"Bernie Sanders Looks to Flip Superdelegates" Interesting Take - Good Strategy

[Impedimentus]

I've thought for a long time that if the GE looks bad for Clinton some super delegates would flip. The Sanders campaign may get some more traction with this strategy:


http://crooksandliars.com/2016/03/bernie-sanders-looks-flip-superdelegates?utm_source=Crooks+and+Liars+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4a9ad2433f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d4904be7bc-4a9ad2433f-327019489

[sufrommich]

1. He's not going to be successful. Obama was able to flip delegates

because he was perceived to be on the path to winning the nomination,Sanders doesn't have that prospect going forward.

[Impedimentus]

3. It' about winning the GE

If a Clinton win in the GE looks problematic, and she does have a lot of negatives, some will switch. The super delegates only care about themselves, they want to be with a winner in the GE. If Clinton looks like the better candidate they will stick with her at the convention, if Bernie looks like he has a better chance to win the GE they will switch.

[sufrommich]

6. Yes,it is about winning the GE and outside of Sanders

supporters no one thinks Sanders has a chance,there's a reason people like Elizabeth Warren aren't sticking their neck out for him.

[global1]

29. The Super's Will Make Up Their Own Minds....

After Hillary's recent gaffs and misspeaks - like the Nancy Reagan AIDS story, no Americans killed in Libya, her secrecy around her transcripts, etc - some of the Super's & her endorsers are having second thoughts about her going up against any Repug candidate. They have between now and the convention to watch Hillary and assess her ability to beat the Repugs in November. Will she make any more gaffs that the Repugs can take advantage of? Will she tack back to the right too fast or start to throw Obama under the bus?

It's about beating the Repugs in Nov and if between now and the convention they get worried about Nov they will switch on their own.

We need Bernie to continue to challenge her and either make her become a stronger nominee or he needs to be there as an alternative if she falters.

This is why Bernie needs to continue in the primaries and continue to gather support in the remaining states that now seem to be favoring him.

That's my opinion of the state of where we are in this process. We still don't know who the Repugs will throw against us. I happen to believe it will not be Trump. If not Trump then who will it be and which Dem can beat them?

It's all about Nov as there is too much at stake going forward.

We have to let the Political Revolution proceed and let the other half of the country make their assessment of the candidates.

[spyker29]

2. Coronation

The will of the voters will not be overturned for Bernie's coronation.

[Mike Nelson]

4. I thought either...

#1) We aren't supposed to count them, or
#2) They should flip for the voters' will (meaning all go to Hillary)?

[Impedimentus]

7. The voters haven't been determined yet.

Hillary had a good night last night, but she still doesn't have a majority of pledged delegates.

[GusBob]

5. This is more than bullshit, it's topped with horse shit too

In order for this to happen, the campaign has to have a broad network at the local and state level within the Democratic Party.

They have absolutely nothing of the sort. They have no apparatus to make this happen

[Impedimentus]

8. The super delegates will go with the candidate they see as their best shot at winning in the GE

Coattails mean everything to them.

[CalvinballPro]

9. So now Sanders has flip-flopped on super-delegates too. Surprise, surprise.

Clinton leads in the popular vote, states won, AND pledged delegates. Sanders doesn't have a logical argument for any super-delegate to switch to him, at this point.

[William769]

10. It's hard to flip super delegates when you're losing.

It's even harder to flip super delegates when you're 300+ pledged delegates behind & being blown out of the water by the popular vote.

[Impedimentus]

12. All of those super delegates want coattails - if Clinton appears not to have them in the GE, goodbye

superdelegates. They only care about themselves.

If Hillary looks strong for the GE they will stick with her, but anything can happen in the next few months.

[TexasTowelie]

32. What coattails does Bernie have?

He was beaten soundly in many of the Southern states by thirty and forty point margins. Why would any of the superdelegates from there flip to Bernie when he drew so few voters and would likely get trounced in the general election? Bernie might be able to flip a few superdelegates in a few states where he ran close to Clinton, but most of them are going to stay committed to Clinton.

[KitSileya]

34. Not to mention, he goes into a rage when he is even pushed on endorsing anyone.

http://lansingcitypulse.com/article-12189-The-trouble-with-Bernie.html

After discussing his favorite issues — corporations, government reform, health care and the like, I asked about his unwillingness to endorse his fellow progressives. He said it wasn't his role. I suggested voters might expect him to weigh in. He disagreed, clearly annoyed at the persistent questioning. Finally I suggested that he had a larger moral responsibility to the progressive movement.

At which point he jumped out of his seat, told me to go f*** myself and stormed out of the edit board meeting. OK, maybe my persistence bordered on hectoring. But I felt he ought to provide an honest answer. My suspicion was that he resented others for assuming his mantle of progressive leadership and wouldn't acknowledge them.

Why would anyone who wants to be elected as a Democratic candidate support Bernie Sanders?

[Demsrule86]

13. Why?

This makes me wonder why Bernie would do such a thing. He needs to suspend his campaign. He can't win and from this point on can only help the GOP.

[grossproffit]

14. There's a better chance of seeing a unicorn.

Clinton is way ahead in the popular vote. +2,536,915

[Impedimentus]

16. True, but the primaries in the Confederate States are over

Now it's time to see if Sanders can chip away at Clinton's lead. There are a lot of primaries left.

However, your post says nothing about what the super delegates will do if Hillary looks like she could lose the GE. If the convention rolls around and Hillary looks like a loser the superdelegates will think twice. Most of them don't give a damn about Bernie or Hillary, they want to protect their own behinds in the GE, especially those up for election.

If Hillary looks strong for the GE at the convention and she maintains her lead they won't budge. But if you think they care about anything but their own prospects you don't understand politicians.

[KitSileya]

35. It's pretty chilling to see you dismiss the "Confederate States" like that,

especially when everyone knows that many of the people who vote Democratic in those states, would most certainly not have had the right to vote if they had stayed the Confederate states.

[MineralMan]

15. I don't think that will be successful, as long

as Clinton is in the lead. Most of the superdelegates who have endorsed here are not likely to switch their support to a primary candidate who is behind, frankly. Almost all of them are elected officials already, and are dependent on the support of voters this year or in future races. Congressional representatives, Senators, Governors, etcetera. The rest are members of the Democratic National Committee, and almost all of those will be up for election in their state conventions later this year. They haven't announced who they are supporting yet, because most of them don't know if they'll be going to the Democratic Convention yet.

Expecting a bunch of legislators to switch their support to a presidential nomination candidate who is behind in the voting is expecting too much, I'm sure. They'll be depending on the winning candidate to help them win their own elections.

I'm afraid this strategy is pretty much a non-starter for Senator Sanders.

[noamnety]

36. ^^^ THIS.

Seems like half are lobbyists, so their votes are bought, and Bernie's already announced he's not buying.

The other half are politicians dependent on DNC establishment funds and favors - so basically lobbyists, but lobbying on behalf of their own political careers.

[Impedimentus]

20. I agree, as things stand right now they won't budge, ....

But that doesn't mean they won't if Clinton starts to fall short and if see looks like a loser in the GE at convention time. There is absolutely no reason for Sanders to pull out now.

The super delegates only care about themselves. They want to win the GE and they want to win their own elections. They want coattails more than anything else.

[MineralMan]

27. I don't see that situation developing, though.

On several news programs in the past few days, people have begun discussing what many Republicans would do if Trump is the GOP nominee. In every case, the people talking about that discussed moderate republicans switching their vote to Clinton. It has happened before. My own parents, who are 91 years old and have voted for the Republican in all recent elections, have already told me that they will do that if Trump is the nominee.

In the GE, people vote as they see fit, and many will simply refuse to vote for Trump the Bully. That phenomenon, I believe, is the assurance Clinton has of winning in the GE. Winning the GE is going to require crossover votes. It always does. Many independents, too, will choose to vote against Trump (or Cruz, for that matter). They won't vote for a third party. They'll vote for Hillary.

Frankly, if Clinton is the nominee, I think she has a lock on the White House, in something resembling a landslide. I believe she'll have an easy time getting at least 300 electoral votes and probably a lot more.

Just my opinion.

[thesquanderer]

47. I agree... HRC's supers aren't likely to defect as long as she's ahead AND still gaining.

Maybe, if closer to convention time, she gets rocked by some email-related scandal and starts losing primaries badly, there could be a shift. I'd say even that is very unlikely, though.

[DCBob]

18. This comes to mind..

[Impedimentus]

22. Happy Pigs - Thank you for a nice graphic - always good to see smiles

[DCBob]

24. Very welcome.

[brooklynite]

19. Superdelegates are an affront to democracy! They should support the winner of their State!

How times change...

[Impedimentus]

21. I agree, Bernie and Hillary should demand that they be abolished before the convention.

Would you go along with that?

[riversedge]

25. No, you do not change the rules of the game during the game.

[thesquanderer]

46. Times haven't necessarily changed...

...different people can have different perspectives, even if they support the same candidate. For example, I've never suggested that super delegates should have to support the winners of their state. Not meaning to pick on you, it's just something I see so much of here, when people express a perception of contradictory views from the "other" side, seemingly forgetting that there is more than one person on the other side of their computer screen.

[Nye Bevan]

26. How about every superdelegate pledges to support whichever candidate wins the most total votes?

Fair?

[Impedimentus]

28. No, NOT FAIR and you know it. How about the super delegates be allotted proportionally just

as the pledged delegates are based on primary/caucus winner - state by state. That is fair.

[book_worm]

30. But the GE doesn't look bad for HRC

and he won't be able to flip super delegates especially if he keeps losing the big primary states. Sorry, but small state caucus wins won't do. I am glad to see you embracing super delegates now, though.

[Impedimentus]

31. I never said otherwise, I tried to list the caveats

But, there is no reason for Sanders to give up yet.

[Stallion]

33. Super-Delegates Who are Officeholders Don't Want to Run With a Democratic Socialist at Top of Ticket

that's why they've supported Clinton in first place

[Gothmog]

37. I doubt that this strategy has any chance of success

Super delegates care most about the long term viability of the party and Sanders has shown no interest in helping the party. Clinton has been raising funds for the party but Sanders is declining to do so. In addition, many super delegates care about down ballot races and Sanders and his platform would kill many down ballot candidates

[Stallion]

42. Most Super Delegates ARE the Down Ballot Candidates

they are Governors, Senators, Representatives, state legislators, Mayors etc

[nolabear]

38. Suddenly Superdelegates are a good thing?

Who'da thunk?

[Impedimentus]

40. No, they are a terrible thing.

You are twisting the meaning of the post.

[SidDithers]

41. Now, super delegates are good...nt

Sid

[cemaphonic]

44. Grasping at straws...

The Dem establishment is going to buck the establishment candidate when she has a commanding lead in both pledged delegates and the popular vote? This is not remotely realistic.

[CajunBlazer]

45. Nice try! but it will never happen.....

....as long a Hillary maintains a one pledge delegate lead. And frankly I don't think that he could flip many super delegates if he took the lead in super delegates. The super delegate know that Sanders would be eaten alive by the Republican "Swift Boat" machine if he won the nomination.