AP: Dean Leads 'Superdelegate' Race

[cthrumatrix]

AP: Dean Leads 'Superdelegate' Race


By GENARO C. ARMAS
Associated Press Writer

January 7, 2004, 8:36 AM EST


WASHINGTON -- Democratic insiders have given self-styled outsider Howard Dean his first lead in the chase for delegates needed to capture the party's presidential nomination, according to an Associated Press survey.

In the first "ballots" cast of the 2004 race, the former Vermont governor has endorsements or pledges of support from 80 Democratic "superdelegates" -- elected officials and other party officials who will help select a nominee at this July's convention.

Rival Dick Gephardt, the former House Democratic leader who has served as Missouri congressman for 28 years, has the backing of 57 superdelegates. Four-term Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has the support of 50.

Among the remaining candidates, three-term Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the 2000 vice presidential nominee, has 25 superdelegates, while Wesley Clark, the retired general who has never held elected office, has 22. First-term Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina has 15.

snip

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-democrats-superdelegates,0,602.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[redqueen]

1. Thanks for reminding me how undemocratic the party's nomination process is

:(

[Hep]

2. Damn that consitution

n/t

[redqueen]

3. The rules for the primaries were set up in the constitution?

Got a cite for that?

[Hep]

6. Nah, just being stupid.

We have to work with what we have. That's all.

[Walt Starr]

5. The constitution has absolutely nothing to do with nomination processes

That is 100% up to the parties. Super Delegates are a part of the party process, not any constitutional mandate.

[HFishbine]

4. It could be undemocratic

But the super delegates never vote against the majority of the elected delegates. Even though I support Dean, there's nothing to get excited about here.

[cthrumatrix]

7. There's a long way to go.... just an early count.

[HFishbine]

10. I understand that

But what I meant to convey is that their support is not the same as their vote. Superdelegates vote with the majority of the elected delegates.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. The party rules were approved by the delegates at the last convention

Don't like the rules? Run for delegate.

[Atlant]

9. He'll garner more as other contenders drop out. (NT)

[jmaier]

11. He should be leading with

superdelegates. He works quite hard to win them over with persistence and focus. Congrats to Gov Dean.




Wes Clark. He will make an extraordinary American President.

[Atlant]

12. That's how he's won most of his supporters. :-)

> He should be leading with superdelegates. He works quite hard
> to win them over with persistence and focus.

That's how he's won most of his supporters. :)

Atlant

[Hawkeye-X]

13. and will continue to pick off delegates

from weak candidates, as soon as they realize that they are supporting someone incorrectly...

[markus]

14. Superdelegates was a big worry for me before

This class of delegates was prevented specifically to try to prevent a populist, insurgency candidate of which our apparatchiks disapproved. Dean seemed to be shaping up to be just what they had in mind when they created the super delegates.

[Atlant]

16. Only it turns out that Dean's popular with them too! :-)

I guess a LOT of Democrats like a real Democrat!

Quelle surprise!

Atlant

[reachout]

15. It is particularly interesting,

in light of the Dean/McGovern comparisons. The superdelegate system was put in place between '72 and '76 precisely because of McGovern. Only a few months ago (around June I believe) I read two different editorials on how Dean couldn't win because Gephardt-Kerry-Liberman were tying up all the superdelegate votes.

This site has a good breakdown of the superdelegate endorsements:

http://www.grumpyoldbear.com/Superdelegates.htm