Question by wizbangs: Democratic Primary “Super Delegates?”?
Now that the Democratic primary is being projected as a potential draw, this whole concept of “Super Delegates” comes up. What’s with that? Who are they and whom do they serve? Is this a classic example of the established elite protecting themselves?
Best answer:
Answer by Romare
The way I understand it, in the early 70s the Democratic party decided to go from the old “smoke-filled room” to primary voting as a way to pick their candidate. But then in 1972 the winner of the primaries was George McGovern, who suffered the most ignominious loss in the presidential election. So the party went back to the drawing board and established these super delegates–primarily all the Democratic members of Congress, governors and other party luminaries–who can make the final decision at the convention if needed. Because these delegates are seen as representing the establishment, it is thought that this will be to Hillary’s benefit, as she is the establishment candidate.
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Sad, isn’t it. The system is so complicated, that we the voters don’t really get how it works.
Superdelegates are delegates that go into the convention without bing pledge to any ceratin candidate. One-Fifth of the Delegates in the 2008 National Convention are superdelegates. They are ussually mayors, governors, past-presidents, and local party leaders that are invited to come and cast a vote for whom they believe should be nominated. These people are not tied to a certain nominee like the regular delegates. Genreally speaking, these people are persuaded either way by candidates prior to the convention.
Unlike regular delegates who can be deleted by the nominee whom they are pledging for, they can do this if they have sufficent reason to believe that they will not vote for them. Superdelegates cannot be deleted and therefore can be an undecided vote coming into the convention in Denver. With such a close delegate race like we have here from Obama and Clinton, what used to be a job of casting a meaningless vote, now becomes an actual deciding factor in who the Democrats elect.
The superdelegates are delegates that are chosen by the DNC. They are usually congressmen, Senators, State officials or Party members. I think it is an example of the elite protecting themselves, just like the electoral college. Usually the Superdelegates don’t matter and cast meaningless votes. They should not vote in this convention since their votes will actually count this time. For their votes to be counted more than any other American is against what the majority of voters consider to be the right way to pick an elected official. It remindes me too much of Gore V Bush and I don’t want to see a repeat of that situation.