Former Democratic Presidential Candidate Gary Hart on Obama's Increasing Momentum

This is a rush transcript from "Your World with Neil Cavuto," February 19, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Well, Barack Obama certainly does have the momentum right now. He leads in those pledged delegates, as Major pointed out. But that does not mean he has the nomination wrapped up.

And doesn't Gary Hart know it? The former Democratic presidential candidate found himself in that similar momentum position back in 1984.

The senator joins me right now.

Senator, you and I have chatted about this in the past, but you were the phenomenon of 1984. I remember it very well. And you were winning primaries left and right, but the equivalent of superdelegates back then stopped you in your tracks.

The feeling seems to be that the same folks who helped the party establishment in that time, Walter Mondale, will do the same for Hillary Clinton. What do you think of that?

GARY HART, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: I suspect that will not happen.

I think, to a person, all the superdelegates supported Vice President Mondale and had pre-endorsed him, if you will, even before the primaries began. A number of them indicated to me and to my wife that they would have supported us if they did not feel bound to support Vice President Mondale.

But I think they have learned over the past 20 or 24 years to keep a more open mind in these drawn-out contested nomination processes. And I think you will see a pretty evenly divided superdelegate delegation at the convention.

CAVUTO: So, that would be — I'm sorry, Senator, but that would be reflecting what is actually going on, because, in your case — I remember this quite well — superdelegates, even from states you won — and sometimes convincingly — just went to the vice president at the time, thereby locking you out.

HART: Well, that is basically true. I won 25 or 26 primaries and caucuses, including 11 of the last 12 and swept California.

But about half of those delegations I did not even control. That is to say, I did not have a majority of the delegates, even though I had won the state, because the superdelegates shifted the outcome to the other side.

CAVUTO: That's right.

But, because of that experience, Senator, you're arguing that would be harder to do today. And the fact that we in the media and of course Barack Obama has made a cause celebre out of this, just vote the will of the people in your districts and/or states, that that will triumph?

HART: Well, it remains to be seen.

I think you are going to see all kinds of motivations. A number of superdelegates have committed to Senator Clinton simply because of arrangements and friendships and all kinds of connections they have had with the Clintons over the years.

And, to a degree, that is understandable. But an awful lot of the superdelegates themselves will be candidates in '08, and many of them feel that they would be better off with Senator Obama at the top of the ticket in their states and districts than Senator Clinton.

CAVUTO: We shall see.

Senator Gary Hart, always good having you. Thank you for joining us.

HART: Great pleasure. Thank you.

CAVUTO: All right, Senator Hart.

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