Caucus states don't count. Red states don't count. States in which she didn't mount any serious effort don't count. In short: States that she didn't win and the Democrats who live there? Well, they don't count.
Mrs. Clinton also forfeited the trust of Democrats with her transparent attempt to steal delegates not actually won in the two noncontests in Michigan and Florida. Her campaign agreed last year to the Democratic National Committee's ruling that any state except Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina that moved its primary ahead of Feb. 5 would not have its delegates seated at this summer's Democratic National Convention.
Now she wants to ignore that decision, a ploy that should offend every capital-D Democrat and any small-d democrat disgusted by the 2000 Supreme Court ruling in Bush v. Gore.
Mrs. Clinton is trailing in pledged delegates won thus far. She has won fewer states than Mr. Obama, and fewer total votes cast in those states. Though she leads among superdelegates, five weeks ago she had pledges from 71 percent of all superdelegates announced for either her or Mr. Obama, but that share has slipped to 57 percent. National polls also show her faring worse than Mr. Obama would in potential match-ups with Republican Sen. John McCain in November. A recent Iowa poll shows her trailing Mr. McCain in that swing state by nine points but Mr. Obama leading the Arizona senator by 17 points - a 26-point differential.
The message is clear and becoming clearer: A growing number of Democrats, even those who like Mrs. Clinton personally and respect her as a public servant, have seen enough. They want the Clinton machine to just go away - to forfeit for real.
Thomas F. Schaller teaches political science at UMBC. His column appears on alternate Wednesdays in The Sun. His e-mail is schaller67@gmail.com.
