Sanders wins support of Idaho superdelegate

[Bubzer]

Source: The Hill

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders added another superdelegate to his count Thursday.

Democratic National Committeeman Pete Gertonson announced he will support Sanders after the Vermont senator's huge win in Idaho, Politico reported.

“Pent-up frustrations of a red state, exploded Idaho Caucuses to historic numbers last Tuesday night, with 78 % for Bernie Sanders,” Gertonson wrote.

“I’m proud to be an Idaho Democrat representing the people’s choice. I’ll cast our Super Delegate vote for Bernie Sanders!”

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/274170-sanders-wins-support-of-idaho-superdelegate

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This is a really big deal! Why, you ask? Because it proves super delegates will side with the whoever wins the state.
Even if they are with the DNC!

[SamKnause]

1. Yes this is good news.

Your last paragraph is not true however.

Howard Dean is a super delegate that supports Hillary.

Hillary received zero delegates from Vermont.

She didn't meet the 15% viability mark.

Howard Dean still gave his super delegate endorsement to Hillary.

[Bubzer]

2. There's always a small number of super delegates that wont follow the majority.

But that doesn't disprove my last paragraph so much as add a caveat.

[Jitter65]

61. Self preservation. ..fFirst law of nature. nt

[oberliner]

8. How about Pat Leahy?

Has he said who he is supporting?

By the way, interesting fact, Bernie Sanders is himself a super delegate.

[SamKnause]

10. I don't know who Pat Leahy is supporting.

Awesome, I didn't know that about Bernie.

[pnwmom]

26. He says he is supporting Hillary Clinton. And I doubt Sanders would push back on that

since Patrick Leahy may well have solid personal reasons, based on long experience, for his choice.

[Autumn Colors]

41. Pat Leahy is voting for Clinton

Guess the huge amount by which Bernie won Vermont doesn't make a damn bit of difference to him.

http://digital.vpr.net/post/however-vermont-votes-leahy-says-his-superdelegate-vote-clintons

[saidsimplesimon]

21. Sam is correct.

Fmr. Gov. Dean was fast into the Clinton boat, quelle surprise!! He has been touting Mrs. Clinton's merits to any media outlet that lets him put his pout to camera.

[Kittycat]

24. There will always be those Lobbyists and Paid Advisers for Lobbying firms

That vote against the will of the people. Special interests rarely care about the little people anyway. It only goes to highlight what is wrong with our party, and why we need to fix it.

[yurbud]

30. Howard Dean isn't in an elective office or running for one

That could make it a lot easier to ignore voters.

[passiveporcupine]

53. For now

He can always shift his allegiance to Bernie later.

[gsb54]

3. I will email this to my state's Dem chair

Bernie won in my state and I believe the superdelegates from our state need to support the movement of the people. Just as the article here shows.

Thanks for the post.

[Chicago1980]

4. Seeing as the super delegate thing is okay now with certain people,

maybe they should be added up, totaled, and placed into candidates columns to see where that gets us.

[Bubzer]

6. What do you mean "maybe now"? They already are. The MSM does it regularly.

Right along with HRC supporters... except that SD's don't actually count until they actually cast a vote... sort of like normal delegates... just at the very end of the primary.

[Chicago1980]

57. Some do and some don't.

I've not been counting them, but nice for you to lump everyone in together.

[Bubzer]

59. No, no...that's fair. I'll dial that back a smidge. Not all of her supporters do as the MSM does.

I hate getting painted with the broad brush too... I will say many of them do though.

[Chicago1980]

60. We're cool...

This is my thing, I'm going to support and vote for the nominee.

Look at the other side right now, I mean really look.

We have two adults debating and having a conversation and the republicans are totally fucking nuts (I'll paint them with said broad brush).

They have Cruz and Trump...

[Bubzer]

62. You'll get no argument from me regarding trump and cruz.

[Autumn Colors]

42. They shouldn't be totaled until they officially cast their vote

at the convention ... period.

[Bubzer]

7. Except the "half-wits and sub-literates" are right. They don't count. Not until they ACTUALLY vote!

[Cryptoad]

9. Im glad to see Bern approaching the 40 Super Delegate Mark.

[chwaliszewski]

25. Thanks!

Hope to see you when he hits the 100 mark.

[snooper2]

11. 1 more, this is HUGH!

but should be in GD-P, not LBN

[Bubzer]

14. Except it is LBN. It meets all SOP reqs to feature in LBN.

[snooper2]

15. Wrong, Fail,

[Bubzer]

16. ...

If you think it shouldn't be here, then send up an alert.

[Bubzer]

18. Ahh. So you're a troll. Now you're an ignored troll.

So long!

[snooper2]

20. LATER!

LOL-


If I was a troll I would have a badass Bridge- It would be d-bomb!

[zentrum]

12. +++++1!

[SoapBox]

13. Go Bernie Go!

[Duval]

19. Great news! eom

[SheenaR]

22. Best we can hope for

Let's get to the convention with a chance. Many many Supers put their preference out there before this even became a race

I see no empirical data saying they will change their minds, but if their constituents voice their feelings there may be many that change their minds.

[greymouse]

28. If Bernie has the regular delegates

and the superdelegates throw it to Hillary, she will be lucky to win one state.

[lunamagica]

39. That's a big "if"

[Major Hogwash]

23. This is great.

Hillary has never been to Idaho.

[dchill]

27. Imagine how IMPRESSED Idahoans will be..

when she does show up to collect those votes that are hers already.

[George II]

29. I guess now superdelegates matter?

Of course, the tally is now:

Sanders 27, Clinton 482 (+455)

BUT, if you want to count only superdelegates for states in which the candidates have won, that brings the tally to:

Sanders 15, Clinton 267 (+252)

Yes, it really IS a big deal.

[Bubzer]

31. "I guess now superdelegates matter?" Sure they matter... when their vote is cast.

[jillan]

34. Bingo! You hit the nail on the head.

[beastie boy]

36. Can I quote you on July 29th?

... after their vote is cast?

[Bubzer]

37. You absolutely can! But you better add this addendum:

If they overrule the regular delegates, they will likely destroy the democratic party for generations.

[beastie boy]

46. So they matter, but...

...not if they overrule pledged delegates... what would constitute that? Overruling national popular vote? But what if they are state-specific delegates?... Overruling pledged delegates state by state? But what if they are national-level delegates? Overruling the votes cast by independents? But what if they are DNC delegates?

And what about the delegates committed to Hillary that Bernie is counting on to overrule their commitment?

With the superdelegates representing so many different constituencies, I am really at a loss as to where to insert your addendum.

[Bubzer]

47. I'm sure you can figure somthing out. And, if you dont... well, I dont care.

[beastie boy]

48. It's up to me to figure out what you mean, but if i can't, you don't care...

Can I quote you on this one too?

[jillan]

32. How about that? A Superdelegate actually standing with the voters in their state.

What a concept!

[kennetha]

33. The idea that super delegates should exercise no independent judgment

and just go with the will of the voters is silly. If that were the point, then there may as not be any super delegates.

It used to be that parties held very few primaries to elect delegates to their conventions. Then they added more and more primaries. Super delegates represent a trend away from letting primaries alone decide who the nominee will be.

So it's a mixed system. There are all kinds of stakeholders in the democratic party. Some states restrict voting to declared members of the party. Some allow independents and even Republicans to vote in their primaries. Super delegates are different and unique constituency of the party, with a different sort of stake in the party. They are not just passive reflectors of the "will of the people." They are there to exercise independent judgment, from people who have a day to day stake in the business of building and maintaining the party and also the day to day business of governing.

It is very, very telling that those sort of stakeholders side, almost unanimously, with Clinton and reject Sanders.

[stopbush]

35. Idaho has 4 super delegates.

Carol Boyce has already committed to Hillary. The two remaining supers from ID have not yet committed.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

44. You mean if the people vote incorrectly.

Machiavellian in intent.

[George II]

49. Yes, very telling that of 250 Democratic Governors, Senators, and Representatives....

...221 of them have endorsed Clinton, 6 (all Representatives) have endorsed Sanders.

166 of 188 Representatives have endorsed Clinton, many of those served for years with Sanders in the House. And 40 of 44 Senators, all of whom now serve with Sanders in the Senate, have endorsed Clinton.

Just what does that say when essentially your co-workers can't even bring themselves to support Sanders?

[NJCher]

55. it could say

you're hoping for some primo lobbying job and you know full well Bernie's going to ruin that scam for you.


Cher

[George II]

56. ????

[Optimism]

38. Washingtonians !

So pumped up about Saturday's caucus ( and tomorrow evening's Safeco Field Sanders rally here in Seattle ... it's going to be yuuuuuuuge!).

Hoping for the same caucus percentages as our neighbor to the east ... Idaho!

In the meantime let's forward this Superdelegate info to Washington's own Superdelegates (all in the bag for Hillary thus far) ... urging them to do the same as Gertonson once the caucus votes are tallied. How nice (for democracy) if they were to concede to actually represent their constituencies (instead of just Boeing). Keeping hope alive ...

Let's raise our voices ...


McDermott : http://mcdermott.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=476&Itemid=8

Murray : http://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

Cantwell : http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-maria

Inslee : https://fortress.wa.gov/es/governor/

[mountain grammy]

40. “I’m proud to be an Idaho Democrat representing the people’s choice. "

I'm waiting to see how Colorado super delegates vote, since the people's choice in our state is Bernie Sanders.

[libodem]

43. WooHoo

[Yavin4]

45. I thought that Super delegates didn't count

So, now they do?

[imagine2015]

52. If Hillary can't get the number of elected delegates needed to win the nomination and the polls

continue to show Sanders is doing much better against the Republican presidential candidate, the super delegates will abandon her in droves.

Especially those in states that Sanders won in primaries.

It would be an "open" convention.

[TIME TO PANIC]

50. Awesome!

[davidthegnome]

51. We need to do away with that system.

Super delegates should not exist. It's not a democratic system - and the potential for abuse is very, very high. I'm not referring to just this election, either.... others should also be considered. Pledged delegates are something else entirely - they are required to actually represent the votes of their districts, but super delegates can pretty much make whatever decision they please... and one vote from them is somehow worth thousands of votes from everyone else. It's not democratic, it's not fair, it sure as heck isn't super. It also discourages a lot of voters, who, even now, when I explain to them what a super delegate is (I've been surprised by the number of people who have no clue)... they are shocked. They tell me it's not fair - and they're absolutely right.

This doesn't really prove anything. Super delegates will, hopefully, side with who ever ends up leading in the popular vote towards the end of the process, or at least vote with their states. However, there is no requirement, legal or otherwise, for them to actually do so. They absolutely can alter the course of an election or primary.

[snort]

54. Berniecrats.

I like it. The Peoples Party with the Lion. Nice touch.

[liberalnarb]

58. If Bernie does very well from here forward

we can bring the superdelegates on board