Super Delegates Start Moving to Obama

Posted by Chris Bowers, Open Left at 9:11 AM on February 12, 2008.

Over the past thirty days, Obama has won significantly more endorsements from super delegates than Hillary Clinton. According to Democratic Convention Watch, on January 13th, Clinton led Obama 183 to 74 among super delegates. Currently, according to Democratic Convention Watch, Clinton leads Obama 224 to 132 among super delegates. If these numbers are accurate, it would mean that over the past thirty days Obama has received the endorsement of 58 super delegates, while Clinton has received the endorsement of 41. At this point, the only reason Clinton leads among super delegates is because of endorsements that took place before any voting or caucusing began this cycle.

Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.'s non-voting representative in Congress, provided one of the better explanations for this trend in her endorsement of Barack Obama today:

I had expected to announce my endorsement much closer to the general election, as I always have done in the past. However this year's primary has raised new issues. As a super delegate, I decided I had to speak up now to separate myself from the idea that is afoot for the first time that super delegates, especially those who have not announced their choice, could or should decide our nominee under some circumstances. The notion that a candidate who has not earned delegates could become the Democratic nominee for president is at odds with the democratic principles of our party reforms. Super delegates were never intended to allow the return of smoked-filled room, behind the scenes selection of our candidate. I have carried a banner for a democracy of the District of Columbia too long to depart from principles of democracy within my own party.

Indeed. As a party that carriers the banner of democracy, we need to uphold those values in our own party. Super delegates should respect the will of primary voters and caucus goers. There is no rule to prevent them from doing this.

There is growing indication that the majority of super delegates will line up behind whoever wins the most support from primary voters and caucus goers, no matter who that candidate will be. Further, since the way that the majority of super delegates vote will be determined only after the primaries and caucuses have been completed, they should not be included in running counts of delegate totals.

Update: Even more on super delegates respecting the will of the voters. A blogger asks a pro-Clinton super delegate if she thinks there is a chance super delegates would defy the will of the voters:

Elaine Kamarck, a senior DNC official and super delegate herself, told me Thursday that it would never happen. "Super delegates are cowards - we would never do that." This, by the way, from a woman who has endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Super delegates only come into play if no popular vote leader emerges, not before. As such, they should not be counted in running delegate totals.

Tagged as: clinton, obama, democratic party, super delegates

Chris Bowers was a full-time editor at MyDD from May 2004 until June 2007. Some of his projects have included the creation of the Liberal Blog Advertising Network, the first scientifically random poll of progressive netroots activists, the Use It Or Lose It campaign, the nation's most accurate forecast of Democratic house pickups in 2006, and the 2006 Googlebomb the Elections campaign.