Bill Clinton Tells State Dems: ‘Chill Out’ Over Fears of a Fall Defeat

By Peter Hecht, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Mar. 31–SAN JOSE — Former President Clinton greeted a raucous Democratic Party gathering Sunday by telling partisans to “chill out” over fears that a contentious primary race could cost them the White House in the fall.

Before his spirited speech to the California Democratic Party state convention, Clinton met privately with more than a dozen national Democratic “superdelegates” whose votes may be crucial in deciding the winner of the presidential nomination.

In his public speech, Clinton offered a passionate endorsement of his wife — New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. He called her the greatest candidate he has had a chance to vote for in 40 years — and declared that she would be a better president than he was.

Behind the scenes, he quietly wooed undeclared party superdelegates, telling them to hang on until all Democratic primaries and caucuses are held before choosing a candidate — whether it be his wife or Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Nationally, Obama leads Clinton by about 150 so-called “pledged delegates” won in primaries and caucuses. But both candidates are expected to fall below the 2,024 delegates needed to win the nomination.

That has stirred fears that the intense — often vitriolic — skirmishing between their campaigns may last until this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, leaving the winner severely wounded and vulnerable to defeat by presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in November.

But Sunday, Clinton reminded nearly 2,000 activists that he won election in 1992 despite emerging from the Democratic primary “so beat up, worked over and chewed out” that he at first badly trailed both President George H.W. Bush and independent candidate Ross Perot.

“There is somehow a suggestion that because we’re having a vigorous debate … we’re going to weaken the party in the fall,” Clinton said.

Rattling off names of key Democratic states yet to hold primaries, Clinton said: “Don’t you let anybody tell you that somehow we are weakening the Democratic Party” by telling voters in those states “what they cannot do. We are strengthening the Democratic Party. Chill out. We are going to win this election if we just chill out and let everybody have their say.”

Clinton’s public message complemented his private pitch to undeclared superdelegates. He sought to persuade them to hang on until the close of the primary season — which includes votes in such states as Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Oregon — before choosing sides.

“There wasn’t any pressure (from Clinton) that I need to make a decision,” said Crystal Strait, 28, of Sacramento, a national superdelegate and representative for the Young Democrats of America who met with the former president. “It was just a message to keep the conversation going.”

While the Obama campaign has been telling party activists that his nomination is inevitable, the Clinton camp is working to extend the race as long as possible to cut into Obama’s delegate lead or perhaps surpass him in the total popular vote.

With neither candidate winning enough state delegates, the nominee appears destined to be chosen by the nearly 800 superdelegates — elected officials, senior party activists and members of the Democratic National Committee.

The party tensions were underscored this week when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was assailed in a letter by leading Democratic donors supporting Clinton for saying that superdelegates shouldn’t overturn the will of voters. Pelosi’s remarks were seen as supportive of Obama.

The speaker’s daughter, Cristina Pelosi, also an undeclared superdelegate, was among those to meet with Clinton on Sunday. She said Clinton “encouraged us as superdelegates in letting the votes be counted” and working together to ensure “that John McCain is not elected president.”

“I know we’ll all be united as Democrats,” she said.

Also addressing the convention and meeting with superdelegates was San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris. She praised Obama in her speech as a leader who can inspire “the American people to do more, to achieve more and to become more.”

In an interview, Harris said the Obama camp was also pushing a soft sell behind closed doors with superdelegates.

“It’s been more, ‘How are you doing?’ ” she said. “I think most of the superdelegates are going to hold off. They’re not going to make a decision this weekend.”

One of those who remained uncommitted despite meeting with Clinton was superdelegate Steven Ybarra, a veteran party activist and professor at Sacramento City College.

“I believe it was more of a friendly meeting among old friends,” said Ybarra, who added that he still wants to see detailed plans from both campaigns on Latino voter outreach. “I invited the president to give me a call to talk to me personally.”

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