So CW is that last week was the "week from hell" for Obama, and given that he could've closed this thing out and didn't, we can stipulate that it could've been better.But let's see just how horrible the week was:
Per Obama's count (if Clinton had a similar count, I'll happily link to it), Obama started last week with 1,203 delegates, Clinton with 1,043. Since then:
Obama Clinton
OH 66 75
RI 8 13
VT 9 6
TX 99 94
WY 7 5Total 189 193
So that's a four-delegate gain for Clinton.
But that wasn't all. Obama also picked up three more super delegates last Tuesday -- Texas Democratic Party Vice Chair Roy Laverne Brooks, DNC member Mary Long of Georgia and South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler.
That pegs things at 192-193 for the week.
And then on Saturday, Obama provided material help in Bill Foster's dramatic upset victory in IL-14, filming an ad and sending hundreds of volunteers into the district. The Republicans had John McCain campaign for the Republican candidate, yet still lost proving that Obama 1) is more focused on party building and down-ballot races than the Clinton campaign (where was she?), 2) that he could out-battle McCain in the first proxy battle of the season, and 3) that he's got some serious coattails.
Oh, and Bill Foster is now a super delegate and repaid Obama's largesse by promising him his vote.
So yes, Obama has some serious message issues to deal with and a shaken campaign to right. But where it matters -- in the delegate race -- Obama ended his week from hell TIED with Clinton.
Furthermore, there's an "unpledged" Wyoming delegate still to be decided. He or she will be selected at Wyoming's state convention, and is selected by the elected delegates from Saturday's caucus. In other words, it's going to be another Obama delegate. So unofficially, Obama actually won the delegate race last week.
As Clinton gears up her efforts for coup by super delegate, threatening civil war within the party, it bears noting that in her best week of the campaign since her New Hampshire victory, she actually lost ground in the race.
Update: It was even better for Obama last week. The final certified vote in California swung four votes Obama's direction. So officially, Obama gained four delegates last week, unofficially (including that Wyoming unpledged delegate), it was five.
Update II: And there were two new super delegate endorsements for Obama on Saturday -- NV State Party Vice Chairwoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson and Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV).
That makes it a +6 delegate week for Obama officially, +7 unofficially.
Update III: And another super delegates signed up last Tuesday as well -- Georgia Democratic Party chairwoman Jane Kidd.
So make that +7 officially, +8 unofficially.
Race tracker wiki: IL-14
