The Unscary Unsuperdelegates
Posted:
02/7/08
Reading posts like this one, I'm mildly confounded. Sure, in a close race where two candidates are reaching a virtual draw in electoral fights, Superdelegates are going to provide the crucial margin to the winning candidate. But let's stop pretending that these Superdelegates are operating as some kind of voting bloc. They simply aren't.
2008 Dem Con Watch is a great blog to track this stuff. As their writing makes clear, the vast, vast majority of superdelegates have electoral constituencies. Whether we're talking U.S. Representatives who represent the Dems of their own district or Democratic Party leaders who were voted in by their local grassroots, these folks are accountable, ultimately, to democratic processes. As my friend David Sirota notes, superdelegates are even pledging (of their own accord) to respect the desires of their constituents.
It simply is extremely unlikely, given who the super delegates are, that either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will end up with the edge among pledged delegates, with a the support of the grassroots, and that some folks meeting in dark back rooms are going to massively overturn that result.
Now, could it happen? Sure -- and grassroots Dems should be vigilant with their own superdelegates. But it makes sense to downplay the worst case scenario. At this point, that's all this is -- a highly unlikely worst case.
2008 Dem Con Watch is a great blog to track this stuff. As their writing makes clear, the vast, vast majority of superdelegates have electoral constituencies. Whether we're talking U.S. Representatives who represent the Dems of their own district or Democratic Party leaders who were voted in by their local grassroots, these folks are accountable, ultimately, to democratic processes. As my friend David Sirota notes, superdelegates are even pledging (of their own accord) to respect the desires of their constituents.
It simply is extremely unlikely, given who the super delegates are, that either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will end up with the edge among pledged delegates, with a the support of the grassroots, and that some folks meeting in dark back rooms are going to massively overturn that result.
Now, could it happen? Sure -- and grassroots Dems should be vigilant with their own superdelegates. But it makes sense to downplay the worst case scenario. At this point, that's all this is -- a highly unlikely worst case.