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The Tyranny of Super-Delegates (will Super Delegates save Hillary?)
nation ^ | jan 2007 | the always entertaining moonbat Katrina vanden Heuvel

Posted on 01/05/2008 11:24:42 AM PST by doug from upland

The Tyranny of Super-Delegates

Barack Obama's stirring victory in Iowa was also a good night for our democracy. The turnout broke records and young people – who were mobilized and organized – participated in unprecedented numbers. And now that Iowans have spoken – the first citizens in the nation to do so – here's the Democratic delegate count for the top three candidates (2,025 delegates are needed to secure the nomination):

Clinton – 169

Obama – 66

Edwards – 47

"Huh?" you say. "vanden Heuvel, you made a MAJOR typo."

In fact, those numbers are correct: the third-place finishing Sen. Hillary Clinton now has over twice as many delegates as Sen. Obama, and more than three times as many delegates as the second-place candidate, Sen. John Edwards. Why? Because the Democratic Party uses an antiquated and anti-democratic nominating system that includes 842 "super-delegates" – un-pledged party leaders not chosen by the voters, free to support the candidate of their choice, and who comprise more than forty percent of the delegates needed to win the nomination. Many have already announced the candidate they will support.

In a clear attempt to protect the party establishment, this undemocratic infrastructure was created following George McGovern's landslide defeat in 1972. It was designed to prevent a nominee who was "out of sync with the rest of the party," Northeastern University political scientist William Mayer told MSNBC. Democratic National Committee member Elaine Kamarck called it a "sort of safety valve."

In 1988, Reverend Jesse Jackson challenged the notion that these appointed delegates be permitted to vote for the candidate of their choosing rather than the winner of the state's caucus or primary. He was right to do so. Twenty years later, when the word "change" is being bandied about, isn't it time for the Democratic Party to give real meaning to the word? Strengthen our democracy by reforming the super-delegate system so that the people, not the party establishment, choose their candidate.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008dncconvention; 2008election; 3rd; alexisherman; baopeide; bernardschwartz; billburton; billkennedy; binliu; brucelindsey; changlintien; charlietrie; chenqingchang; chinagate; craiglivingstone; davidchang; davidwang; dwightholton; election2008; ericholder; evil; generalchihaotian; generalwuquanxu; genjishengde; haroldickes; hazeloleary; hillary; hoytzia; irasockowitz; irenewu; jamesriady; jamesrubin; jamiegorelick; janehuang; jeffeller; jenniferoconnor; johndeutch; johnhuang; johnnychung; johnpodesta; josecabrera; josephlandon; kenhsui; keshizhan; lannydavis; lippobank; lippogroup; lippopacific; loral; lynncutler; mackmclarty; manlinfoung; mariahsia; markgearan; markjimenez; markmiddleton; marvinrosen; mochtarriady; nancyhernreich; nannanxu; nealainley; neilegglseston; nglapseng; noralum; normanhsu; panyongming; patsythomasson; peterpaul; rickiseidman; robertmeyerhoff; rogertamraz; shijinyu; shizengchen; sidneyblumenthal; sisterping; stephanopoulos; superdelegates; tedsioeng; terrymcaullife; tongsunpark; vincefoster; wahlim; wangjun; wangmeitrie; williammeddoff; williampeh
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Behind the scenes, I believe that Clinton operatives are pleading with, intimidating, and bribing Super Delegates who have announced for her. They are reminding the SDs that the Clintons have raised huge amounts of money for their campaigns. They will also remind them that the Clintons never forget.
1 posted on 01/05/2008 11:24:44 AM PST by doug from upland
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To: doug from upland

Imagine the shit that will hit the fan if the Super Delegates carry Hillary to a narrow win.


2 posted on 01/05/2008 11:28:17 AM PST by Onerom99
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To: doug from upland
I hope she does get the nomination through such trickery and manipulation: It will turn off Barack Obama supporters and independents that would otherwise have voted for her in the general election. The only “broken glass” Hillary supporters that I can imagine are homosexuals, abortionists, Chinese money-launderers and people seeking a set-price pardon.
3 posted on 01/05/2008 11:28:43 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Your "dirt" on Fred is about as persuasive as a Nancy Pelosi Veteran's Day Speech)
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To: doug from upland

Wow! I didn’t know this! In the coming months we could witnes a meltdown and civil war within the Democrat Party!

I’ll have my camera ready!


4 posted on 01/05/2008 11:29:53 AM PST by VeniVidiVici (Jay Grodner stands accused of keying a Marine's car. He's also a lawyer.)
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To: doug from upland
I may actually enjoy watching Obama win and the left go into complete civil war when Hillary steals it through parlor tricks.
5 posted on 01/05/2008 11:31:01 AM PST by mnehring
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To: doug from upland
I would love to see if a significant majority of the elected delegates went for Obama, but the votes of the super delegates put the Bride of XXX-42 over the top. It would make the Chicago convention of 1968 look like an afternoon tea party. It couldn't happen to a nicer party.
6 posted on 01/05/2008 11:31:10 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Government is the hired help - not the boss. When politicians forget that they must be fired.)
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To: Onerom99
Imagine the shit that will hit the fan if the Super Delegates carry Hillary to a narrow win.

Bingo! LotsTons of Obama supporters will sit out the election rather than voting for The Evil One.

7 posted on 01/05/2008 11:34:08 AM PST by AmericaUnited
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To: mnehrling

They will not go into civil war. If anything, they will breathlessly admire Hillary’s Stalinist coup.


8 posted on 01/05/2008 11:34:35 AM PST by rbg81 (DRAIN THE SWAMP!!)
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To: doug from upland
Beware of Hurricane Hillary 2008!

9 posted on 01/05/2008 11:35:02 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: zot; Interesting Times

I had totally forgotten about this


10 posted on 01/05/2008 11:35:30 AM PST by GreyFriar ( 3rd Armored Division - Spearhead)
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To: doug from upland
The 1968er's Democrats know best for the party. Everyone else to the back of the convention center.

( For us, this is great fun. Oh the weeping and gnashing of teeth, the bitterness, the anger)

I can't wait 'til the convention.


11 posted on 01/05/2008 11:36:04 AM PST by Leisler
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To: doug from upland

Doug, have you figured out how the Democrats will be able to blame President Bush for this one?


12 posted on 01/05/2008 11:36:59 AM PST by Morgan in Denver (If you hate Bush you deserve Hillary.)
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To: doug from upland; All

Doug, please excuse my ignorance but:

What the heck is a “super” delegate and what is their purpose?

And

Does the GOP have “super” delegates too?


13 posted on 01/05/2008 11:38:03 AM PST by alice_in_bubbaland (Ron Paul is nutcase, plain & simple.)
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To: doug from upland

Far be it from the Dems & Hillary to support this type of selection which subverts the popular vote and the will of the people! Aren’t these the same ass-clowns who cried for the abolition of the Electoral College after the election of 2000?

Amazing...


14 posted on 01/05/2008 11:38:53 AM PST by DJ Frisat (SPAM: best in the can and in sammiches -- not for use on computers.)
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To: doug from upland
As we chortle and guffaw over Hillary's chances dropping lower than the morals of the New Englnad Patriots, it may do well to look at the alternative - Osama/Obama?

As bad as another Clinton in office would be, the Democrats that are left [pun intended] are much worse, now that Biden and Dodd are no longer running.

15 posted on 01/05/2008 11:40:00 AM PST by curmudgeonII
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To: doug from upland

interesting. Wonder what Obama’s supporters think of this?
Some of these people are just newly engaging in politics and the Hilda beast stifles them.


16 posted on 01/05/2008 11:41:46 AM PST by kalee (The offenses we give, we write in the dust; Those we take, we write in marble. JHuett)
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To: VeniVidiVici
>Wow! I didn’t know this!

How on earth do people NOT know this??
Its been common knowledge for 35 years.

In 1988, Reverend Jesse Jackson challenged the notion that these appointed delegates be permitted to vote for the candidate of their choosing rather than the winner of the state's caucus or primary. He was right to do so.

He may have been "right" in some sense, but not in the sense of that old document "The Constitution."

The way in which individual States choose their electors is up to them, and political parties fall outside of the Constitution altogether.

Nothing whatsoever will come of any outcome except that the democrat party will select a candidate. - And the people of America have no legal standing in how they do that.

Then again, they don't have to vote for hillary. - but they will

17 posted on 01/05/2008 11:41:50 AM PST by bill1952 (The right to buy weapons is the right to be free)
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To: doug from upland

I mentioned this in a couple of threads already. Dick Morris talked about it months ago. Unless Obama is able to consistently beat her by large enough margins that people get really pissed if he isn’t nominated, she will get the nomination. And since I’d like to see Thompson/Watts, I don’t want Obama nominated. You know if we put a black guy on the ticket against Obama that’s all we’ll hear “it’s only cuz he’s black” not on his merits, which would suck.


18 posted on 01/05/2008 11:46:28 AM PST by visualops (artlife.us)
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

They are elected Dem officials. They have the right to support the candidate of their choice, no matter what the voters in their state want. Hillary has a majority of them. Republicans don’t have this system.

Here is an article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18277678/


19 posted on 01/05/2008 11:48:08 AM PST by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: bill1952

Most people don’t know it.


20 posted on 01/05/2008 11:49:24 AM PST by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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