Democrats Are Considering Dropping Superdelegates Altogether

[karynnj]

36. In 2008, top political allies of Obama made the point that the superdelegates would respect and not

Overturn the choice of the pledged delegates. This includes Kennedy and Kerry who were repeatedly asked because Massachusetts went for Clinton. Additionally, there was a large block led by Pelosi who declared they would back whoever got the majority of the pledged delegates.

The talk about super delegates rose in the coverage if super Tuesday when Obama matched Clinton. The Clinton people then spoke of the ability of superdelegates to swing a result if the pledged delegates were close. They also spoke of the popular vote that never existed a national level in the primaries and greatly underweight primary states.

Note BOTH sides were giving politically acceptable answers that benefitted their side. Consider that Obama HAD to make the argument on winning the pledged delegates because there was no likelihood that the superdelegates would "take it away" from Clinton. It was a sign that the Clinton team knew they performed less well than planned on Super Tuesday that they brought up the idea that the superdelegates could give the nomination to a better candidate especially if she won the "popular vote"

In 2016, I was surprised that the Sanders people did not argue the issue exactly as Obama surrogates did. Arguing simply that it was unfair OR the super delegates could at the end give the nomination to Sanders was not politically smart at all.

I think the controversy in 2016 has made the entire concept of superdelegates with the ability to act as a bloc to change the results of the voters is toxic. I think this even though I was NOT surprised that the DNC officials would prefer Clinton, who most likely knew and many had likely worked for her or her husband over Sanders, who was not a party member and was far from the center.