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BainsBane

(53,038 posts)
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 08:49 PM Feb 2016

The Democratic Party is unfair to Bernie Sanders

They refuse to change the rules for selecting a nominee that have been in place since 1968. Truly it's a travesty. A proud independent for many decades, Sanders decided to run as a Democrat, making him eligible to use the party structures for his campaign. Now that we've had just two states cast their preferences, the party refuses to change the rules mid-election in order to favor him and his supporters, people clearly superior to the rest of Americans who fail to support the only man who can save America from oligarchy, fascism, and corporate control (except for the gun industry the MIC, which as capitalists who profit from death are superior to the financial sector).


After the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party made changes in its delegate selection process, based on the work of the McGovern-Fraser Commission. The purpose of the changes was to make the composition of the convention less subject to control by party leaders and more responsive to the votes cast during the campaign for the nomination.

Some Democrats believed that these changes had unduly diminished the role of party leaders and elected officials, weakening the Democratic tickets of George McGovern and Jimmy Carter. The party appointed a commission chaired by Jim Hunt, the then-Governor of North Carolina, to address this issue. In 1982, the Hunt Commission recommended and the Democratic National Committee adopted a rule that set aside some delegate slots for Democratic members of Congress and for state party chairs and vice chairs.[7] Under the original Hunt plan, superdelegates were 30% of all delegates, but when it was finally implemented for the 1984 election, they were 14%. The number has steadily increased, and today they are approximately 20%.[8]

In 1984 only state party chairs and vice chairs were guaranteed superdelegate status. The remaining spots were divided two ways. The Democrats in Congress were allowed to select up to 60% of their members to fill some of these spots. The remaining positions were left to the state parties to fill with priority given to governors and big-city mayors. In 1988, this process was simplified. Democrats in Congress were now allowed to select up to 80% of their members. All Democratic National Committee members and all Democratic governors were given superdelegate status. This year also saw the addition of the distinguished party leader category (although former DNC chairs were not added to this category until 1996, and former House and Senate minority leaders were not added until 2000). In 1992 was the addition of a category of unpledged "add-ons", a fixed number of spots allocated to the states, intended for other party leaders and elected officials not already covered by the previous categories. Finally, beginning in 1996, all Democratic members of Congress were given superdelegate status.[9]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate


It truly is a travesty that the super delegate structure devised by the McGovern-Fraser Commission and implemented at the Democratic Convention of 1968 is not immediately abandoned--mid-primary--in order to suit the interests of those who insist the Democratic Party is a corrupt organization that fails to represent them above Democrats who have participated as party activists for decades. If the party truly were "democratic," it would recognize that the demands of some Americans simply matter more than others. The base is not composed of people who reliably vote Democrat, who volunteer or work for the party at the local level to strengthen it. It is not represented by those groups who most reliably vote Democrat. Instead, the only true Democrats are the ones who swear they will not vote for the Democrat unless their guy is selected as the nominee, who swear that generations of young voters care not about a slate of issues or reforms but that their engagement hinges exclusively on Bernie Sanders rightful and just ascent to the presidency.

Now, some might ask if these voters truly are the base of the Democratic Party, why haven't they gotten involved in the party organization and worked to eliminate the Super Delegate system prior to the beginning of this electoral cycle? Such a question is unreasonable, clearly a Clintonian effort to distract from the Bernie's rightful place atop the political establishment by interjecting logic. Logic, along with science and math, are corporate plots that must be defeated at all costs. That the existing rules don't favor Bernie is reason enough they be changed, mid-election. The reason for doing so is straightforward: Bernie.

Now, some might ask what happens if not just the Super Delegates but the popular vote favors Clinton? if lesser Americans vote for another candidate, that itself is evidence of massive fraud because the only acceptable goal for any true Democrat is to elect Bernie Sanders.

If the Democrat Party dares to adopt any policy positions Sanders has articulated, that is fraudulent and unacceptable. The point, after all, is not reform but Bernie as President. Nothing else is acceptable. Any other outcome is illegitimate.

#feelthebern!11!
15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
 

morningfog

(18,115 posts)
2. Wah wah. Sad trombone for you. When has Sanders said anything about the
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:10 PM
Feb 2016

Super delegates and the nomination process?

You know the supers are silly and will not go against the candidate with the most pledged delegates. It's a silly non issue.

BainsBane

(53,038 posts)
5. We have heard a constant refrain from his supporters
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:36 PM
Feb 2016

I made no claim Sanders said anything about it.

 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
3. Same exact Super Delegate dust up in 2008. Today we feature links to 08 and post 08 Super Stuffs!
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:11 PM
Feb 2016

Obama Takes 3 More Superdelegates
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/obama-takes-3-more-superdelegates/

Preventing Another Clinton-Obama Primary Fiasco
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/preventing-another-clinton-obama/

Democrats to Keep Controversial Superdelegates
http://www.newsweek.com/democrats-keep-controversial-superdelegates-71649


So pretending it is something new and fresh to this cycle is silly.

BainsBane

(53,038 posts)
6. Indeed
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:37 PM
Feb 2016

Therefore it shouldn't be news 8 years later, except perhaps for people who don't bother to inform themselves.

 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
15. But that's not how you present your OP, which suggests Bernie Sanders wants the rules changed.
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:51 PM
Feb 2016

You make it all about Bernie when it's all about Democratic Primary politics since they invented the unpledged delegate scheme. That's what I challengeIt's primary politics not particular to any candidate nor group of supporters, which is your assertion.

RiverLover

(7,830 posts)
4. So its not strange to you that repubs don't have superdelegates to counter popular vote
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:15 PM
Feb 2016

but the DEMOCRAtic party does?

Democracy? Democrats?

There's nothing Democratic so far about this primary.

BainsBane

(53,038 posts)
9. If you want to change it
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:41 PM
Feb 2016

get involved in the party organization and try to make the change for the next primary contest.

The Wikipedia entry explains the origins of the super delegate system. That information should take care of any "strangeness" or mystery associated with it. There clearly was a reason. Now if you think that reason unfounded for the current political environment, work within the party to change it. It will not and should not be abolished mid-contest. Campaigns, including Bernie's, have formulated their strategies based on the existing rules.

BainsBane

(53,038 posts)
11. LOL
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:42 PM
Feb 2016

You've promised that so many times before and never keep your word.
But if the goal is to avoid information that contradicts your existing beliefs, you definitely want me on your ignore list.

 

John Poet

(2,510 posts)
13. I thought the McGovern commission didn't happen
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 09:48 PM
Feb 2016

until AFTER 1968? And that the first nomination operating under those rules was in 1972? That's what I've always read. What happened in 1968 was the whole motivation for the reforms in the first place.

This wiki article seems to have some inaccurate details in it.



And your first line of editorializing is inaccurate, in that there were no superdelegates in this process until 1984.

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