I am suppar delwegate!
Posted on 06/02/2008 8:19:33 AM PDT by Positive
First we should know that “Superdelegates” is media short-hand for “Unpledged Party Leaders and Elected Official Delegates” who are anointed by March 1, 2008. Then there are the unpledged Add-On Delegates.
These Delegates amount to something on the order of 20% of the total Delegates to the convention. Based on the remaining number of “Pledged” delegates to be elected in Montana and South Dakota, there almost no chance that a candidate will enter the convention with the nomination in hand based on “Pledged” delegates. "Pledged" basically means that they must vote for whom they are pledged on the first ballot.
The term "unpledged" means that they vote as they please. They place their vote at the convention during their State caucus and it is included in the State’s grand announcement. They vote when they cast their vote, that being at the Democratic National Convention, then and only then does it mean anything.
So let us consider the word “committed.” Committed is another media contrivance to apply meaning when there is none. I can only specify two such delegates who have switched once. Those would be the former DNC chairman appointed by Bill who was “committed” to Hillary and, with as much fanfare as he could muster, switched to Obama and the Puerto Rican guy who was “committed” to Obama and switched to Hillary this morning.
I have heard that there are some 200 “Uncommitted” “Superdelegates”.
I contend here and now that there are none, zero, nada.
Knowing politics as I do and knowing Democrats for what they have become…these delegates are "committed" to do exactly what they have to do to further the cause of their most important constituency…that would be their own damn selves.
Barring a candidate doing the equivalent of the 1994 ”Contract with America” tactic by Newt…that is to say; getting all of the “committed” “superdelegates” assembled for a group photo with a presentation of a declaration signed by each of them… all this media chatter about “calculus” “math” “lock” and “inevitable” etc. is just that…chatter.
On the other hand even that would not require these delegates to “honor” their commitment…
When that first ballot is taken in Denver…the media will be saying a lot of “now that is a change…plus 1 for whichever candidate” with almost every State vote announced. As that ballot progresses it would not surprise me to see delays and “passes” as each delegation tries to sort out exactly what their tally is…or will be when they’ve gotten their “best offer.”
On the other hand Will Rogers may have been wrong; the Democrats may be an “organized party.” All of the “committed” “Superdelgates” may honor the commitments they have made or will make, before the convention.
Yeah…right.
They are committed socialist!
What is an uncommitted Democrat super delegate?
One who hasn’t had his psychiatric evaluation yet!
Superdelegate = communist party commissioner.
Today it’s somebody timing it to get the best deal for their vote before it’s clinched.
ie: one that has not yet been committed
Uncommitted Superdelegate = Someone waiting for the highest bidder.
A couple of “Dumb Foreigner” questions:
1) What is a “Superdelegate” and how does that vary from a common garded-variety “delegate”?
2) How does a “delegate” vary from your garden-variety American Citizen who has registered as being a “Democrat”?
3) Why on earth would any “delegate” (be they super-or-no) “pledge” themselves in advance to any given Candidate? Wouldn’t it be wiser to hold fire until the very last, ugly minute? Pledging just seems to be bad poker, that’s all.
*DieHard* (from New Zealand)
Someone who realizes the value of their "vote" and is waiting for the highest bidder................
They are Undocumented Voters.
3) A candidate obtains the nomination by gathering the most delegates.
Oh, and further on Super Delegates, the republican party doesn't have them. The democrates have them because they don't trust their own voters to make the right decision. So the Super Delegates were created to override the "regular folks" if the party bosses thought they were making the wrong decision.
Good enough?
Unlike "votes" in elections, these votes can be bought and sold, legally. They hold off announcing for the highest "bidder"..........
Not a "dumb" question.
The parties hold primaries in the winter / spring to let the public vote on who should be the nominee of the party in the fall.
Ordinary delegates are elected by those primaries, and are legally bound to vote for their announced candidate (at least on the first ballot) at the party convention in August.
The Democrats have "superdelegates", who are party elders, and big shots, comprising about 20% of the total delegate count. The supers are not bound by anything but their own conscience (maybe not even that), so they can vote however they like, and change their minds at any time.
The point is, supposedly, to avoid a scenario like the following:
However, also suppose that candidate C is a woman (there's never been a woman President), and suppose that candidate O is black (there's never been a black President).
Blacks have been energized, because it's not just ANY flaming left-wing racist sexist Marxist socialist nanny-state incompetent hustler running, but it's THEIR flaming left-wing racist sexist Marxist socialist nanny-state incompetent hustler running.
Women are energized, because it's not just ANY flaming left-wing racist sexist Marxist socialist nanny-state incompetent hustler running, but it's THEIR flaming left-wing racist sexist Marxist socialist nanny-state incompetent hustler running.
Given that blacks have a noisier history of rioting and mayhem when their ox gets gored than women do, the chances of turning a higher vote count for candidate O into a victory for candidate C are low.
> Given that blacks have a noisier history of rioting and mayhem when their ox gets gored than women do, the chances of turning a higher vote count for candidate O into a victory for candidate C are low.
(the fog lifts!)
Cheers for that, mate! You have cleared up for me one of the Mysteries of this process — and very succinctly, too!
Someone still negotiating their consulting fee !
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