Can someone explain to me how the nom. is chosen?

[Killarney]

Do the delegates vote on it?
Do the top people in the party decide?

How is the party's nominee chosen exactly?

Thanks. :)

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Two-thirds majority of delegates must select the nominee at convention.

They keep voting until a nominee is selected, with a lot of deal-making and candidate lobbying going on between the ballots.

[Ardee]

2. great Mencken quote!

Yes, and this coming process will certainly be marked by much bargaining in smoke filled hotel rooms with the DLC frantic to reassert control from the Dean uprising.

[Indiana_Dem]

4. Okay I'm stupid...but who is H.L. Menken,

I like that quote, too.

[Ardee]

6. not stupid at all

to not know and not ask might be stupid though....

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1414/

[Indiana_Dem]

7. Hey thanks for the link! n/t

[Mz Pip]

3. Didn't you know

the media, the polls and the pundits pick the candidate. No need for the rest of us to do anything.

MzPip
:dem:

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. Oh yeah...

if you want probably the BEST description of how the process works (as well as a good look at what it's like to be in a campaign at that level) I suggest you pick up Fear And Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72, by Hunter S. Thompson. Thirty Years old, but still probably the best look at the campaign, convention and nomination process in existence.

[leyton]

8. It's a delegate system.

This is off the top of my head, so I'm not sure how accurate all of it is.

Each state is assigned a number of delegates, in proportion (I believe) to its population. Delegates then go to the national convention to cast their votes; in most if not all cases they are assigned in proportion to the caucus or voting results, that is, it's not a winner-take-all system like the electoral college. In the first round of voting at the national convention, delegates are bound to their assigned vote; thereafter, they can change their vote.

There are also a few hundred superdelegates: party officials, Democrats in Congress, and probably Democratic Governors. They are not bound to vote for any particular candidate but can choose whoever they want.

There's a pretty good article in the Prospect outlining each candidate's chances in each primary: http://www.prospect.org/print/V15/1/franke-ruta-g.html