Obama's Delegate Lead

[Adelante]

So where do Barack Obama's victories last night leave him and Hillary Clinton in the delegate count? Even including Hillary's lead on super-delegates, Obama now has a substantial lead of more than 50 in even the most conservative estimates, and the lead gets a whole lot bigger when super-delegates are taken out of the equation.

Here are the current counts of delegates from various news organizations, including super-delegates unless otherwise noted:

CNN: Obama 1,301, Clinton 1,239.

CNN: Obama 1,140, Clinton 1,005 (Not counting super-delegates).

NBC: Obama 1,168, Clinton 1,1018 (Not counting super-delegates).

ABC: Obama 1,355, Clinton 1,261.

CBS: Obama 1,349, Clinton 1,252.

Associated Press: Obama 1,303, Clinton 1,233.

Washington Post: Obama 1,423, Clinton 1,297.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/obamas_delegate_lead_growing.php

[Renew Deal]

1. That doesn't even include Hawaii or part of WI.

:bounce:

[Adelante]

2. Plouffe: Virtually no chance of catching us now

On a conference call with reporters just now, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe laid out the campaign's view of the delegate math ahead in the wake of yesterday's resounding victories.

Plouffe's conclusion: It's virtually impossible for Hillary to catch up at this point.

Plouffe says that Hillary needs to win Ohio and Texas by over 20 points each in order to begin to erase Obama's lead in pledged dels right now. Even the campaign's worst case scenario for March 4th, Plouffe says, leaves Obama with a lead in the range of 150 pledged dels.

Plouffe further points out that there are 560 total pledged dels in all the contests after March 4th, meaning that the Clinton campaign will have to win roughly three-fourths of those to erode Obama's lead significantly remain in the game.

Plouffe's bottom line: "They're gonna have to win landslides from here on out."

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/obama_campaign_hillary_has_vir.php

[Renew Deal]

3. And Obama is likely to win MS, and possibly WY.

Those two are within a week of March 4th. Then consider that Obama will probably do well in NH, SD, Montana. It gets even harder.