Hollywood Today calls Barack Obama Democratic choice for President of the United States

By Brian Frederick

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 6/1/08 — Hollywood Today officially states Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President, based on the latest math. Since yesterday’s decision includes Michigan and Florida with a split delegate count, it is seemingly impossible for him to lose to Hillary Clinton, no matter how long she chooses to stay in the race.

The Democratic National Committee finally decided the fate of Michigan and Florida’s delegate count yesterday, awarding each states its full delegation but giving each delegate a half vote. Now that Florida and Michigan have decided the outcome of their respective elections, all that remains are Puerto Rico’s 55 delegates today, Montana’s 16, and South Dakotas 15 on June 3. Barack Obama is sure to wrap up the democratic nomination for president of the United States.

Once again, the state of Florida is the center of voting controversy stemming from a close election in 2000, where voting ballots had to be counted by hand. After eight years of recounting those ballots in the US general election, George W. Bush won each time, long after Katherine Harris, Florida’s Secretary of State resigned.

The democratic national committee, a long time accuser of President Bush stealing the elections in 2000 is back in the forefront with Florida in the 2008 democratic primary elections. The DNC last year decided to punish millions of democratic voters in Florida and Michigan by not counting their votes because Florida and Michigan decided to move their primaries ahead of the first democratic voting for the party scheduled on February 5, 2008.

The Florida legislature decided to circumvent the Democratic Party’s rules and bylaws committee by holding the states elections on January 29 – a direct violation of the party’s rules which were adopted in August 2006. Michigan’s primary was held on Jan. 15, stirring the controversy with its inability to follow the committee’s rules, both states have disenfranchised millions of voters. Ironic since the DNC, made similar accusations against the Republican party eight years ago in Florida. Even more ironic is that the DNC is doing the disenfranchising against its own party.

Tensions were high at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington D.C., where the DNC decided the fate of Florida and Michigan. Hundreds of protestors, activists, democrats for or against their own party candidates and even McCain supporters packed the DNC ballroom and city streets with jeers, boos and pushing and shoving. “No-bama, No-bama,” cried one activist, another for the Clinton camp, called the “actions cheating.”

Clinton is not going down without a fight. Harold Ickes, one of Clinton’s top advisors stated “Mrs. Clinton has instructed me to reserve her rights to take this to the credentials committee,” the response drew cheers from Clinton supporters shouting, “Denver!, Denver!, Denver!” Denver is where this years DNC will be held starting August 25.

Clinton is expected to win tomorrow in Puerto Rico and take more than half the delegates available. Barring a miracle for Clinton, she would have to take all the delegates two states and one republic and persuade the 200 plus undecided Superdelegates to vote for her nomination.

The chances of this happening for Hillary Clinton are zero.

Even with half delegates increased to full voting rights in Michigan and Florida, it doesn’t change the bottom line numbers. Hillary has lost the Democratic Party for president.

It’s all about the numbers:

As of May 31 – Barack Obama – currently 2051 delegates – needed 67

Hillary Clinton – currently 1877 delegates – needed 241

Needed to win – 2118. At stake 86.

Technically both candidates could finish with less than the required number of delegates barring the Superdelegates. If that should happen the Democratic Party could go to Denver as a brokered convention. That means political horse-trading could take place. In theory, a smoke-filled room where delegates gather in secret to decide the fate or victor for their party’s presidential candidate. A smoke filled room, stems from the political wrangling that took place in the Republican National Convention in 1920 for Warren G. Harding, a relatively unknown candidate at the time. The brokering took place amongst Republican senators in a smoke filled room in Chicago’s Blackstone hotel.

With Obama’s clear delegate victory, it is unlikely the remaining unpledged Superdelegates would give the victory to Clinton, especially with the publicity that would stem from such a decision. That result would almost surely instigate lawsuits that could further the chaos in the Democratic Party. This is why Obama has won the Democratic Party’s bid for US President in 2008.