How did Clinton get all those pledged delegates - Obama would be almost tied otherwise?!

[RiverStone]

Clinton 210
Obama 123

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/scorecard/#val=D

The above delegate count includes "pledged" delegates and super-delegates.

If we just go off how the people have voted in the primaries and caucuses, Obama and Clinton would be practically tied.

How does Clinton get all these pledged delegates? :shrug:

It does NOT REPRESENT and accurate reflection of the percentages of people who have actually voted.

At first glace, it feels like cronyism. Why the hell does she get them?

I'd be grateful for some enlightenment....:hi:

Thanks wise DUers.

[ursi]

1. I don't know about the ones from other states but in Nevada I know

that Hillary had some from top elected officials such as Senator Shelley Berkley going into this race. I wish I understood more about the process.

[FrenchieCat]

2. They are all of the elected officials attempting to

get in line early.

[Bok_Tukalo]

5. Are they tied down?

Can't anyone of them change their minds by convention time?

[FrenchieCat]

8. They could change, although pride probably won't allow it....

[RiverStone]

6. Screw the line...

It does not represent the will of We The People who have already voted.

This is exactly why a vote for Hillary is a vote for the status quo.

I can't fathom why, why, WHY Hillary supporters don't see it for what it is???

Power seeking power seeking more of the same.

Sorry for the ranting - just a little pissed off tonight.



peace~:)

[robbedvoter]

16. We the People - as in 51% voters in Nevada? I see that!

:sarcasm:

[girl gone mad]

17. Maybe it's because they realize that Obama represents..

that same status quo, just a little wetter behind the ears.

[Barack_America]

3. Promises, threats, favors called in...

How else do politicians get these endorsements?

[Tulkas]

4. Establishment candidate has the lead in super delegates

Don't worry


I think the count is like 190 clinton, 110 Obama

There are ....ummm.... 600? super delegates out there. If people were going to support Hillary most of them would have done it early. With less than 1/3 committing to her it isn't that big a deal... yet.

[RiverStone]

9. Hope your right Tulkas!

At first glace, it smells like back room politics.

[Lucinda]

7. The same place Obama and Edwards got theirs. :)

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/02/delegate.explainer/index.html

A little info on delegates at the link

[MADem]

10. Iowa and Nevada don't 'represent' shit either--they're caucuses.

They disenfranchise shift workers, the military, the sick, anyone who could only vote using an absentee ballot....but they can't vote, because they have to "caucus" to count.

[ShaneGR]

11. Pretty Simple, Hillary has been involved in national politics for 30 years

Obama has been on the national scene for maybe 5.

[RiverStone]

12. So she has made more friends? Or she is owed more favors?

Maybe has more power to share?

Sorry ShaneGR, I'd like to believe that tenure alone does not give a politician a bunch of freebies.

Is that not exactly what we would like to change?

New sometimes can be worth more than old.

Just saying...

[deepblueohio]

14. Precisely This aint her first Rodeo

This is where the experience thing matters. Sorry just reality

[ShaneGR]

15. You don't think politicians call in favors for past support?

And you believe Obama doesn't or won't be doing the same during his career?

[RiverStone]

21. Of course, but to the detriment of the popular vote?

I want the people to decide. Period.

How simple is that expectation?

[MagsDem]

22. Bingo -- correct answer

[deepblueohio]

13. A complete list of the SUPER DELEGATES Hillary has the most but they all have some

googled up these:

<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/3/75332/74264>

<http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/superdelegate-list.html>

WIKI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_nominating_convention

Superdelegates are delegates to a presidential nominating convention in the United States who are not bound by the decisions of party primaries or caucuses. Superdelegates are elected officeholders and party officials.

Superdelegates were first appointed in the 1970s, after control of the nomination process in the Democratic Party effectively moved out of the hands of party officials into the primary and caucus process. The aim was to accord some say in the process to people who had been playing roles in the party before the election year.

As of the 2008 nominating cycle, the Republican Party does not have superdelegates. It does, however, have 463 unpledged delegates, 123 of whom are Republican National Committee members.<1>

In the Democratic primary phase of the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, Howard Dean acquired an early lead in delegate counts by obtaining the support of a number of superdelegates before even the first primaries were held.

[Samantha]

18. She came in as the DLC candidate which is the true power

broker within the party. Just ask Al From. He will tell you.

The base of the party is just too dumb to select our candidate. In that regard, the party elite must do this for us. Additionally, as a whole we are too liberal. In that regard, the DLC has continually pushed us to the right. After all, the liberals of the party are outnumbered by the combination of possible available Independent votes coupled with that of disgruntled Republicans. So it really is not necessary (nor actually preferable) to represent the base of the party, including the liberals, if the true goal is simply to win the campaign. And that's truly the important part of this process; we just need an attitude adjustment in relegating our importance a rung below the truly elite of the party.:eyes:

[NoBorders]

19. 20 years of DLC machine politics n/t

[SoxFan]

20. DLC has nothing to do with it

The Superdelegate system was originally conceived after George McGovern upset establishment favorite Ed Muskie in 1972. It became even more pronounced when Jesse Jackson challenged insider favorite Walter Mondale in 1984.

The DLC wasn't founded until 1985.

[Hart2008]

23. Uh, I think you are forgetting that Gary Hart won 26 primaries or caucuses in '84.

Jesse Jackson won Virginia, South Carolina, and Louisiana, and split Mississippi. So Mondale won approximately 20 primaries or caucuses. Gary Hart won the most, and was leading Reagan in some polls while Mondale was always losing head up against Reagan.

After Hart won California and New Jersey on the last day of the primaries, Mondale got on the phone to round up 40 more SuperDelagates to go over the top. Mondale needed almost all of the 800 or so SuperDelagates to win the nomination.

The rest is history.

The worst electoral loss in U.S. history.


:hurts: