Election 2008 Democrats | Republicans | General Election: Heads-to-Heads | Latest Polls

---

May 07, 2008

Lanny Davis on the Democratic Race

Hannity & Colmes

HANNITY: The fallout continues over yesterday's primary results, and today Senate Democrats are weighing in on whether Senator Hillary Clinton should call it quits. Clinton supporter, Senator Dianne Feinstein, had this to say.

"I want to talk to Senator Clinton, and I'd like to know what her strategy is. She's my friend, I'm loyal. On the other hand, I don't want to rip the party asunder. And so, I think on this one, the key is really the strategy and whether the strategy is workable."

Joining us now from the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida, what a tough job, is Clinton supporter Lanny Davis.

Lanny, good to see you, my friend.

LANNY DAVIS, CLINTON SUPPORTER: There are Republicans surrounding me here.

HANNITY: I go to Naples.

COLMES: Go to Naples, too.

HANNITY: I've been there a lot and it's a great place. But listen, let me ask you, because James Carville, Terri McAuliffe, Harold Wolfson, Hillary Clinton herself, they not only have all come out and said she's not getting out of this race, but there's now a push by each and every one of them to go forward with the so called scorched earth or what people are calling the nuclear option, and that is the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegations.

I want to say this in this context, September 1st, 2007, Hillary signed a letter, the Clinton campaign, "We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process, and we believe the DNC's rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role, thus we're signing the pledge to adhere to the DNC approved nominating calendar."

How did they get around their own letter?

DAVIS: Well, first of all, they did adhere to the pledge except one candidate violated the rules and advertised the week before Florida. That candidate was Barack Obama with the lame excuse that they did, quote, "a 50-state buy," and they had to include Florida. But the fact is that Hillary Clinton proposed and supported a revote using absentee ballots and fire house locations.

Senator Carl Levin, Senator Bill Nelson from Florida and Michigan -- Senator Levin from Michigan -- were ready to move forward on that. Money would have been raised so it would have involved no tax dollars. Senator Clinton said she'd support a revote which would be consistent with the rules.

HANNITY: Right.

DAVIS: And Barack Obama's campaign refused to go along.

HANNITY: Yes. All right.

DAVIS: Now that's because they feared the result, and, therefore, I think it's now a legitimate issue to put back on the table.

HANNITY: Lanny.

DAVIS: That 2.5 million people should be represented at the convention.

HANNITY: Well, can I be honest? I agree with you.

DAVIS: Yes.

HANNITY: I think it's unconscionable that you have.

DAVIS: May we consider my opinion.

HANNITY: No -- in all honesty here that -- right now I think Senator Barack Obama is the weaker candidate for John McCain, but the idea that you have, you know, a record turnout in Florida and that those votes aren't counted, if you add up the popular vote in Florida and Michigan, although Michigan, you have a weaker case because Barack wasn't on the ballot, Hillary is in the lead here.

So where do you go? How do you pull this off? You've got two separate committees you can appeal to, but I would assume that it's going to be very difficult to pull this off.

DAVIS: Look, three things have to happen. She has to win a majority of the remainder of the primaries and still show the same strength in the Democratic Party base of working class people and primarily white, working class men and women, senior citizens, and Hispanic voters. Those are the voters that Democrats need.

COLMES: Hey.

DAVIS: Secondly, every national opinion poll shows her stronger than Barack Obama in the battle ground states. Ohio she's ahead, he's behind McCain. Pennsylvania she's ahead, he's only a little ahead, and in Florida he's 15 points down to McCain. She's neck and neck.

COLMES: Lanny, it's Alan. Welcome back.

DAVIS: So those are the statistics that I think superdelegates ought to be picky about.

Hi, Alan.

COLMES: The way Sean is making a case for Hillary, I think he's about to start calling superdelegates. I'm not sure about that.

HANNITY: Well, if they want to.

COLMES: Well, let me ask you about -- very well. Well, let me ask you, this really boils down to the math, doesn't it? She has to win 349 of the 486 pledged and superdelegates yet to declare. That's a pretty steep hill to climb, isn't it? And I'm a Hillary supporter.

DAVIS: It's a steep hill to climb. It's a steep hill to climb. And for people like Senator Feinstein and others who want to see a pathway to that victory, the first key assumption that has to be proven is that she is winning the Democratic Party base of working class people and that Barack Obama, except for African-Americans, is not winning those working class Democrats.

Thirty percent of them in the Gallup and the Pew polls are McCain supporters in the Democratic base. Those are the children of Reagan Democrats. If superdelegates are worried about winning the general election, Alan, that's a very important.

COLMES: What does it mean when a Hillary supporter named George McGovern now says, "I'm supporting Barack Obama," the day after the Indiana and North Carolina primaries?

DAVIS: Well, I have a great deal of respect for Senator McGovern. It's sort of a little bit ironic that both Clintons were for George McGovern in 1972 and I was for Senator Muskie, but I was more middle of the road in those days.

Look, Senator McGovern lost 49 out of 50 states. He knows that you can win the primaries. He won immense victories over Senator Muskie in 1972. A lot of us fear that Barack Obama appeals to the same sliver of the electorate who nominated for George McGovern. And that's just been written in "The New Republic" recently. So I'm not making that up.

So the McGovern endorsement is a reminder that the world of Democratic primary activists, 4 percent caucus turnout, 96 percent Democrats don't turn out in caucuses, 4 percent was the average, and 15 percent in primaries in the Democratic primaries. The general electorate is a broad cross section of people.

COLMES: All right, Lanny.

DAVIS: .who don't necessarily vote the same way as primaries (INAUDIBLE).

COLMES: We'll be watching. Thanks so much for being with us tonight. I appreciate it very much.

And coming up next, George McGovern.

DAVIS: Thanks. Glad to be back.

About Us | RSS | Contact | Advertise | Privacy Policy         © RealClearPolitics 2008