Super Tuesday - What the Heck is a Super Delegate?

[cycofan]

So, I'll preface by saying that I have a B.A. in political science, and before last night, I don't think I had ever heard of a "super delegate." Being a good citizen I promptly set about researching it. Here's what I found:

Superdelegates: Democratic officeholders and party officials guaranteed national convention seats; can support the candidate of their choice.

Unpledged RNC member delegates: Republican party officials guaranteed national convention seats; can support the candidate of their choice.


Ummmm, where does that fit into the democratic process? The republican situation likely won't matter, but these people could seriously end up deciding the democratic nominee. Am I the only one who has a problem with that?

 

[Hucc]

cyco, I don't agree with the whole presidential "election" process. I don't believe in caucuses, super delegates or even the electoral college.

 

[cycofan]

So, I went researching Hucc, and found a paper by a political scientist at UCLA on the history of the primary system - sounds like things haven't really improved that much from the 19th century, especially given the influence of the "super delegate":

When the direct primary was introduced late in the 19th century, the vast majority of elective offices ­ for Congress, state legislatures, city councils, county supervisors, sheriffs, and so forth ­ were not competitive. Electoral manipulation (gerrymandering, for example) and group traditions (the urban Irish were Democrats while Midwestern Germans were Republicans) had created party bastions almost everywhere, and voters, then as now, loyally supported the candidates of their party.

Nomination assured election, and, in most cases, party leaders and political notables used personal loyalties and patronage to control the caucus and convention delegates who did the nominating. The result of such control was office-holders who were more responsive to the party leaders - who could deny them renomination - than they were to an electorate which would rarely defeat them in the general election.

The reinforcing elements of this system of party government were pierced by the direct nominating primary because it eliminated the support party leaders received from the electorate's partisanship. The nominating primary never asked voters to cross party lines. It allowed them to select preferred candidates within their party; and then support them again in the general election. It promised to weaken party leaders by increasing the chance of selecting candidates who were not beholden to party leaders for the nomination.

The hoped-for effects of the primary were not immediate. Slating, endorsements, control over money and other electoral resources, and the commitment and cohesiveness of party cadres gave party leaders continued influence over nominations. In time, however, the influence of traditional party leaders and notables was significantly reduced.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

PA - not among those that got to do any voting on Super Tuesday.

Ours is April 22 -- and by then everything will be pretty set in place.