What are Superdelegates?

There has been a lot of traction in the news lately over the subject of superdelegates, also called "unpledged delegates." Specifically, there are some people who speculate that Hillary Clinton is using them, via her and Bill's influence, to widen the gap between herself and Bernie Sanders.

Indeed, as of this writing, Clinton has 1,243 delegates and Sanders is rather close behind with 975. When you add the superdelegates to the mix, Clinton leads Sanders by 1,712 to 1,004. Quite a difference, yes?

But who are these mysterious superdelgates? To begin with, only the Democrat party uses them, not the Republicans. They are totally unattached to the popular vote of the citizens as opposed to the distribution of regular delegates. The method of distribution of regular delegates is determined by each state; some are winner-take-all, others depend on a ratio.

On the other hand, the supers make up their own mind; they are bound by no one. Many people, with good reason, feel that this undermines the voting system by taking some critical power out of the hands of the common voters and giving it to special interests with absolutely no oversight.

Who are the Superdelegates?

This is where it gets scary. The supers are for the most part elected officials such as members of the House and Senate, Democratic governors, and the Vice President. Others to note are members of the Democratic National Committee.

Also included are “distinguished party leaders” like former Presidents, senators and House leaders. There are about 712 of them nationwide; potentially a sufficient number to swing the nomination--no matter the will of the people.

Oh, did we mention that the party named Bill Clinton a superdelegate? Now that's ethics taken to the next level.


One would have to be blind not to see the implication of political chicanery and backroom "sausage-making" to secure their loyalty to one side or the other. Would you like a comfy government job after the election?  How about an ambassador post? An invite to all state dinners would be nice, yes?

If you think the matter is trivial, consider this--if the tables were turned and Sanders had the number of pledged supers that Clinton has and she had his numbers, he would be crushing her.

When Jake Tapper of CNN asked Debbie Wasserman Schultz, "What do you tell voters who are new to the process who say this makes them feel like it's all rigged?" Schultz responded, "Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don't have to be in a position where they are running against grass-roots activists."

Citizens, be afraid; be very afraid.

Donald Trump's Delaying Problem is Troubling

At this point Trump seems to have a lock on the Republican party presidential nomination. He's a great showman, businessman, and has large sweeping ideas. The problem is that he paints with a broad brush. He has yet to indicate how he will implement those plans. Thoughtful voters want to see substance, not delaying tactics.

And there's the rub. When questioned on almost any issue his typical response is something like, "We're working on it." Or, "I'm not ready to release that information but trust me, it's going to be HUGE."

One might remember from a previous campaign long ago in 1984 when Walter Mondale used the phrase, "Where's the beef?" in a challenge of substance against rival candidate Gary Hart. Some of the more skeptical voters would like to ask that of The Donald. It's that time in the campaign to reveal some real substance.

There are some things that voters expect from candidates, such as the release of medical records, education records, and tax returns. After all, when you get down to brass tacks, an election campaign is essentially an extended job interview. The voters sit in the hiring seat.

Trump has been declining to reveal his tax returns. "Either he's not as anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is or he hasn't been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to pay, or perhaps he hasn't been giving money to the vets or to the disabled like he's been telling us he's been doing," Mitt Romney said on Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto."

This is troubling because if elected he will have a large say in how tax money is spent, even though spending originates from the House. All we know at this point is that he has indulged himself in bankruptcies to protect his interests from failing business interests.

According to Newsmax.com, "Earlier this month, Trump told John Dickerson on CBS' Face the Nation that he plans on releasing his tax returns "over the next three, four months." The problem with that is by that time the hiring process will be locked down. Convenient.

Where's the beef, Donald?

Clinton Superdelegates Threaten the Will of the People

Why does the whole idea of Superdelegates give most citizens the heebie-jeebies? Because the whole concept goes against what we perceive as the American election process that we're so proud of: one citizen, one vote.

Unfortunately, since 1984, the Democrat party has allowed the use of superdelegates; these are nearly 800 party insiders and elected officials who are allowed to back whichever candidate they please.

This not only implies that the party is free to appoint individuals who are free to work as party agents, but it renders the entire Democrat primary system a sham.

For example, a group of 20 prominent Clinton supporters delivered a letter to Nancy Pelosi, House of Representatives Speaker, in which they spanked her for her recent public comments regarding the superdelegate process.

So what was her egregious statement? She said that the superdelegates should support whoever emerges from the primaries with the majority of pledged delegates. That sounds reasonable, right? The problem is that it's becoming increasingly likely that that candidate will be Barak Obama.

And that's got the Clintons running scared. That's right, the same Clintons that have proven over and over again that scruples shouldn't stand in the way of getting what one wants.

The letter states, "This is an untenable position that runs counter to the party's intent in establishing superdelegates in 1984." Huh? And we thought they were intended to be tie-breakers.

It should be noted that all the signers are wealthy Clinton backers. It's obvious that this snarling pack of Hillary zealots care little for the "will of the people." If the delegate count is close at the convention with Obama leading, these wealthy Clinton insiders intend to sweep aside one of the most basic premises of a free society - one of the tenets we preach to the world.

Sometimes it doesn't really take a village, Hillary, it just takes a couple dozen of your stooges.