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My Brother the Superdelegate and Why I Don't Trust Him to Pick the Next President
My brother Rahm Emanuel is a superdelegate. I love my brother, and I trust my brother. But I gave up letting my brother dictate my life since he determined whether he got the top or bottom bunk in our bedroom back in Chicago.
So, as much as I love and respect him, I don't trust him and his fellow superdelegates to decide for me and the American people who should be the Democratic nominee -- and, therefore, most likely the next president of the United States.
I want voters to make that decision. The superdelegates, my brother included, have not been elected by anybody to name the nominee. They've either been appointed by the Party or, as in my brother's case, have automatically inherited the role simply because they are elected officials. This isn't the place to debate the entire history of superdelegates. Suffice it to say, however, they were created by the Party machine decades ago for the express purpose of giving Party insiders the ability to thwart the popular will.
After what Democrats went through in Florida in 2000, we should be the first to reject any such funny business. We should be as opposed to superdelegates changing the course of an election as we were to the Supreme Court appointing George W. Bush president.
The right thing for my brother, and all the other superdelegates to do, is to support the decision of the voters. Whichever candidate has won the most delegates going into the national convention should be granted the endorsement of the superdelegates. Period. And we should put pressure on them to agree to do so now -- before the jockeying, lobbying, and infighting get really ugly, as they inevitably will.
Likewise, Democrats must firmly oppose any shenanigans regarding delegates from Michigan and Florida. The party and the candidates all agreed that the delegates coming out of those states would not be seated. Unringing that bell after the fact and by fiat would be an outrage. We have only two legitimate options when it comes to Florida and Michigan: either we stick by the original agreement. Or we organize new elections in those states this summer in which both the Obama and Clinton campaigns can evenly compete.
After the democracy-snubbing arrogance of the Bush years, the last thing Democrats should be doing is wavering on our democratic principles on these issues. No super-power granted to superdelegates. And no backroom fudging on Florida and Michigan. Are you listening, bro?
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This is very true Mr. Emanuel, The Democrats need to stop this factional conflict and band together, especially after the Florida Debacle(as you mentioned).
HRC will not withdraw.
Thanks!
I don't trust my brother to vote for me either, and I SURELY don't trust yours!
Ari: I don't trust your brother and the smug elites like him to pick the next president. I'd much prefer a steel-cage match between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama or a bowling tournament. Maybe that will get Bill Clinton to quit guilt tripping voters.
Jonathan Berr
http://ketchupandeggs.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/the-muzzle-is-off-bill-clinton/
I miss the good old days when the fix was in, We have had some great Presidents, they should all be super delegates .
I don't like the "educated" anymore, even though I is one.
I have to keep training them "how to do the job".
So what - If Obama has the "educated" white people, the blacks and the young.
Hillary has the working class white people, the hispanics and the seniors.
Ask yourself. Where do you fit? Whose struggle do you want to support?
the top post here has appeared in numerous other discussions on HuffPo today, and it didn't make any sense in any of those, either.
To all the Boomer parents -
We've given our children everything they have demanded.
Why not give them their own president?
"Young people unite! Tear down the bridge to the past, and follow me. I will give you the power, you so deserve."
The only thing Obama has to offer aginst McCain's senority and POW status, is the power of the Internet.
The majority of Americns in November will vote AGAINST giving power to the Internet.
This year - The Best Man For The Job Is The Woman.
The internet has the power? Puhleez!
Regardless if we don't don't accept the Florida and Michigan delegates, the people of those states did vote. We shouldn't have to ask them to vote again just because some of us don't like who won those elections, and that's what the fuss is really about. If Obama had won, you wouldn't be hearing such a ruckus from the likes of Emanuel or others. Neither side is going to be happy with the outcome however. Clinton supporters will shout "cheat!" and so will Obama supporters. Democrats are heading into a ditch from which they might not be able to retrieve themselves.
Oh, so even though Edwards and Obama kept their word to remove their names from the Michigan ballot, and Hillary "forgot" to do so, a la Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown, she should collect all the delegates since she barely defeated "uncommitted"? I don't think so.
Michigan and Florida: Do over or do without.
Or is Hillary afraid she can only defeat "uncommitted"?
please - r u a republican?
Except many people DIDN'T vote because (1) their candidate wasn't on the ballot (Michigan) or (2) they already had been told their January vote wouldn't count. (Florida and Michigan)
So...how fair to them to count it now?
That said, I suppose they could seat Florida and have caucuses in Michigan--then let the superdelegates redress the unfairness....somehow.
why a caucus in Michigan
that favors obama
totally unfair
Love it! Ari telling Rahm that he has become a new generation hack in public. The Backroon is all lit up and the whole world is watching through the huge frontal windows.
Succint, logical, and correct. Thanks Ari!
Ari Emmanuel has stated the case simply and honestly. Super delegates were put in place to avoid a situation where a candidate who is far out of the mainstream of the Democratic Party could be reined in. That may or may not be a good idea, but that situation certainly does not apply in this election season.
Barack Obama is very much on the center-left of his party and is the most likely candidate to win against an elderly sell-out like McCain. The Florida and Michigan delegates should not be seated because the national Democratic Party decided that those elections would not count. The candidates agreed prior to the pointless elections, but Sen. Clinton now has no other way to win if they are not counted retroactively.
If McCain only takes federal money, Obama should do the same. Both had agreed to that prior to the primaries. Clinton should similarly agree to new elections in Michigan and Florida or should allow those votes not to count.
All true. But the Democratic Party cannot, in good conscience, disenfranchise millions of voters in two states.
Dean better find a fair solution....soon.
I hear ya, bro! I think the Superdelegate stuff is a mess. How can we appeal to the Dems to get a grip!!! We don't need the "smoky rooms" decisionmaking anymore. The will of the people should reign supreme.
Do you really want Republicans crossing over to decide the nominee? Obama has won one BLUE STATE, Illinois, Hillary has won the rest, CA, NY, NJ, MA, The Teddy and Kerry State. Why do States like Utah, Idaho and Alaska even have delegates, what will they bring in November? NOTHING they will be RED, as they always are. The DEMOCRATIC PARTY has Super-Delegates to PREVENT ANOTHER JIMMY CARTER
That is a bunch of BS, blue states are pretty much a lock for whomever wins the nomination. We NEED the redstates to win.
Hillary can't even insure us the votes of Democrats, so how can we be sure she will give us the votes of independents. Barack has shown that he can win ACROSS the board.
We need Republicans and independents to win. The electoral college map doesn't look good for Hillary with just die-hard Democrats (and minus a few bitter ones).
When Hillary comes up with more popular vote after Ohio texan and PA will you still be singing that tune?
Senator Claire McCaskill (D) Missouri, elected for the first time to the United States Senate in November 2006, explained why she was supporting Senator Barack Obama to be President of the United States. She is the only one of the 16 female Senators who now is.
These are her words. “It was a little nudging from my 18 year old Daughter.” “It was Maddie in my face.”
“She said, ‘How can you look yourself in the mirror, you’re a slug, you’re playing it politically safe, I believe in this guy, I’ll never speak to you again if you don’t stand up and have some courage.’ “
“It was pretty intense, she was right, it was like a cold bucket of water on my head, she was absolutely right.”
This is one of the new breed of Democrats we sent to Congress in 2006 to end the Iraq War. The war has not ended and this is what we got instead. Are your kids holding their breath unless you vote for Barack Obama? Are we making the right choice now?
That's what this country needs, Senators that do what their children tell them to do, this woman sounds like a moron, maybe she doesn't remember JIMMY CARTER, who destroyed the DEMOCRATIC PARTY with his weak and indecisive leadership. Now Ziggy Brzezinski and the ultra-rich eastern liberals with BILLIONS and the power to match are trying to do with Obama what they did with Carter, force another unqualifed weaking on the Party for 4 failed years again
A Senator that has her 18 year old daughter making her decisions, someone recall this woman because she sounds like a moron. I guess Clair hasn't been following politics or the DEMS very long and doesn't remember 1976 and Jimmy Carter. Jimmy was forced on the DEMS by the same people that are now pushing Obama, led by former Carter National Security Advisor Ziggy Brzezinski. He bring the ultra-rich eastern liberals with the their BILLIONS and media power. They took Jimmy Carter from a total unknown to a household name in a short amount of time, Sound like a familiar story?
she can't make up her own mind?
The problem is, as we're learning this election season, that there is no way to know the will of the voters, since caucus attendees do not accurately reflect the make-up of a state's entire electorate. It seems that with each election, we learn something new about just how desperately in need of reform our electoral system is!
Here's the list of 800 Superdelegates and whom they have endorsed thus far. 477 have yet to decide.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/primaries/superdelegates/search.php
Ari you are a hipocrite. You want the superdelegates to honor the will of the voters but want to disenfranchise the voters of Michigan and Florida who had no say in the deal to nullify their primary votes. Couldn't be because Hillary won in Florida and Michigan, huh? No doubt you're an Obama supporter. Rahm must be a Hillary delegate. Am I right?
afgail-----Hillary didn't win in Florida or Michigan. Obama name wasn't even on the ballet. your really misinformed! Obama ad went out only in Florida because He bought those ad's Nationaly due to a smart financial decision it was cheaper than buying local. So the crap clinton fed you about him buying ad's in florida was just a lie. If he'd had the cham
nce to campayne against Hillary in these two states, it might have been different. So please be informed when you go to blogs and talk width us. There are many sights to go to to get all this in formation. Florida an Michigan disinfranchised themself by not following the Demacrate party rules and laws. If you can't follow rules and laws set out for you what kind of Nation would we be? America stands on Laws and Rules.I know clinton would like to know inclulde those two states know she is loseing every where------------but America is about honesty, rules,laws and regulation.
hey I went to vote at my local Florida precinct the day the DNC said it would be legal to count. Yet when I got there no one was around to count my vote.
Ive been disenfranchised! :P
Obama was running as many TV ads in Florida as Mitt Romney and Hllary stll crushed him 50% to 33%, Florida had the greatest turnout in DEM PRIMARY HISTORY, they had 1,750,000 votes cast in a fair primary. I live in Michigan,even though the MICHIGAN DEMS BEGGED then to leave their names on the ballot Obama and Edwards REMOVED THEIR NAMES FROM THE BALLOT, their choice to DISS the voters in Michigan to please the screamer Howard Dean. It was a bad choice by Obama, bad judgement that might have cost him votes. Obama asked his supporters in Michigan to vote "not committed" and 40% did, but Hillary got 55% of the votes cast, our votes should all count, don't they call themselves the DEMOCRATS? All votes are counted in a DEMOCRACY, even if you don't like the result
Obama chose not to be on the ballot
what a whiner he is
Back in the day, Hillary worked closely with Rahm to get NAFTA pushed through Congress. Hillary has friends in Illinois, she grew up there.
You know I went to my local florida polling place on the date the DNC said it would legal to do. And you what? no one was there to count my vote.
Ive been Disenfranchised!
and by your own florida legislature no less.
You are so wise. I hope the DNC takes notice. Your position is sound advice. However, I think that most of the Super Delegates are waiting and watching to see just how far Obama inspires the masses.
The comment by the SD thinking he knows what is best for his constituency speaks of true self-righteous arrogance (Are we sure he isn't a Bush supporter?) Not listening to the will of the voters should demand his replacement in the next election.
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