Dean on Superdelegates

[ThisIsMyCountry]

I've been watching this silly thing on superdelegates quite intently. Here is what Howard Dean said today. It is online at http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/howard_dean_speaks_out_about_r.php

Howard Dean On Super-Delegates: "Their role is to exercise their best judgment"
By Greg Sargent - February 16, 2008, 10:17AM
The Democratic National Committee has given me what appears to be Howard Dean's most extensive and detailed answer to date on the role of super-delegates amid the ongoing battle between Hillary and Obama for their support.

Dean's verdict: "Their role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party."

Yesterday, I posed a question to the DNC: Does Dean think that the super-dels should support the candidate who ends up with the most pledged dels, or should the super-dels feel free to support whichever candidate they think is best for the party and the nation?

The DNC sent over this answer from Dean, which I'm quoting in full:

Some commentators have misrepresented who the “superdelegates” are and what their role is supposed to be. While it's premature to speculate what will happen as the process continues to unfold given that there are still over 1,000 pledged delegates yet to be selected, let’s look at who Undpledged delegates or "super delegates" are.
They are a diverse group of individuals who come from all parts of the country and all walks of life. They are local grassroots activists, county Party chairs, and local elected officials. They include all members of the DNC, all Democratic Members of Congress and all Democratic Governors, and a few former party leaders - all of whom have been elected by the people of their states and districts. Virtually all members of the DNC have been elected by their state party committees or Conventions, who in turn have been elected by grassroots Democratic voters. These members of the DNC have earned their positions by doing the difficult, unglamorous work of building the party organization day in and day out, when nobody is paying attention, year after year.

Their role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party. I am confident that they will carry out that duty responsibly and in accordance with the highest values of our democracy and our Party.

So, unlike other party leaders, such as Nancy Pelosi and John Lewis, Dean is not calling on the super-dels to follow the pledged dels. He doesn't explicitly endorse the position of either Obama or Hillary -- which is perhaps to be expected, given his position -- but he does say that "their role is to exercise their best judgment."

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

1. Their best judgement?

One of them is a nineteen-year-old at Marquette. What The Fuck?!

They need to scrap the entire "Super Delegate" concept. If you're going to the time and expense of all these primaries, then that should be the final word on the issue.

[sybylla]

2. That's what one of our superdelegates - Rep. Ron Kind - said

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WI_KIND_OBAMA_WI...
Gannett Papers - AP

Kind: He will support the Democrat who carries his district
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Ron Kind says that he'll cast his super-delegate vote for whichever presidential candidate wins the most votes in his congressional district in next week's Democratic primary.

Kind is a Democrat representing the 3rd Congressional District in southwestern Wisconsin. As a super-delegate, he is not bound by the results of the state's primary between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

But he also is urging the Democratic National Committee to scrap the super-delegate system. Kind says it can be used to thwart the will of voters.

All seven Democrats in the state's congressional delegation are super-delegates.

<snip>

[LiberalFighter]

6. Rep. doesn't know what he is talking about.

[sybylla]

7. That's funny. Sounded pretty intelligent about it for a whole hour on WPR this morning

You have a problem with voters actually choosing their own candidate instead of the superdelgates? It's like saying we need the electoral college to choose our president.

I've heard people hollering up a storm about Michigan and Florida voters being disenfranchised. How will it be any different if the superdelegates choose a candidate that lost the popular vote or even lost the pledged delegate battle?

We don't need another layer of bureaucracy between voters and their candidates. The only reason the delegates - pledged or otherwise - should ever vote against the will of the people is if some disaster befalls the voters' chosen candidate before convention.

Of course it would be cheaper on everyone involved if we just skipped that extraneous step of actually voting.

Maybe you're right. Why even have the primary system? Let's just let the delegates choose whoever they want.

[LiberalFighter]

8. Easy to sound intelligent if the group doesn't know details.

Have you ever run for state convention delegate or national convention delegate?

Do you know the details involved in becoming a national convention delegate.

Yes! Why should there be a primary? The Democratic Party could decide that there should only be caucuses in every state and outsiders could not vote to decide who the nominee will be.

Voters don't have a legal right to vote in political party elections to decide their nominee. And that is happening right now with primaries when Republicans and Independents in Wisconsin and other states are allowed to vote in the Democratic Primary. How would you feel if George Wallace had been a strong contender with the possibility of winning the nomination. All because Republicans and Independents decided they were going to help him win the nomination?

[sybylla]

9. Closing the primary or going to a party caucus only is an entirely different issue

from whether or not we should have superdelegates.

Whether or not we close our candidate selection process, I would still be opposed to having superdelegates who could overrule the will of the duly selected pledged delegates. If you know your party history, that was the only reason to put in place the superdelegate system.

Either way, it's about the choice of the people taking precedent over the will of party insiders. I want a candidate selection process that does not foster good-ole-boy, backroom deals. That means no superdelegates.

[Vet31203]

3. well

The super delegates are needed but if they fracture the party, then they wont be around in 2012

William J Meyers for House 2008

[LiberalFighter]

5. Why? Because the state convention delegates wouldn't vote for you?

Why shouldn't the DNC committee members consist of young voters? Shouldn't they have representation?

[LadyVT]

4. deleted