It's Time For The Superdelegates To End This Thing

Posted March 18, 2008 | 09:00 PM (EST)



stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust

The race between Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama remains frozen in amber, with even an unlikely unprecedented string of lopsided victories between now and the end of the primary season unable to change the dominant dynamic: Senator Obama is the frontrunner. Both senators have motivated the base, energizing the party with unprecedented primary and caucus turnout. But now it must come to an end and a transition made to general election mode. Sen. McCain is his party's nominee and is currently consolidating the conservative base. While I feel he still has little chance of winning the general election, we are at a moment in which the Democratic party can march to a historic victory -- a repudiation of conservatism. The more the show of the primary season goes on, the less likely a major victory this fall (although even if the dang thing goes to the convention I still think the Dems will win).

The superdelegates have so far been content to sit on the sidelines and wait out the process, yet time is now of the essence. They need to vote their consciences now, reminded by Speaker Pelosi that they should take heed the will of the Democratic party's voices in 44 states.

Barack Obama most importantly leads in delegates, leads in amount of states won. Sen. Clinton has run a strong campaign, but Sen. Obama's has been stronger and that is why neither candidate can get to the nomination based solely on their primary/caucus performance. The superdelegates need to act. There are eight months until the general election. Eight months of voter mobilization, eight months of educating the voters about our nominee and the Republican nominee. Eight months of fundraising and coordination between the nominee and the national party to be done.

The Democratic Party has a chance to not only elect a Democrat but to deal a severe blow to conservatism. The way to get there is for the superdelegates to act.

Vote now. Follow the people. Choose a nominee. Win the election.

More coverage at OliverWillis.com


 
 

Comments
94
Pending Comments
0

Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

View Comments:
Page: 1 2 Next › Last » (2 pages total)

Something needs to be done. I am sick of the whole situation. Obama maintains the lead, but I think Hillary Clinton will probably fight all the way to the convention floor. She seems to think the nomination should be handed to her on a silver platter, that she is entitled to it. My prediction: if she gets the nomination, plenty of folks will stay home on Election Day.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:01 AM on 03/20/2008

"It's Time For The Superdelegates To End This Thing."

Agreed. Thats right, in view that McCain surged past Obama in the polls it's time for Obama to step down.

Better luck time next time.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:35 AM on 03/20/2008

Agreed--let's get Obama out of the race before he decides to take us farther down his long and winding past....we don't know what's there, but for sure, we should be afraid. If he would just do the right thing and get out now, we might be able to salvage this thing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:52 PM on 03/19/2008

The supers need to stay on the side lines unless the Clinton campaign really starts engaging in dirty politics (by Democratic primary standards). To do otherwise is to tell the later states that their votes don't count; this is one of the reasons that Florida and Michigan cut in line and why a number of other states moved their contests forward as far as the rules allowed. Cutting these later states off at the knees cannot be particularly heathy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:01 PM on 03/19/2008

You obviously misread the depth of disgust of the Clinton racist tactics in the Black community, the Democratic Party's most loyal constituency, a constituency the Democrats CANNOT WIN without.

All you have to do to get some sense of it is to listen to Black radio.

What's more, if you watch Black TV, TVOne, there is a commentary running that speaks to.

The Democrats better get their act together and PUSH Clinton out NOW.

Surely, they realize they have enemies in their ranks!


    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:42 AM on 03/20/2008

If I follow your logic - superdelegates suppose to split their vote sme way as a general population did in primaries. Pardon me, but doesn't it defeat the idea of superdelegates. I think that idea of super delegate is idiotic, but since you (Dem party) chosen to create it, why would you now insist that they vote a specific way?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:24 PM on 03/19/2008

The 'superdelegates' represent LONG and CONSISTENT commitments to the Dem. Party; they are not the "childrens' army" howling for expiation before their chosen avatar. To COMPEL them to cast their votes any way is to deny them FREE AGENCY, which is the core of their essence.....

Alter the rules for the next "cycle; succumb to the mobs' chorus......, but accept--for a change--the value of "process" itself......

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:52 PM on 03/19/2008

If this race was in the opposite situation with Hillary leading in ALL measurable categories, there would be soooooooo many voices calling for Obama to concede.

Funny how she' been LOSING FOR SOOOO LONG, yet the MSM, DNC, and the rest of the Democratic party still let her continue when there's no way for her to get the nomination without dirty trickery. No do-overs, no changing the rules that everyone agreed to in the middle of the game. What are we, kids playing dodgeball at recess??????

She won't get out on her own.

She needs to be pushed.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:04 PM on 03/19/2008

Why do many Americans not have the patience or depth to endure a long campaign? If you want instant gratification, go through the drive-thru at McDonalds. If you want democracy, be prepared for tough, long campaigns. In a historically significant campaign that is this close, I would not blame whoever was behind for going all the way to the convention. Having Hillary and Barack in the news may even help the eventual winner when the general election comes, as the voters will be more familiar with the candidate"s views and more comfortable with the candidate as a person.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:54 PM on 03/19/2008

I'm sorry do you mind if THE PEOPLE get to finish voting before you worry about the superdelegates.
It is just a little thing called democracy, I realize a dying term with all of the socialists out there, but still the way it works.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:02 PM on 03/19/2008

Obama supporters are like spoiled children. Eihter they win (by any means) or they hold their breath. Why not let the process continue as it was supposed to. This is a Democratic primary; not a coronation. Does Obama's message of a "new kind of politics" mean disenfranchise voters in FL & MI and the remaining states which have not yet voted? This is not new, it was done in FL in 2000 by George W. Bush. Birds of a feather............

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:43 PM on 03/19/2008

Letting the process drag out even though it's clear Clinton can't win might be ok--if she and her campaign weren't out there every day tearing Obama down. They can't hurt him enough for THEM to win--but they are hurting him enough that they might cost the Democrats the nomination

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:22 PM on 03/19/2008

OH bull.... she is the one crying after getting behind and now wanting a do over in FL and MI.
If she was behind anyone but Obama she would have already been forced to step down.
Here is your real hero:

There's a reason Hillary Clinton has remained relatively silent during the flap over intemperate remarks by Barack Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. When it comes to unsavory religious affiliations, she's a lot more vulnerable than Obama.

full story at ->http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080331/ehrenreich

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:35 PM on 03/19/2008

I agree with your main point, that the SuperDelegates should come forward and settle this nominiation ASAP, but your logic is flawed in two respects.

First, you make a great case for why these SuperDelegates should act, then go on to say "even if the dang thing goes to the convention I still think the Dems will win". Well, then what's the rush? This sentence weakens the entire article.

Second, you wrote, "Sen. Clinton has run a strong campaign..." Though this is a matter of opinion, I disagree that "strong" is the right word for her campaign. She was so overconfident of victory on SuperTuesday that she wasn't ready for any of the states after Feb. 5th. This error in planning and judgement led to a disorganized ground game and big losses throughout February. Before Christmas, she was writing off Michigan and Florida like all the other candidates at the time (remember the other 7?)...now she's begging these states to revote.

I wouldn't call this "strong"; I'd call it "bungling".

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:33 PM on 03/19/2008

If most of the super delegate votes were cast now (before the remaining primaries are completed), those additional super delegates would not provide either candidate enough delegates to win at this point in time, so the super delegates would not be casting the final deciding votes. (Of course, those votes would change the margin one way or the other.) Everyone would know how many additional pledged delegates would be required to for a candidate to win. If this were to happen, then the voters in the remaining ten primaries would cast the final votes that would put one candidate over the top and win the primary.
Super delegates could still choose for themselves how to vote (not changing the rules), yet the final deciding votes would come from the people (democratically).
I think some the super delegates want to "wait and see" who is the winner, so they don"t end up backing a candidate that ultimately loses. I think the super delegates should show more leadership and endorse a candidate now.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:41 PM on 03/19/2008

Time for Obama to throw in the towel. More trashy stuff is coming about him and the door is open for McCain as long as Obama continues to stir up the anti-semetic stuff and race stuff. We have had enough of it. Thank you. Do the right thing Barack and get out now while you can still help the dems and brefore you do more damage.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:55 PM on 03/19/2008

If john edwards was ahead in delegates and votes , in the same scenerio, Hillary would already have been asked / forced to stop. Even in this party we are seeing systemic racial divide. I dont get it .
john Edwards is going to be on leno thursday nite which tells me he may be close to endorsing a candidate and my guess it will be hillary. i wish he wouldnt but it may tip n.c. for her .
the fire will go out of the party and the dems will lose the wh, the senate, and the house, because those newly excited voters will stay home .

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:24 PM on 03/19/2008

With respect, I think if JRE had the same stats as Obama has now - FL, MI, and the remaining contests would look the same. Folks would be saying that the frontrunner ran a 50 state strategy but his hair will cause him to lose the GE. I don't see HRC dropping out for JRE in this scenario. It might have even gotten uglier!

I will also be disappointed if JRE endorses HRC.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:41 PM on 03/19/2008

This show the difference in the support of the two candidates. Those of us that support Sen Clinton will gladly support Sen Obama if he win the primary. That is because we are DEMOCRATS. The Obama people are summer soldiers in fight for progressivism. What a shame.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:22 PM on 03/19/2008

If the Democratic party wants to have a future then it must listen to the younger voices. What you call "summer soldiers" and "Temporary Democrats" are people who can take the party to new heights. If you and the Democratic party throw these people away then the party will die off and become just a bunch of stale old geezers like McCain.

Obama has gotten generation X to become involved in politics for the first time. Over the years everyone thought we didn't care, you were wrong. Most of us haven't voted because we felt there was not much difference between the two parties. Obama is the difference we have been waiting for. If the democrats ignore this and the super delegates put a finger on the scales and place Hillery as the nominee you will dissolution what could possible be millions of new democrats. What a shame that will be.

if that happens all those "summer soldiers" and "Temporary Democrats" will run to new parties. If we can't join the system; we will create our own!

end the Iraq war, end the drug war, end corporatism.

Education = Enlightenment

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:13 PM on 03/19/2008

I call them "Temporary Democrats".

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:49 PM on 03/19/2008

Where is the ethical value in being a Democrat? The Democratic Party is simply a tool; why need we pledge it loyalty if it provides us with no candidates which we can support? To say I will vote for someone simply because he or she is a Democrat is like saying I support the war in Iraq because I am an American. There is nothing noble about voting for someone whose ethics one deplores.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:32 PM on 03/19/2008

Docrob wrote...
> This show the difference in the support of the two candidates. Those of us that
> support Sen Clinton will gladly support Sen Obama if he win the primary. That is
> because we are DEMOCRATS.

Precisely so. In broad strokes... Clinton supporters are more likely to define themselves as DEMOCRATS. Obama supporters are more likely to define themselves as AMERICANS or HUMAN BEINGS.

I'm confident that in the great sweep of history, the trend is AWAY from divisive identifications: black/white, male/female, democrate/republican... and towards more unity. The small-minded politics of us-vs-them my triumph in this particular campaign, but it's on the wrong side of history.

Stuart's "Random Thoughts" blog

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:22 PM on 03/19/2008

I just saw Reuters recent poll on CNN. McCain is now the candidate favored to win this election against both Hillary and Obama. This is the price being paid for this continued soap opera between Hillary and Obama. Instead of running against McCain they are providing the republicans with all the ammunition they'll need to help McCain win. McCain's out there playing President, and whipping up fear, rallying the republicans -- while the democrats are clued to CNN watching the latests episode of "will FL & Mi be seated".

These super delegates don't care who becomes President they are concerned about their political careers. They know it's time they stop this thing, they see the math, they know HIllary can't make the numbers and they know they are not going to steal the election for her, they see the polls that McCain is benefiting from this. But they won't step in because it's not the party they are concerned about nor the American people they just want to make sure come November they still have a job.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:54 PM on 03/19/2008

Senator Obama is stealing the nomination by refusing to let the voters in Florida and Michigan have a re-do. Florida reminds me of 2000 when all the votes weren't counted.

The Democratic voters in Florida have stated they will not vote in the general election if they are not counted in the Primary. This means Florida will go Republican in 2008 and almost guarantee a Republican victory.

You Temporary Democrats are destroying the Party, not Hillary Clinton.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:05 PM on 03/19/2008

Florida has come up with a reasonable plan. The head of the Florida state democratic party has come up with this;

1) Allocate the delegates 50/50....or

2) Award the delegates based on the popular and pledged delegate vote totals.


Which one do you support?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:37 AM on 03/20/2008

check RealClearPolitics web site. They will show you the results of ALL polls instead of the selective reporting done by different TV networks.

Two new polls USA Today/Gallup and CNN still show both Clinton and Obama beating McCain. But, Clinton currently leads by MORE than Obama.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:37 PM on 03/19/2008

There are 8 months left in the campaign.
There are 5 months until the convention.
Are the Dems going to do the Republicans job for them - for five months - just to confirm Obama? Five months to fight among themselves, three months to fight McCain. Just so Hillary can go to the convention and hope for smoke-filled rooms.

There are 353 uncommitted superdelegates. If you subtract the 313 delegates from MI and FL, the candidate only needs 1,869 delegates (not 2,025) to clinch the nomination. IF the superdelegates declared NOW, the handwriting would be on the wall for Hillary and she could set her sights on 2012. Until that happens, expect more kitchen-sink, scorched earth campaigning from Hillary and a better chance for McCain to beat a bloodied Obama.

Either Dem is better than McCain for America. However, we are forced to choose between two excellent candidates, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The longer that we take to make our choice, the better the chances for McCain in October. The choice has been made. Obama/? 2008!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:46 PM on 03/19/2008

You're absolutely right. The superdelegates should decide now and since Hillary has the majority, she wins the nomination.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:33 PM on 03/19/2008

Apparently you haven't received any recent news (like the last 6 months) but Obama has the majority. No wonder you are Frustrated In Ohio.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:37 PM on 03/19/2008

lol, it's Obama with the majority of votes, states, and delegates. Counting, it's not just for kids anymore...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:02 PM on 03/19/2008

I didn't read anywhere that Nancy Pelosi suggested that the super delegates should follow the voices of the poeple from 44 states. I don't recall her using that number or suggesting that the remaining states don't matter.

And, the super delegates would be CRAZY to make a decision NOW without knowing what the fallout is going to be from the Rev Wright controversy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:39 AM on 03/19/2008

Yes, of course. It's more like.........decide now before the reality gets any worse! *haha

One poll today showed Hillary opened up a 26 point lead in Penn. I'm sure it won't stay that good, but goodness!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:54 AM on 03/19/2008

Wow... 26 points. That's almost as good as Obama's 62 point win in Idaho, his 52 point win in Hawaii, his 48 point win in Kansas, his 37 point win in Washington, his 36 point win in Georgia, his 35 point win in Colorado, his 33 point win in Illinois, his 28 point win in South Carolina...

See?! Your candidate can win too... all it takes is an educationally challenged, racially divided pool of voters, and a bit of help from Rush Limbaugh!

Your victories *do* matter... and so do all those other states, right?!

*pats your hand reassuringly...*

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:11 PM on 03/19/2008

26 point lead that's all well and fine but here's the problem -- the result has to be
Clinton 65% Obama 35%, and this is not just the case in PN she has to win every remaining primary with 65%, not going to happen.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:05 PM on 03/19/2008

Time for Obama to see the writing on the wall and know that he is trending downward now. It is clear that he is doing more harm than good with his devisive campaign which continually throws the race card in on everything. What is that all about if not just showing that he cannot run on merit? Get out now Obama!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:57 PM on 03/19/2008

Yes they need to vote for the only electable candidate-Mrs. Clinton.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:58 AM on 03/19/2008

Last I heard, the winner of the election is the candidate with the most delegates... not the most temporary buzz from a media that's trying to pretend there's still a contest.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:14 PM on 03/19/2008

I prefer an honest, transparent candidate who discloses records -- not someone who's hiding hers in her closet -- Have you not watched Bush in the White House how he's broken the laws of the land to his whims...you want more of that? I don't. She needs to be on the ticket with McCain.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:45 AM on 03/19/2008

Yes, I agree with you. I want to see records. Where ar Obama's taxes prior to 2006? I want them all the way back tohis first elected office in the ILL state senate.

Where are his earmarks for the ILL state senate? He likes to tout his 12 years of experience there, I want the records.

Oh wait, I thnk I remeber now, he shredded all the records from his ILL state senate office, didn't he? what was he hiding?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:40 PM on 03/19/2008