The “superdelegate issue” that has slowly emerged following the close race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama after Super Tuesday is troubling to say the least. The notion that 800 some delegates would decide which candidate receives the Democratic nomination is not only undemocratic but downright insulting to the record number of voters that have turned out so far for the caucuses and primaries across the country. While there certainly is a role to play for these kingmakers (in the event that a race is too close to call, they could make the difference), one has to wonder if it is not time to eliminate the superdelegates from the nomination process to more accurately reflect the popular vote.
Time to Scrap the Superdelegates
February 12, 2008 · 11 Comments
Categories: Politics · Superdelegates
Tagged: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, superdelegate
11 responses so far ↓
jonolan // February 12, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Mainly because the Democrats are unwilling to to trust the will of the people, whereas the Republicans are willing to do so.
Catsuit Girl // February 12, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Yes, and the founding fathers instituted the electoral college because they did not trust the will of the masses. And the GOP utilizes 123 “unpledged” delegates in their nominating process. Same concept, different numbers.
jonolan // February 12, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Given that the Republicans don’t require States to use proportional allocation of delegates (nor do they forbid it) those 123 “unpledged” delegates are rarely decision makers.
The Dems have a much higher percentage (21%) of the total delegates needed to win being superdelegates, and they require proportional allocation of delegates so that races are often very close and decided by the superdelegates.
Catsuit Girl // February 12, 2008 at 7:59 pm
The founding fathers would be proud.
steve // February 12, 2008 at 9:20 pm
I do believe that in in the 2000 elections, when Bush won the electoral college and Gore the popular vote, it was the democrats that were up in arms about the decision. How can they be so obtuse to let the same thing happen within their own party? What makes some college freshman have more power in the party than a person that actually is working fulltime and raising a family?
How could a visit from Chelsea change his vote?
It’s time to scrap it!
jonolan // February 12, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Because that’s the way the Dem Party leaders want it. Mondale got the nomination in 1984 through superdelegates; Hart won the popular vote.
Kip Eideberg // February 13, 2008 at 1:08 am
Well, I think it is worth pointing out the reason the superdelegates are useful. You need fifty percent to win. Not a plurality. In most elections in America you only need a plurality. But to win the nomination you need a majority. Let’s say there are three or four candidates. And the leading candidate gets thirty-five percent of the vote. That means that nobody is going to get fifty percent. Now, there are better ways of doing that. But it is worth noting that if you have proportional representation and you demand a majority you are headed for trouble down the road at some point. Or you are headed for a second vote, and that means a brokered convention.
steve // February 13, 2008 at 3:05 am
So let’s go back to 1984…Mondale lost that election. Maybe Hart would have stood a better chance.
I concede to Kip’s point. But in that case Super Delegates should only be used to give a canidate the majority in races that have more than two people running. It seems that with only two, one should have the majority.
wittybanter // February 13, 2008 at 5:34 pm
There is no way superdelegates should decide this race. If Obama is up on total delegates, states won and popular vote, then the superdelegates should follow suit and support the will of the people.
jonolan // February 13, 2008 at 3:28 pm
That’s the way it should work, but it’s gone the other way before.
Kip Eideberg // February 15, 2008 at 11:41 am
I completely agree. As Obama’s campaign has gathered momentum, some superdelegates who previously endorsed Clinton have switched to Obama. Congressman David Scott (D – GA), for example, has already switched, and John Lewis (D – GA) has hinted publicly that he is at least considering a switch. It could be that Obama not only wins enough pledged delegates, but also enough superdelegates. We’ll have to wait and see.