The problem with Bernie and the super delegates.

[kstewart33]

There are several reasons why Bernie has secured only a handful of super delegates. The primary issue is that few believe that Bernie is electable given aspects in his biography that the Republicans will use to eviscerate him in the general election campaign, if he wins the nomination.

But there is another issue. Super delegates are elected Democrats and importantly, many are career Democratic party officials. The welfare of the party is their primary concern. Bernie declared himself a Democrat within the last year. Super delegates have been committed Democrats for most if not their entire political careers. Now, a man who has been critical of the Democratic Party for many years, is vying to become the official head of the Democratic party. A man who said publicly in the last week or so that the reason he became a Democrat was to gain more media attention.

So, I'd wager that many if not most of the super delegates are saying: 'Who the heck is this guy? He's anything but a Democrat. He's a Johnny come-at-the-last minute who 'joined' the party only for personal gain. He doesn't give a dang about our party. And if he loses, I may well lose my job and career because after the Republicans are done with him in the campaign (a lover of Castro and the Sandinistas, honeymooning in the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and on, and on) will I still have my job?"

It's one key reason why the super delegates will never switch in masse to Bernie Sanders.

[virtualobserver]

1. many of them are lobbyists

[fleabiscuit]

13. 9 are registered lobbyists.

[Kittycat]

28. And more that work in the industry, like Dean.

[fleabiscuit]

36. And sometimes the NRA will pay for a vote. eom

[OhZone]

2. @OP, absolutely true. nt

[grasswire]

3. You are living in the past.

Most of America is no longer afraid of the word "communist" or "socialist" any longer. Most of America thinks that honeymooning in Russia is a very cool thing. We aren't afraid of the word hippie, not afraid of Castro, think very differently from you regarding foreign policy.

Red baiting doesn't work any more. Most Americans look at democratic socialist countries and wonder why we can't have the human services and advances that they have.

[Hekate]

7. No one's red-baiting when they point out what the GOP can do with his bio. On the contrary....

...the only reason the GOP has not come after him is because he is not a threat in any way, and they would love to have him as their opposite number on the ballot. If he gets the nomination, the GOP will unleash the hounds of Hell.

Hillary, on the other hand, has already met the beasts and is still holding her head high.

[liberal N proud]

4. Bernie declared himself a Democrat within the last year is the jest of it

And it was my no. 1 reason to not even waver on support for Hillary.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Party over country.

"Were parties here divided merely by a greediness for office,...to take a part with either would be unworthy of a reasonable or moral man." Thomas Jefferson

[Hekate]

6. The change in the way he talks about them, the idea they will magically switch sides...

...is ludicrous. They owe him nothing.

Bernie has spent his adult life being a gadfly to the Democratic Party. Constructive criticism is one thing -- working for change from within is certainly a good thing. But to spend your life poking sticks at the Democratic Party and Democrats and telling them how much they lack any integrity -- and suddenly you're a Democrat? Suddenly they owe you?

He has not built any bridges in the Senate. His specialty is scolding and sermonizing.

Hillary Clinton has spent her adult life building relationships with minorities, women, and within the Democratic Party. When she works for change, she works from within. There are a lot of people who feel like they owe her for this, and it's not about money or bribery or grease. It's not "name recognition." It's her own hard work from within the Party.

[The Second Stone]

21. Exactly

Bernie is a pain in the ass. Maybe a well meaning pain in the ass, but he couldn't assemble an effective coalition of elected officials to save his life. He has zero life accomplishments other than criticizing others.

[kstewart33]

33. Very well said. nt

[MarianJack]

8. The super delegates know that Sanders...

...would be the Goldwater/McGovern/Mondale of 2016. No thank you.

PEACE!

[k8conant]

9. Before Iowa Hillary Clinton already claimed 464 superdelegates.

Why? They chose her because they didn't even know there would be a better choice. Now they are too embarrassed to switch yet.

[Lil Missy]

27. Have you personally interviewed them to know that? Even 1 person?

I didn't think so. You made that up.

[FreedomRain]

10. If they care about the party they won't destroy it

overturning the will of the people will destroy it, at the very least turn off many new voters, and be a huge talking point for Republicans, far worse than any redbaiting.

[Walk away]

11. Super Delegates were created to deal with Bernies...

Bernie will never get enough delegates to beat Hillary but, in a fantasy world where he eked by, he would still be stopped by the party. That's why there are rules. He could have formed his own party from the beginning but he wanted to use our platform and steal our data.

The Republicans wish they had voted in the tools to take care of insurgent candidates.

[progressoid]

12. Super delegates.

One of least democratic parts of the Democratic Party.

[NanceGreggs]

15. Who, if they switched their allegiance to Bernie tomorrow ...

... would be hailed as the saviours of the Party.

It's amazing how transparent the BS supporters are - and what's more amazing is that they think no one notices.

[progressoid]

16. "Super delegates don't "represent people" I'm not elected by anyone. - Howard Dean

Regardless of who they support, the problem lies in what Dean said.

[NanceGreggs]

17. The problem lies ...

... with a campaign (and its supporters) who claimed super-delegates were un-democratic - and then decided, when their candidate was losing, that appealing to SDs to change their allegiance wasn't so un-democratic after all.

For months, the BSers have been screaming about SDs, and their capability to ignore the will of the people. Now that it's apparent that Bernie is NOT going to win the nomination on his own merits, those same people are screaming about the right of SDs to "ignore the will of the people" and get behind Bernie.

Hypocrisy has been at the very foundation of BS's campaign from the beginning.

"It would be hypocritical of me to run as a Democrat because of the things I have said about the party." - Bernie Sanders

Was he lying then - or is he a hypocrite now?

[progressoid]

18. Sorry to burst your angry bubble, but I've been against them since my first caucus in 84.

The actions of either campaign is immaterial to the issue that it is undemocratic.

[NanceGreggs]

19. My candidate is winning.

Ergo, I am not the one who is angry.

I don't doubt your position that SDs are "undemocratic" is a long-held one.

The problem lies with the BS supporters who have done a 180 on the legitimacy of super-delegates - only since they realized that SDs being convinced to change their allegiance is Bernie's only hope.

It is almost O'Henry-esque in its irony.

[Hiraeth]

24. ^^^ amen ^^^

[Gothmog]

14. There are also deep concerns about down ballot race and support of the party

If you want to be the head of a national political party, then you need to support that party. Sanders has not taken any steps to help raise fund for the party while Clinton has raised a great deal.

Many super delegates are also very worried about down ballot races. Many of Sanders policies would be difficult to support for down ballot candidates. House Minority Leader Pelosi has made clear that the party can not run on sanders' platform and hope to gain seats in the House.

[frazzled]

20. His problem is with pledged delegates, not super delegates

He's not earning enough pledged delegates through the voting process to even begin to think of attracting any super delegates. Were he to overcome Clinton's 300+ delegate lead somehow—a rather remote possibility—then we could talk super delegates.

But yes, he had no previous support either from Congressional colleagues or other party officials who make up the super delegates for the reasons described.

[Trenzalore]

22. Most of the Super Delegates know who Bernie is

That is also a strong reason why they aren't voting for him at the convention.

Bernie has no friends from the Senate that have endorsed him. Not one. That really should communicate some information to everyone.

[KitSileya]

23. Not to mention, superdelegates know how important down-ticket races are

Without Dems in the Senate, HoR, govenorships, state legislatures, etc, the President does his or her term with hands tied behind their back. Many (most!?) of the SDs are the down-ticket races! And they are well aware of the difference in commitment to other Dem candidates that HRC and BS has shown. Last numbers I heard are $32 mill and $1000, respectively.

Why should the SDs support someone so little interested in the future of the Left?

[Hiraeth]

25. never is a long time

and I question your theory because of that last line. Made some good points though.

[StraightRazor]

26. I think the biggest problem the Super Delegates present for Bernie -

is that to the casual observer (voter) who doesn't know what they are and simply sees them as 'delegates' without any differentiation, it looks like Hillary has an enormous and completely insurmountable lead on him in the delegate count, even though comparing the actual earned delegate count frames the race very differently. It's all about appearances.

Looking at the inflated lead Hillary has, some voters may think the race was over long ago and see no reason to support someone who 'cannot' win - even if they support his policies more than they do hers. Everyone loves a winner and such. Personally, I voted for Kucinich in both the 2004 & 2008 primaries (but supported the eventual nominee) even though it was completely unrealistic that he would get the nomination - I felt that having him and his ideas in the race for as long as possible was a good thing for the electorate.

The other problem (and why she has so much Super support) is that Bill & Hillary raise tremendous amounts of money for the DNC and Bernie does not, so in some ways she kinda paid up front for said support - I think that's the primary reason why they won't ever switch to his corner.

[dchill]

29. Ha, ha ha.

Ha

[noretreatnosurrender]

30. A key reason they might switch

is that the voters are the ones that enable them to be in Washington in the first place. If they want to stay they might get a little nervous when their constituents in states that Bernie won start calling them.

[veronique25]

31. how bernie will FLIP SUPERDELEGATES (+michelangelo quotes)

hillary had hundreds of superdelegate endorsements before even ONE VOTE WAS CAST. bernie was a dragonfly on her windshield back then. that's far from the WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

if bernie can close the pledged-delegate gap by the convention, the superdelegates will vote for whomever is more electable.

hillary's campaign (excepting entrenched southern states who barely heard of bernie) has been in constant decline, with mounting baggage and clinton dramas every week.

hillary getting political amnesia, and saying that the reagans opened the political dialogue about hiv -- when it was completely the opposite; and her sending a thank-you note to bernie during her failed clinton-era health-care push (failed, mainly because ted kennedy was furious at the clintons for excluding him after HIS decades-long commitment to universal health-care, (so ted kennedy endorsed obama and prevented hillary from getting the nomination)) -- and after bernie supported her health-care plan: last week she bellows: "where was bernie?," when even the photos show she thanked him then, and he was literally right behind her on the stage.

hillary's mind is slowly getting more and more confused (she's only human) -- but, if bernie is within striking-distance of pledged-delegates at the convention, then the superdelegates will flip.

i'm sorry, but i now honestly believe that each day hillary is becoming more cognitively-overloaded with endless dramas and baggage, and is dragging down the Democratic chances.

ironically, bernie looks like the one who should be going politically senile, but he's just picking up steam, and the superdelegates will realize that he beats trump and cruz without hillary's ever-increasing drama and baggage.

...just my opinion...

win or lose, bernie's AMERICA rules!

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."

--Michelangelo

[kstewart33]

34. Your point that the super delegates will vote for the more electable candidate is right on.

However, the problem is that few super delegates see Bernie as more electable because of his biography. I'd wager that many believe that the Republicans will demolish him with TV and radio ads, right wing talk radio and other media.

What will they use? Videos, past speeches, and his newspaper columns from years past that document his love for Castro, the Sandinistas and Communists, his out-of-wedlock son, his atheism, socialism, and of course his sky-high tax policy which will tax the middle class. These facts aren't a concern for liberal Democrats. However, liberals comprise only about 30% of the Democratic party. 70% are moderate and conservative.

The most telling fact that supports this view is Republican activity in the Democratic primaries/caucuses. Super PACS have spent millions on anti-Hillary ads in these states, and not a dime on Bernie.

What is that?

When was the last time you heard any Republican talk about Bernie? They're keeping quiet and their powder dry. They can't wait to get their hands on Bernie.

The supers want to keep their jobs.

[veronique25]

35. superdelegates are also susceptible to re-election pressure

google the lists of superdelegates and it is clear that the congressional democrats who supported hillary BEFORE ANY PRIMARY VOTES were cast, didn't even see bernie on the horizon. that is not the WILL OF THE PEOPLE!

bernie-voters must consisently email the superdelegates subject to re-election -- and let them know that Democrats are toxified with endless clinton national dramas, baggage; false innuendoes, gaffes, and outright lies about senator sanders.

bernie-voters are the future of the democratic party, and america. hillary superdelgates, and aging-voters, don't want to rock our sinking boat of democracy. they cant be faulted that theyve worked their whole lives and just want to collect their pensions, etc. -- but younger voters see little or no economic future, cultural equality, or political influence.

bernie's america is america's future.

email superdelegates running for re-election and let them know the democratic party will slowly sink under the baggage and dramas of another clinton adminstration (if not before)

just my opinion...

win or lose, bernie's AMERICA rules!

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."

--Michelangelo

[PATRICK]

32. I suppose there are those

who justify their position like that. It might even be the rather banal truth.

It begs the larger issue far beyond superdelegates self-importanceor conscience that total party organization invested wrongly in a cheap and easy submission to the extensive political clout of the Clintons, the healings and deals of 2008, and the hunkering down relaxing in the incredible meltdown of the GOP- and their vaunted money influence. They got hit out of left field by small donors they never had faith in or expected either. Or even wanted this time anyway. Political reality hit hard for the easy solution to the OPEN ELECTION season, but it is much easier to deal with internally than nationally, just as Taft squelched Teddy Roosevelt. This is far more than the superdelegates. It is about anyone who wants cash or organizational support when the smoke clears or is caught in a dilemma with only one easy answer. Back Hillary and stay out of the media circus, which media considers Sanders reforms as leprosy so that is very easy.

It doesn't mean that it is the right decision after the cowardice and doldrums of eight years of questionable electoral success has proved harder actions, even(God forbid!) risks had to be taken to nip inevitable crises and fascism in the bud. But it is the easiest with certainty now unavailable to support a big change. Supporting Hillary offers the best move to win one for their party in the fall unless they want to do something extremely non-DLC new. No, a likely loss, unthinkable, wouldn't make a switch to Sanders easy at all.

The super-delegates individual vices or rationalizations or character or instrumentality have been relegated in fact into a lump that looks like it will not have to break up in the democratic stomach of a convention but simply pass through to November.

This is vastly unlike 2008 or even other party insurgencies(see Bull Moose Party if you really want to see a real intramural fight between wings of a party). Not even a reasoned possibility of loss in the fall or superiority in the fall in this or that with Sanders will change the dynamic. Only massive voter losses in the upcoming primaries can do that. The machinery of American politics is against Sanders. He has done extremely well despite all that which says something alarming about the vaunted power and prestige of a much beat up and low key party opposed to madmen and supposedly the madder oligarchs.

The libertarians who are gleefully beating their anti people GOP organization to death wish Sanders could do the same but they know we are the civilized party, a fat-headedly doomed civilization, but the one we will double down on to the grave with pragmatism and logic while taking big money from big money fantasists alienated from the planet they thrive on temporarily.

This idea of wooing organization Dems for the movement campaign of Sanders can only be done by electoral force versus force.