Hoyer predicts '95 percent' of Clinton supporters will back Obama in November

MITCHELLVILLE--U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) told PolitickerMD.com Friday that he "absolutely" expects Democrats will unite behind the presidential candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

"The primary, to some degree, appeared to be tougher than it was," Hoyer said of the contest between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).

He explained that African-Americans are the "most loyal" Democratic voting bloc, and referred to women as the "largest" base for the Democrats "in terms of votes."

Hoyer said he was confident that white-collar workers, women, and seniors who supported Clinton would quickly see the "stark differences" between Obama and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and boldly predicted that "95 percent" of Clinton's supporters will back Obama.

A CNN poll released last Friday, after Obama had clinched the nomination but before Clinton's formal endorsement, found that 60 percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for Obama. Another 17 percent said they would vote for McCain, while 22 percent said they would not vote at all.

Speaking with PolitickerMD.com on the day of his 28th annual bull roast in Mitchellville, Hoyer said McCain "has given every indication that he will continue" the policies of the Bush administration.

The majority leader also weighed-in on our Thursday interview with former Maryland house delegate and state Sen. Mary Boergers (D).

Boergers, a pledged delegate to Clinton at the Democratic National Convention, told PolitickerMD.com Thursday that she has not committed to vote for Obama in November, saying she first wants to see what "action's (Obama) takes to unify the party."

Boergers demanded that Clinton's name be put in nomination at the convention for a roll call vote to take place.

Asked if such a sequence should transpire, Hoyer said, "I don't think Sen. Clinton will want to do that."

Hoyer acknowledged that Boergers' comments were "certainly a cause for concern," but said he expected Boergers would come to realize that Obama "shares her values" on issues like the "environment" and "women's health," while McCain "does not."

Hoyer said he has known Boergers for many years, and said he had spoken to her "within the last week."

The congressman said he would attempt to persuade Boergers and others to support Obama, saying the senator will bring a "new direction for our country."

He said the differences between Clinton and Obama on major policy issues like the war in Iraq, health care, and the economy "were minor."

The majority leader also referred to Clinton's "very forceful" endorsement of Obama last Saturday, saying her "very strong recommendation" of Obama should persuade her delegates to support Obama at the convention and in November.