FeedsReplying to a comment on Superdelegates?
Ben
You mischaracterize my remarks. I didn't say there is 'nothing wrong' with superdelegates. My comments about ties merely raised the issue that you need SOME way to broker a tie
The Democratic regulars in Oregon are, at times, strongly populist in a way that I find empowering and charming, but sometimes frustrating, and this is one of those times. There are many, many undemocratic features in this primary process that don't seem to evoke such outrage.
The larger issue is the claim being made in many places that this is a violation of voting rights (wrong: this is not a general election), or that allowing elites a larger role in decision making is an undesirable way for a political party to function (wrong: every large organization has to rely on elite decision making).
Your own posting betrays a lack of careful thinking about this.
If the votes of the superdelegates count IN ADDITION TO the votes of the primary voters, no one has been "disenfranchised" (i.e. vote not counted or disallowed).
Gore's victory was not "stolen by the electoral college" but by the SCOTUS decision to stop the recount in Florida. The Electoral College functioned as it has always functioned, and by your description, this is the fourth time in American history that the final result deviated from the popular vote--were 1824, 1876, and 1888 also "thefts"?
What "people's will" should be represented by the super delegates? Tell me the "people" you mean? Oregonians? Voting Oregonians? Oregonians who voted in the primary?
Should they look at a national poll? Should they rely on the results of primaries? What about caucuses, which are badly unrepresentative? You say "delegate count" then you say "popular vote". Which is it? What if they lead to different conclusions?
This is my point: when you start slinging around big terms like 'democracy' and 'will of the people' and election 'thefts' you'd better be damn sure you know what you mean.
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