Over at Huffington Post, Tom Edsall notes an ironic reversal:
Top Clinton aides are pleading with uncommitted super delegates to hold off making any commitments, fearful that any commitments they make would be to back Obama, not Clinton.
A set of talking points emailed to Clinton supporters within organized labor describes the arguments to use on uncommitted super delegates. In the email, the Clinton campaign suggests telling the uncommitted delegates that "it would be unfair and unjust to cut off the nominating process now. There might come a time when the process needs to come to a close, but that time is not now."
In language that could have been lifted from the Obama playbook just a few weeks ago, the email says Clinton backers should make the case to super delegates that: "If House, Senate and DNC members try to end this process now, it would be very damaging to those institutions, the Democratic Party and our chances in November."
Behind more than 150 pledged delegates, the Clinton campaign has evidently given up hope that super-delegates will come their way either, at least anytime soon. The plan now seems to be to extend the campaign as long as possible and hope that something, anything, happens to alter the underlying dynamics of the race in a way that enables Clinton to rack up big wins in Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania (where a new Quinnipiac poll shows her lead shrinking to 6 points), and beyond. Or, as Jon Chait (quoting Homer Simpson) describes the strategy: "I'll hide under some coats and hope that somehow everything will work out."
--Christopher Orr