"Hey, I Am For Hillary": One New Hampshire Superdelegate Isn't Keeping Quiet

Being a superdelegate from New Hampshire, (with their "first in the nation primary" January 8th) AND having declared your support of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy a year ago, makes you fodder for every political researcher, pundit, and pollster through this entire election season.

Such is the fate of Gaetan DiGangi, 56, of Merrimack, a DNC Committeeman and Superdelegate.

According to the Nashua Telegraph, "there was never any doubt where I was going to be," he said at a Bill Clinton campaign appearance for Hillary held at the VFW in Nashua. "He gave us eight incredible years for this country, and she's got both the heart, the head and the experience to take us there again."

There is much talk in the media about Superdelegates these days - how they may have to decide a Democratic nominee this August at the DNC Convention in Denver - if the delegate counts of both candidates are too close to call.

More than 40% of voters are registered "Independents" and much in the New England style of things, like to keep their political intentions quiet until Election Day. But DiGangi publicly declared his support of Senator Clinton a year ago, and he's been touting her ever since. Being a vocal supporter, he's been quoted in several New England newspapers, and the national ones (NY Times, LA Times) as well.

In a Hillary Clinton For President campaign press release posted on her presidential campaign Web site, DiGangi says "Hey, I am for Hillary. My opinion is, when people get to know her, they will begin to see she is not the same person Republicans portray her to be."

DiGangi and his wife Gail are residents of Merrimack (a famous battleship in the American Civil War was named after it). He works in sales for the Crouse-Hinds corporation and according to the FEC Web site she is an engineer for Raytheon.

He became a Superdelegate eight years ago when he ran for DNC Committeeman in New Hampshire and won that election. He served his four year term, and ran again in 2004. He is finishing up his second term this year. In the last presidential election, he initially supported Dick Gephardt before he withdrew from the race after a disappointing caucus in Iowa.

There are seven Superdelegates allotted to the state of New Hampshire. Two, including DiGangi, publicly endorsed Senator Clinton, and two have endorsed Senator Obama. Three are uncommitted.

According to the Nashua Telegraph, Patrick Buchanan, a GOP New Hampshire primary winner in 1996, says that if Senator Clinton becomes the nominee due to Superdelegate intervention, "you will see an explosion at the Convention the likes we haven't seen since 1968."

And Time Magazine this week (March 20th ) brings to light several instances where Clinton support in Texas and Ohio was the work of Republicans switching party alliances, in the hopes she'll become the nominee; in their minds, (a "no brainer) and no match for John McCain. Superdelegates may have a much stronger say in the nominating process than they ever imagined.

Mr. DiGangi was contacted twice by e-mail at his work address without response.

Comments

[SamWainwright]

"My opinion is, when people get to know her, they will begin to see she is not the same person Republicans portray her to be."
Unfortunately for HRC, people are 'getting to know her' and they ain't liking what they see.

[S1m0n]

If he really thinks she's the best candidate, more power to him. Good for him.

It's the people supporting Hillary because they owe her favors, or because they expect to gain a preferment from a future Clinton administration, or because she remembers their birthday and Obama never has that are betraying their responsibility.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

"There was never any doubt" -- and the fact that he hasn't even considered altering his position based on developments in the past year -- shows the problem of Superdelegates. Like the Monty Python skit where idiotic Lords compete in a race and wind up driving over themselves, aristocrats as a class tend to become inbred and often aren't the sharpest pencils in the box.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

P.S.: Forgot to note that it takes about 10,000 votes in a primary to win one pledged delegate. I'm sure Mr. DiGangi is a fine person -- my comment above should be taken as a criticism of his apparently closed mind, not of his intelligence or his ethics -- and it's great whenever citizens are involved in the political process as he has been -- but what on Earth would make anyone believe that this particular sales exec for an electrical equipment manufacturer should have a voice 10,000 times more powerful than another sales exec for another company who thinks America is still a democracy and went out of his way to vote in a primary for Obama?

Again: Superdelegates have 10,000 times the voting power of citizens.

How big a number is 10,000? Like this: a stack of 10,000 pennies would be over 52 feet high. My vote's 1/16th of an inch; Mr. DiGangi's is over 52 feet. That's how big the discrepancy is.

And that's why the Supers -- in a year when there aren't three candidates splitting the vote so that none can get a majority -- should follow the lead of the pledged delegates.

[apresdeluge]

Keep insulting the intelligence of fellow Democrats who happen to support Hillary. That's going to really help you candidate; you remember him don't you.......the "uniter".

[OwenScottIII]

I strongly support Sen. Obama but the popular vote split between the candidates is pretty close, even if we discount GOP switch-over voters. Many, many Democrats feel that Hillary Clinton is the better choice. I disagree, but I hope that superdelegates whose conscience and convictions dictate that they vote for Sen. Clinton are not subjected to harassment from our camp. Such behavior is absolutely against what Barack Obama stands for, a respectful dialogue where everyone's voice is heard. I am truly dismayed when Obama supporters behave badly.

[S1m0n]

"I strongly support Sen. Obama but the popular vote split between the candidates is pretty close..."

At about 6% (last I checked) its not that close. General elections are won in the US by changing preferences in a group of swing voters, consisting of about 10 percent of the total number of votes cast. On this scale, 6 points is a landslide.

[OwenScottIII]

Current national polls have shown a close overall race. I agree Sen. Obama has the overall lead and that the lead will probably increase over the remainder of the primaries. However, my point was simply that for many reasons that we need to respect Democrats who believe Sen. Clinton is the best choice. Naturally, it's not just a matter of asking "What would Barack do?" Respect for self and others is a fundamental principle of healthy living. Supporters of Sen. Obama who do not reflect this ethic cause persons who have not made a commitment to our team to question whether our approach is really any different than the irrational and manipulative politics practiced by manyt winning candidates for high office.

[dkiesow]

You can find the original story referenced above on the Telegraph's NHPrimary.com: http://tinyurl.com/2u72mx