Visible Vote 08 » What Are Super Delegates?

By: Jennifer Vanasco

More on: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Super Delegates, Super Tuesday

If the Clinton-Obama fight continues to the convention floor - that is, if neither gets 2,025 delegates in the primaries - the nominee will be decided by the shadowy Super Delegates.

Actually, the Super Delegates themselves aren’t shadowy - they’re public figures. They’re senators, congressional representatives, governors, members of the DNC and former Presidents (like Bill Clinton) - and they include Hillary and Barack themselves.

And how do they make their decisions?

Some, like Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) commit to voting for whoever wins the popular vote in their state (Clinton, in this case).

But mostly they decide who to vote for based on personal loyalty and horse-trading.

The Democrats (not the Republicans) instituted Super Delegates in the 1980s to prevent fringe candidates (like, for example, Dennis Kucinich) from whipping up a public frenzy and taking the nomination. In other words, the system is designed to protect the establishment candidate.

And from the list of SD’s already lined up (Clinton has twice as many as Obama so far, including gay congress members Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin) it’s clear that this strategy works. The names behind Clinton are, well, names.

The names behind Obama? Besides the Kennedys and the Illinois delegation, most folks haven’t heard of them. (See the list of Super Delegates here.)

Winning by Super Delegate isn’t good for anyone, no matter how fun it seems to have a fight on the convention floor. It means that the candidate is beholden to up to 796 people (the number of Super Delegates) in a way that eclipses lobbyist influence, because it is a direct vote.

It is also too reminicent of the shady business in Florida in 2000. Everything is perfectly legal….and yet it leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. About 20 percent of the vote can be decided by super delegates - giving each one delegate the power of about 153,000 voters.

So heres to wrapping this up in the next month. Because when the Super Delegates step in, the power is taken from the people’s hands.

Comments (20)

Posted: Feb. 6. 2008 at 3:05 PM EST

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Comments

marie says:

6:21 on 06/02

this is why our forefathers gave us the right to bare arms...so we can take back our government!!!!vote democrat and you can kiss your rights goodbye.
Roberta Petrocci says:

2:50 on 05/31

Is this the same Democracy that we are promoting in Iraq? One where the people do NOT make the decision as to who the next president will be. First the Supreme Court decides and now the super delegates decide......This does not sound like a democracy to me. More like a Dictatorship!
Joseph Cameron says:

12:33 on 05/23

Super Delegates need to go. We want a goverment that represents us the people. Not what a select few want.
Steve says:

11:38 on 05/20

I will point out first that I am a registered independent since I began to voite and in the state I live in, Independents aren't allowed to vote in primary elections. So I never get to choose who is going to run for president, or even my governor (unless they are running as an independent).

I think the main point of this article comes in the 6th paragraph and it is not representative of America only the Democratic Party. It seems some posters cannot understand that. The Republican Party has no "Superdelegates", whoever gets the most votes wins the nomination.

The 6th paragraph:
"The Democrats (not the Republicans) instituted Super Delegates in the 1980s to prevent fringe candidates (like, for example, Dennis Kucinich) from whipping up a public frenzy and taking the nomination. In other words, the system is designed to protect the establishment candidate."

This happened after the 1976 DNC convention where Carter won the nomination to the dismay of many Democrats. The Democratic leadership decided that us voters couldn't be trusted to choose a candidate. What bull.

It's unfortunate and there is almost no way to undo this as the Democratic party (and any political party) is not bound by any laws except for the normal election laws. So the party can choose it's candidate any way it likes. I mean, we can't even choose who heads the Democratic party, it's not like we were able to vote for Howard Dean.

Obviously there needs to be some change in a number of ways.
Earl Bennett says:

9:14 on 04/22

Who elected a super delegate for me? In all my voting, I never voted, agreed to or for a super delegate to vote for me in case of a close decision in any election. Will that same super delegatew come and vote for me in a close county race? Who chose a super delegate for me? As an American citizen, and in a great information age, I just want to know.
Janet Warren says:

10:41 on 04/21

Please send addresses / phone numbers for super delegates (IL, NY, FL, WI, MN especially), I would like to let them know of MY choice for Democratic candidate (Hilary Clinton). I feel so helpless if I do not voice my strong feelings in making this choice.

Thanks much for any help you can provide.

Sincerely,
Janet Warren
Ted Miller says:

5:54 on 03/24

Good grief...you've got to be kidding me...democracy....super delegates...I was hoping years ago we would do away with the electoral
college..There is absolutely "NO" leadership in
this country.!!
Jeremiah says:

8:57 on 03/05

Why can't each person have one vote? There will never be a tie. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. Keep taking our rights away from us and we WILL HAVE A REVOLUTION!!!!!! I'm about ready for it - all we need is a leader....
iris vazquez says:

8:57 on 02/18

I for one will not vote for a democratic candidate that does not win the favor of the popular vote fair and square. This is a democracy? I think not. When the power is taken from the people, why do we even bother getting out of our beds to vote. Why not just let the super delegates tell us who our next president will be.
mae says:

7:07 on 02/13

why should super delegates even exist? why is popular not all that exist when we claim this is a democracy. A democracy that does not care what the public wants. that is a sad state of affairs and certainly not a democracy
Jacqueline Hoffman says:

1:29 on 02/13

I think we should have Popular votes as what the people really want and leave it at that...it is much fairer than have delegates and superdelegates decided who most of them are bias.
JORDAN says:

10:17 on 02/12

I just want to know, what does it mean? Obama wins Clinton leads. This is not a good example for the young people,NEW GENERATION, to see. I think leaders of the Democratic Party have to make a change;because Democratic is where the people choice is respected,no matter what. Why someone call super? and have the right over another one.
THIS CHANGE WE NEED.
Rochenel says:

9:04 on 02/12

why do we have the pollation vote; when we already have 800 people deciding for us.? I mean thAT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A FREE COUNTRY. everyone should be equal. the superdelegates vote should be erase. This is not acceptable, Obama wins, Clinton leads.
Anne says:

4:36 on 02/12

Let me see if I get this right...for example: it doesn't matter how many people vote for Barack Obama, if Hillary wins more delegate and super delegate votes she wins the democratic election. What's democratic about that???
Tony says:

4:20 on 02/12

Is the Democratic Party really Democratic anymore with the Delegates and Super delegates? If anyone remembers"Animal Farm" by George Orwell the pigs that were elected to lead the other animals in running the farm at the end of the story wrote on the wall as their credo:

"All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others."

Sound familiar? Bill Clinton and all his Super Delegate pals: "Oink, oink..."
avijit ghosh says:

1:55 on 02/12

The issue of super delegates and the democratic party is unconscionable. Currently Obama is ahead in the popular vote and behind in the delegate vote. We can not have 800 party insiders decide the primaries for us! I have created a protest page here:

http://www.popularprimaryvotenow.com

If you think this is an issue please add a comment to the protest page of the website. I will print out all the comments and give them to the Democratic party.
Gary Whorton says:

11:34 on 02/11

The practice of super delegates is just as it should be. In the event the primaries cannot dictate a clear nominee it should be determined by EXPERIENCED and NOMINATED DEMOCRATS to decide the parties nomination.

Go Figure, the people who oppose our superdelegate system are the same people who are voting for the individual who has the least amount dedicated super delegates, coincidence I think not?

Additionally the AMERICAN PEOPLE deserve for their votes to be counted. Florida and Michigan's delegates need to be allocated according to the DNC's rules at the end of the primary season. Michigan and Florida were punished by moving their primaries ahead of schedule to contribute to the national momentum, well they lost their momentum. The delegates should be added at the end of the primary season.
Mary says:

9:32 on 02/11

Something the Democrats came up with because, you know, those regular Democratic delegates aren't as smart as the super delegates and don't know their own mind so these Super delegates have to step in and show them the way.

Just like the electoral college, super delegates should be abolished!
Linda Theis says:

2:44 on 02/09

What a deal. The rich and powerful super delegate. THEY, obviously, know how to herd the cattle. Right over the cliff. This is insulting and very upsetting. Am I hearing correctly? This is America? Bill Clinton in one. Well, how fair is that? Can you say, conflict of interest? I am disappointed and shocked that this, in your face practice, continues. Voters should be outraged.
Janece McClain says:

1:26 on 02/09

Shady practice!! Could this be challenged? The Dems will likely lose a lot of people to the Independent Party over Super Delegates whether or not they play an important part in this election.

This practice insults the intelligence of all Voters. The powers that be a pushing their limits of tolerance of the American Voters. The backlash will be interesting.