we are not happy with the fighting that’s been going on," he said.

I like to consider myself a hardcore Edwards Democrat. I want to say thank you to all of the Iowans who are sticking with John at the convention. I want to make sure the Democratic Party knows that I think they made the wrong choice in supporting the "firsts" and not the "issues". A Clinton delegate or an Obama delegate do not speak for me. An Edwards delegate speaks for me. If McCain wins the election you can bet I will be helping in the mass production to make bumper stickers which state, "Don’t Blame Me.... I Voted for Edwards".