BURBANK, Calif. — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is unlikely to catch rival Barack Obama in pledged delegates, hinted Thursday that she hoped to persuade a few to back her instead of him.
“There is no such thing as a pledged delegate,” Clinton said at a news conference in California, where she has been fundraising.
Both Clinton and Obama planned to address the state convention of the North Dakota Democratic Party today, where delegates to this summer’s national convention in Denver will be allocated. Obama crushed Clinton in North Dakota’s Feb. 5 presidential caucuses, 61 percent to 36 percent.
The former first lady said she was traveling to the state to thank supporters and delegates — and that wooing Obama supporters was fair game.
Pledged delegates are a “misnomer,” Clinton said.
“The whole point is for delegates, however they are chosen, to really ask themselves who would be the best president and who would be our best nominee against Sen. McCain,” she said. “And I think that process goes all the way to the convention.”
While the DNC has no rules requiring pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses to vote for the candidate, the people who serve as pledged delegates are selected by the campaigns that won them, and loyalty is a key qualification.
Obama leads in the delegate count, 1,634 to 1,500, according to The Associated Press.
Because of the way Democrats apportion delegates, Clinton is not projected to catch Obama even if she has a strong showing in the remaining 10 contests.
Neither candidate can win based solely on pledged delegates. The nominee is likely to be chosen by some 800 superdelegates — elected officials and party insiders free to side with any candidate they choose.
Clinton’s comments came as one of her prominent supporters and superdelegates, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, said he would consider switching to Obama if Clinton doesn’t win the popular vote.
In an interview with CNBC, Corzine expressed confidence that Clinton will pull ahead. And he agreed the race will be over if she doesn’t get a “big win” in the Pennsylvania primary April 22.
“You have to have a real cut into this popular vote, and I think she’s going to get it, though,” he said. “I feel good about that.”
