Posted on 02/09/2008 6:47:21 AM PST by mware
Presidential candidates may seek our votes, but they really want our delegates. And, they covet our superdelegates.
Delegates and superdelegates are appointed party representatives who cast votes at each party's convention to select the nominees for president. For Democrats, there are 2,025 delegates; Republicans have 1,191 delegates. Most delegates are beholden by party rules to pledge their support to a certain candidate based on the popular vote, but some superdelegates are free to vote for whomever they choose - making them prized in an election year where both parties' contests have been so close.
Super Tuesday victories so far have given Hillary Rodham Clinton a total of 1,000 Democratic delegates to Barack Obama's 902.
Republican John McCain now has 703 delegates - far ahead of his closest competitor.
In New Jersey, Republicans have 52 delegates awarded according to the popular vote; McCain won all of them Tuesday.
The distribution of Democratic delegates is more complicated.
Democrats have 127 delegates, 20 of whom are superdelegates who can vote freely.
Of the 107 delegates up for grabs in the primary, 70 are doled out proportionally based on vote totals in special delegate districts; the remaining 37 are awarded proportionally based on vote totals statewide.
"All voters should really understand is they're proportioned to the vote with the exception of super delegates," said Assemblyman Joe Cryan, the state Democratic Party chairman.
Thus, while Clinton beat Obama by 10 points to win New Jersey's Democratic primary, each candidate will walk away with a significant number of the delegates in their continuing fight for the nomination. According to the Democratic State Committee, Clinton has secured 59 New Jersey delegates and Obama has gotten 48. Of the 20 Democratic superdelegates - elected officials and Democratic National Committee members - who have expressed a candidate preference, Clinton is leading Obama, 13-1.
However, superdelegates can change their minds and are not bound to reflect the popular vote.
Political scientist Peter Woolley said the Democratic and Republican delegate systems each have pros and cons.
He said winner-take-all approach encourages early consensus around one candidate while proportional allotment of delegates encourages candidates to visit the state even if they are not the front-runner.
"That tends to be good for voters," Woolley said. "Voters will get a more vigorous campaign and they are more likely to have their choice expressed at the national convention."
But some politicians would like to see the Democratic superdelegates forced to vote in accordance with the popular vote.
Senate President Richard Codey, an Obama backer, thinks that since the Democratic race was close, superdelegates are ethically bound to split their votes proportionally. Cryan disagreed, saying it's not fair to suddenly do things differently.
"A sports fan like Dick Codey should know you don't change the rules in the middle of the game," Cryan said.
Sen. Robert Menendez, Clinton's national campaign co-chairman, said most superdelegates were voted into office, and are expected to exhibit their judgment as party leaders.
Senate President Richard Codey, an Obama backer, thinks that since the Democratic race was close, superdelegates are ethically bound to split their votes proportionally. Cryan disagreed, saying it's not fair to suddenly do things differently.
Hey Cryan, this is NJ we don't need no stinkin' rules.
Fox News just did a segment on this story,. Get out the popcorn, looks like lots of infighting is about to begin.
..cept super bubba, yes I heard, he is a super delegate
As one with many roots in NJ, I have to agree. My roots are telling me that a superdelegate from NJ can go to the convention and stick with Hillary, but he might have to think twice about going home. It’ll never be the same.
Better to bolt and get on the Obama bandwagon.
I wonder if any of these superdelegates have FBI files, and does Clinton still have copies?
“Sen. Robert Menendez, Clinton’s national campaign co-chairman, said most superdelegates were voted into office, and are expected to exhibit their judgment as party leaders.”
Or however much they can be bought for.
Were they voted into office simply on the basis of which political candidate thety would support far ahead of the election???
List of New Jersey’s Democratic superdelegates
New Jersey’s Democratic superdelegates:
—Rep. Robert Andrews
—Tonio Burgos, member of the Democratic National Committee for New Jersey
—Gov. Jon S. Corzine
—Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, chairman of the Democratic State Committee
—Joseph DeCotiis, member of the Democratic National Committee for New Jersey
—June Fischer, member of the Democratic National Committee for New Jersey
—Rep. Rush Holt
—Sen. Frank Lautenberg
—Sen. Robert Menendez
—Phil Murphy, finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee
—Donald Norcross, member of the Democratic National Committee for New Jersey
—Rep. Frank Pallone
—Rep. Bill Pascrell
—Rep. Donald Payne
—State Sen. Dana Redd
—Rep. Steven Rothman
—Christine “Roz” Samuels, member of the Democratic National Committee for New Jersey
—Rep. Albio Sires
—There will also be two at-large unpledged delegates who have yet to be selected.
How much does a superdelegate cost in the PRNJ?
In NJ, my guess would be their souls.
Interesting Torch Torricelli isn’t on the list.
I have never understood the “SuperDelegate” bit. It looks to me like a way for those with political pull to rig any election...and take away the voice of the voters...
Puerto Ricans will be picking Hillary giving her the big win!! Oh my.....all because she pardoned those FALN TERRORISTS!!!
Dems have no loyalty and will move to the winning side.
No kidding. That's why McCain had the nomination all but sewn up after the first three or four primaries/caucuses. The effect was compounded by the fact that several of those were open.
I wonder whose names will appear on Virginia's primary ballot on Tuesday -- I'll be sure to pick not-McCain.
It's called politics - pretty much everything is "fair".
Essex county has swung BIG towards Obama, both in primary votes and campaign contributions. I haven’t seen the town by town breakdown, but it looks like the African American politicians/superdelegates are bound by this to go vote for Obama at the convention.
And that is why Codey is laying down some covering fire now so they Essex county people can switch later.
The FBI is already investigating or has already arrested and or convicted all the prior NJ superdelegates from the 2004 election.
Chris Christie along with help from the NY US Atty Gen’s office has down an outstanding job cleaning up the Democrat corruption so far.
I doubt that she would have their files. These people were probably unknown to her in general, when she and Billy were in the White House. She would most likely have had files on people who could actively cause her and Bill political problems in they were politicians, or media problems if they were reporters. Any request by her for FBI files at this time would put her under intense scrutiny. I doubt that she would try it.
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