Bill Clinton hints 'popular vote' should be key factor David Edwards and Muriel Kane

Published: Monday March 17, 2008



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Print This Email This Former President Bill Clinton displayed a relaxed attitude towards the presidential primary campaign in his most recent interview, telling ABC's Robin Roberts, "If we just chill out here and let all the voters have their say, my gut is it's going to come out all right." Roberts asked Clinton about Nancy Pelosi's statement that "if the votes of super-delegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party." Clinton replied, "I think we need to let all the people vote. But it is now, I think, almost mathematically impossible for ... either one of them, to get a majority of the pledged delegates. If we had the Republican system of winner-take-all in the big states, then Hillary would have a prohibitive lead in the delegates, because she won the preponderance of the big states." Clinton focused on the significant of the popular vote totals, saying, "If Senator Obama wins the popular vote, then the choice would be easier. But if Hillary wins the popular vote but can't quite catch up in the delegate vote, then you just have to ask yourselves which is more important and who's more likely to win in November." The Obama campaign has made a strong point of his lead in the popular vote. He is ahead at this point by about 800,000 votes, or perhaps more depending on how the caucuses are tallied. (That figure would fall by 300,000 if Florida, where Obama did not actively campaign, were included.) Obama himself recently stated, "I've won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So I don't know how somebody who's in second place is offering the vice presidency to somebody who's in first place." However, Bill Clinton emphasized to ABC that he does not see the campaign as destructive to the Democratic Party. "This has been a fairly mild election," he stated. "I just think that these things happen. It's just politics, it's not that big a deal." He added, "Do I think Hillary is more electable? I do. But on today's facts ... I think they would both win." Clinton also asserted that he meant "no disrespect to Senator Obama" by his remark about Jesse Jackson having won the South Carolina primary as a black candidate, but that "they thought they could hurt me with that so they put a bizarre spin on it and it worked for awhile." This video is from ABC's Good Morning America, broadcast March 17, 2008. ABC News has more details here.



Transcript via closed captions :: now the race for '08. an interview with a major player in the game next to the candidates themselves, of course, former president bill clinton. while he weighed in heavily on the presidential race, i caught up with him in the lower ninth ward of new orleans where he was taking his outreach people to young people, the global initiative university. :: they're just so young and in acolleges across the world that have access to technology and have great new ideas and i think they can play a great new role in citizen service around the world. :: reporter: president clinton took a break from his hectic campaign to launch his global youth movement. politics of the day, never too far from his mind. :: if we just chill out here and let all the voters have their say, my gut is it's going to come out all right. :: on "this week with george stephanopoulos," nancy pelosi said -- :: if the votes of superdelegate overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the democratic party. :: that was her word, harmful to the democratic party. do you agree? :: i think we need to let all the people vote. but it now, i think, almost mathematically impossible for any of them, either one of them, to get a majority of the pledge delegates. if we had the republican system of winner take all in the big states then hillary would have a prohibitive lead in the delegates because she won the preponderance of the big states. if senator obama won it, it would be easier. if hillary does and can't quite catch up in the delegate vote then you just have to ask yourselves which is more important and who is more likely to win in november? and i don't know it will be an easy decision but that's what leaders sign up for. :: people say it's also the potential to be destructive to the democratic party, the things that are being said. :: i think it's important not to overreact here. this has been a fairly mild election. i just think that these things happen. it's just politics, it's not that big a deal. it's nothing like -- bob kerrey said in '92 when i was running in georgia that the voters would open me up like a worm peanut. that's pretty tough, and we're great friends. now, do i think hillary is more electable? ido. but on today's facts, i think given i'd say a six-week campaign, i think they would both win. i think the republicans did a very smart thing to nominate senator mccain. i think he is clearly not only their most electable candidate but quite possibly the only candidate who could have won a general election. i expect a spirited election in the fall no matter what happens but we should just let the democrats decide. this is a tough choice for them. they have two candidates. they basically like them both and they have different strengths and have to decide which skill set and -- is more important, number one, for the country's welfare over the long run and which one is more likely to be elected. :: politically charged incidents have flared up in the democratic campaign. geraldine ferraro's comments on obama's qualifications, obama's pastor, reverend jeer remiah wright's comments on race in america. :: no, no, no. not god bless america, goddamn america. :: you say chill out, but geraldine ferraro, reverend wright, both sides things being said by surrogates. people point back to south carolina and the comments that were made at that point. :: jesse jackson winning south carolina twice in '84 and '88, and he ran a good campaign and senator obama has run a good campaign here. :: they made up a race story out of that. there was no disrespect to senator obama in that. so i think that our side got a bum rap for what was said about south carolina, but the point is, that's political tactics. they thought they could hurt me with that so they put a bizarre spin on it and it worked for awhile. will there be more animosity as it goes on, yes, it can't be helped. in it's nowhere near the worst campaign i've ever seen in america. in terms of the personal stuff and the press has been pretty responsible, i think, in handling that. notwithstanding the disparity in coverage there hasn't been unduly negative and everybody -- it ought to be hard to be nominated. everybody ought to be subjected to the same amount of scrutiny. :: no doubt he's hoping the scrutiny of his own role in the campaign is less harsh as he focuses his attentions on the pore popul trademark former president issues like this youth initiative. :: if you look at where america is going, look at these kids out here, look at the interdepen dense of our society and our inter interdependence in the world. our side, our party has the better argument on the side of the economics and the way we ought to relate to each other at home and role in the world so i'm basically very optimistic. your future is very likely to be bright indeed. thank you and god bless you all.



