Paterson says Clinton frustrated, not desperate
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/05/28/art.paterson.gi.jpg caption=" Paterson backtracked from his comments last week describing Clinton as desperate."] (CNN) - Hillary Clinton supporter and New York Gov. David Paterson appeared to backtrack Wednesday from his comments last week suggesting the New York senator's latest actions on the campaign trail showed signs of "desperation."
Speaking on a New York radio station Wednesday, Paterson said "desperation" was probably not the correct word to attribute to the New York senator.
"I think a better word would have been 'frustration,'" Paterson said Monday on Talk 1300. (Listen to the interview here.) "The frustration was that the senator had won votes in Florida and Michigan and would like to have those delegates. Certainly in Florida, I think there is a very good argument with that."
"I still believe that number one, she is the best person suited for the presidency and number two, she is the most likely to defeat John McCain," he also said.
Paterson's original comments came Thursday, when he appeared to express disagreement with Clinton over her continued push to get the full delegations of both states seated.
"I would say at this point we're starting to see a little desperation on the part of the woman who I support and I'll support until whatever time she makes a different determination," Paterson said then.
Paterson, a Democratic superdelegate, also said then he disagreed with the party's initial decision to penalize the states, but added he thought the party should now "leave it where it is."
Clinton won both states' primaries, though Barack Obama removed his name from the ballot in Michigan. Clinton uses popular vote totals from both Florida in Michigan in her claim that she is beating the Illinois senator in the overall popular vote. The Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee is slated to meet Saturday to determine if and how it will seat the two state's delegations at the party’s nominating convention this summer.
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It's amazing how many people KNOW HE CAN'T WIN the swing states...I guess there is no need to have a general election since everyone can PREDICT THE OUTCOME...quit whining...MI and FL broke the rules...they should be punished...that's life!!!!
But the fact remains that OBAMA is the leader and SHOULD be the nominee...if he loses in NOVEMBER than so what...he should be allowed to run and win/lose on his own merits, not because someone whined/cried so much that rules were changed to benefit them...
So if they do STEAL the nomination from him (and you KNOW that is the truth) and she still looses in November, what then?
I think she will have more trouble convincing HIS supporters to back her than He will have convincing hers to back him....
the govenor is an adultrist
maybe he is looking for payback for his new commits
She is pushing and pushing her way througth w all sorts of manipulation. It surely is the sign of desperation.
Desperate people would do anything, very dangerous!
You were right, don't backtrack!
sounds like somebody doesn't want to be on her bad list... and it all comes after she is looking to get a boost from florida and michigan... how CONVENIENT for him.
dudes a joke
She is desperate and selfish. That is the truth.
this is one of the things i have always hated about washington and the politics. how can one family have so much power and everyone seem so afraid to cross them even to do the right thing. this is so sad for our country and i am so ashame to be a part of it. we need to vote to stop this madness and remember all the politicians who could not stand up to the clintons.
David Paterson, I am disgusted by you, you two-faced hypocrite. I suppose this is like your reaction to New York State budget. First, you, probably correctly, went around NYS saying NY is in trouble, we have to hold spending, or better yet, reduce spending. Then you went ahead and allowed the increase beyond your recommendation with not a word. Go along to get along, right? What a spineless weakling you are!
Then Hillary, the best friend and best fundraiser most Dems will ever see. I guess Barack called and said you owe him, as a Black man. Sure you do. Black racism makes white racism look like child's play. But the Hillary fans were upset by your words, so, now that the damage is done, you try to retract them. What a Woss!
Hillary Clinton deserves your deep respect and support as a New Yorker, a Democrat, and, yes, as a Black man. She's done more for you and yours than you could repay in a life time. Take a hike.
Who's he afraid of? Having Hillary back in New York to push him around? Did someone leave a nasty reminder on the governor's pillow in the middle of the night?
Ah, Paterson. Grow a set, already!
Hillary's set women back 20 years with this campaign.
Did this guy miss a marriage counsel meeting to go to this interview?
Well, guess the "Honorable" Govenor of NY got strong armed by the old party cronies and Bill and Hil's Thugs!!! WOW, this reminds me so much of so called "democracies" in countries that truly aren't. They are making a mockery of this!!! I for one am registered independent but was finally seeing hope in the democratic party. Now, not so sure if this is how it's done in that party.
If for some unimaginable and demonistic chance that hillary the antiChrist gets the nomination, this democrat will definitely vote for McCain, if not , it'll be Obama all the way.
It is a right, duty and privilege of EVERY American citizen, born or naturalized, to vote in the United States. The Rule should never have been made.
leon=HATER
Hilary's stance on the FL and MI issue is the biggest example of how transparent she is. About how she's willing to say anything to get elected. About how this is all about her and not the party, or our country. People in Florida and Michigan, she doesn't really care about your votes. If she really felt those two states were getting robbed, then why wasnt she fighting the penalties put on them from the begining? She didn't she said she agreed with what happened. Probably thinking she was a shoo in for the nomination. Then when she found herself in a fight, and now behind.....all of a sudden "oh the poor people of Florida and Michigan". If she were the one leading Obama, she wouldn't care about those votes at all.
For all of you Obama doubters, Most people said he couldn't win the nomination and he is so he can win and will win in November. If Hillary was such an electable person, she would be winning hands down. She has not been mistreated. She had everything going for her and she lost it because of a poorly managed campaign. If she cannot manage a campaign, how can she manage our country?
He said it right the first time and anybody with a IQ above 1 can see she is desperate.
Deeply Concerned in NH May 28th, 2008 5:47 pm ET
I am so tired of everyone debating this over and over…
AS WE ALL ARE
There is one KEY FACT that everyone is missing:
The democratic system of allocating pledged delegates is a JOKE!. Watching some of these caucuses that I see, it is very simple to skew those numbers. Additionally, since the democrats do not have a "winner take all" system, it is very easy to miss the fact that with Hillary winning all the large states, she would more than likely have a substantial lead in the pledged delegate count, if not have already clinched the nomination!! ACTUALLY THIS SYSTEM IS MORE FAIR IN THAT IT ALLOWS THE VOICE OF MORE VOTERS TO BE HEARD THAN THE PATENTLY WRONG ONE OF THE WINNER TAKE ALL SCENARIO USED BY THE REPUBLICANS. IF OYU RECALL WHEN MCCAIN WON THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION MANY REPUBLICANS WERE WISHING THEY HAD THE DEMOCRATIC WAY OF CHOSING AND THEY ARE CONSIDERING CHANGING IT NOW.
The crucial mistake that HRC's campaign made was not taking the caucus process seriously. Since Obama did, he got virtually ALL the caucus delegates, very damaging in this type of election. NO THIS SIMPLY MEANS THOSE WHO CAN BE BOTHERED TO COME OUT AND ACTUALLY WORK FOR THEIR CANDIDATE HAVE MORE OF A VOICE THAN THOSE WHO STAY IN AND WHINE, SEEMS FIAR AND JUST TO ME. IF OYU CANNOT BE BOTHERED TO USE SOME OF YOUR TIME AND MAYBE SOMEOF YOUR MONEY (LOSE A DAY AT WORK) TO SUPPORT YOUR CANDIDATE YOU SHOULD HAVE LITTLE VOICE IN SELECTING THE CANDIDATE SINCE IT IS VERY LIKELY OYU HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CANDIDATES REAL PLATFORM.
We cannot ignore that Obama CANNOT win the so-called "swing states in November. He has ZERO chance of carrying Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, New York, Michigan, Ohio and Florida. If you cannot carry those states..YOU CANNOT WIN THE WHITE HOUSE! ACTUALLY HE IS LEADING MCCAIN IN PA AND OHIO RIGHT NOW. ALSO NY, CA WILL GO DEMOCRATIC NO MATTER WHO IS ON THE TICKET. HE HAS A STRONGER SHOWING IN TX THAN MS. CLINTON AND IS RUNNING ALMOST DEAD EVEN IN CO WITH MR MCCAIN WITH MS CLINTON A FAR THIRD, HE AHS A VERY STRONG POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING THE ELECTORIAL MAP AND WINNING THIS ELECTION
If the dems blow this thing in November, and we get 4 more years of a Republican administration, I will be sick. This should have been a SLAM-DUNK for the dems…it should not have even been CLOSE…not after the 8 years we have had to endure of Mr Bush THIS IS TRUE NOW IF YOU DEMS WOULD VOTE FOR YOUR CANDIDATE IN THE FALL THE DEMS WILL WIN, IF YOU SULK AND CRY LIKE CHILDREN THEY WILL MOST LIKELY WIN ALSO BUT IT WILL BE CLOSE.
Sorry about all the CAPS but I wanted to distingush my comments from the original posters comments
The race is close, but Obama is winning and Hillary can not catch up. She has the right to stay in the race, but she is doing the Democratic Party a great disservice. It has been a long time since the Democratic Party stood for something rather then just being a group of people against the Republicans. For those Hillary supporters that can not support Obama will find refuge at this time in the Republican Party. It is OK. We can win in November without those who no longer fit: such as Racist, Man haters...
The bottom line, he spoke the truth. This reeks of Clinton elites having a "conversation" with this guy.
Look people, the fact is everything that comes out of this woman's mouth repeatedly gets refuted.
She lies and lies and lies, and somehow, her backers feel that people are being unfair when they call her on these lies.
Today it was the refuting of the polls, and some bloggers are claiming that CNN is all of sudden a "tabloid".
You cannot appease this woman. She will not be happy until she destroys this party or weasels her way into the white house!!
Poor Hillary she IS desperate if she couldn't back her own party, or attempted to manipulate, her own party. I don't think particular backers given a mouth by CNN have engaged in did anything good of late (I mean New York governor & LA mayor) We need a new start.
I am sick and tired of every statement by every person in the public arena being picked apart. Very tiring. The pundits have nothing better to do?
Desperate is the right word.....along with rude, frustrated, annoying, etc., etc., etc... ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
You had it right the first time David, don't be a flip flopper. Whatever adjective your choose, frustrated or desperate, equals Clinton the loser.
All these "dumb" predictions about Hillary are just that- "dumb". Luckily, Hillary is NOT running against anyone at this time. This race has been over a long time ago, and the BEST candidate has won.
This is like a student who is so pesky at the end of the semester in trying to convince me to "re-adjust" the grading scale: "F" to "B."
What has become of this nation, if we cannot accept simple rules of "fidelity, honesty, love...?" God have mercy on us and our children!