Who's Backing Whom? Some Trends Noted

As Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton battle for support of the superdelegates, some trends may be worth noting.

John Edwards, who in February became the last serious Democratic contender to leave the race, still hasn't thrown his support to either of his former rivals, though both have been courting him, but his financial backers are going with Obama. CQ's MoneyLine, which has long tracked political donations, finds that Edwards donors are choosing Obama by more than a 2-1 margin.

While many male superdelegates remain undecided, women seem to have less trouble making up their minds. In the Senate, there are 10 women on the Democratic side in addition to Clinton, and seven have declared for Clinton, with just two (Claire McCaskill of  Missouri and, as of Sunday night, Amy Klobuchar of  Minnesota) backing Obama. Only Mary Landrieu of Louisiana is undecided. Of the 38 male Democrats, almost half --18 -- are still undecided. 

Female governors are also more decisive than their male counterparts. Of the five Democratic women who lead states, all have now cast their lots -- three with Obama and two with Clinton. Of the male Democratic governors, Clinton has an 8-6 edge, with 9 (39%) undecided.

The House record is less skewed. Democratic women favor Clinton over Obama, 27-12, with 11 (22%) undecided. Among male Democrats in the House, Obama leads endorsements with 59 to Clinton's 51 with 73 (40%) undecided.