Bernie camp's superdelegate switch demands are reckless, self-serving, and destructive

[bigtree]

...case in point, demand/ultimatum for Amy Klobuchar to switch support to Sanders...or, else.


Minnesota for Bernie @mn4bernie
@amyklobuchar it's time you represent the MN voters and endorse Bernie Sanders or we will vote you out. #BirdieSanders #FeelTheBern


Steve M. ‏@nomoremister 9h9 hours ago
Yeah, refuse to vote for . That's a genius idea. Hey, how much harm could Senator Michele Bachmann do? @mn4bernie @amyklobuchar

John L Garzon ‏@jlgarzon1 9h9 hours ago
@mn4bernie I assume you'll be calling for @MarcyKaptur to switch to @HillaryClinton, since both her state and district voted for Clinton?

[Wilms]

1. "reckless, self-serving, and destructive"

Now, who does that remind me of?

[Mudcat]

3. Perhaps 1%ers with business friends on Wall Street, hmmmm?

[baldguy]

5. The BoBs.

[stranger81]

15. Exactly.

It's not "self-serving" to attempt to lock up the entirety of the super delegate vote for oneself before even a single primary vote had been cast?!? The projection and utter lack of self-reflection here is reaching truly staggering levels.

[Wilms]

18. I'm with you.

Wars are OK. Speeches on Wall Street are OK. Lying is OK. Stirring racial tension is just fine. On and on.

She's worse than I thought.

[MineralMan]

2. In July, my Senator, Amy Klobuchar, will

vote for the candidate with the majority of pledged delegates. She's honorable that way. Count on it. Empty threats will not change her integrity.

I guarantee it.

[Agschmid]

12. I got to meet her recently she was great!

[LWolf]

4. Yes.

It's really destructive to democracy to expect that "super" delegates would represent the voter's choice.

[TrueDemVA]

6. Super delagates are not free from scorn unfortunately.

If a super delagate votes differently than a majority of their state, they run the risk of being voted out if in elected office. The voters will feel anger if these few have the power to ignore the residents of a state. The only power these residents have is the right to vote. I would probably do the same thing and hope that super delagates got shown the door.

If a super delagates votes against the majority of the voters, how could one not feel anger. The super delagates is basically telling those voters, they don't matter.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. It's different for Bernie but here's a review of Super D's 2008:

Meet the Superdelegates: Clinton, Obama Fight for the Party Elite
Who are these superdelegates, and what makes them so super?
http://www.usnews.com/news/campaign-2008/articles/2008/02/13/clinton-obama-fight-for-the-party-elite

Clinton, Obama Dispute Roles of Superdelegates
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/16/AR2008021602657.html

Closing In, Obama Woos Superdelegates
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/closing-in-obama-woos-superdelegates/

Superdelegates switching allegiance to Obama
· Clinton losing support of influential party officials
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/feb/23/uselections2008.barackobama


Of course it is vitriolically different for Bernie for reasons best left unsaid but this retrospective demonstrates what legitimate candidates are permitted.

[PufPuf23]

16. Good post. Thanks. Should be OP. nt

[Dems to Win]

8. Clinton tried to bully superdelegates in 2008: "He Can't Win!"

We should all just ignore the superdelegates. Including the media. Not worth arguing and hostility on any side.

The superdelegates will vote en masse for the candidate who wins the majority of the pledged delegates, as they did in 2008.

[strategery blunder]

9. As a Bernie supporter, I feel it's too early for this.

The superdelegates in my state would make up a Hillary block party, yet Bernie won my state by 45 points yesterday.

I will, however, wait until after June 7 before I contact them, to determine if it is even necessary to do so.

If Hillary won the pledged delegates and supers gave it to Bernie, that would be just as destructive to the party as if Bernie won the pledged delegates but the supers gave it to Hillary. Just because I have long feared the second scenario does not mean I condone the first.

[Vote2016]

10. So we should feel bad for elected officials who spurn their constituents?

[beedle]

11. Maybe the super delegates should ...

... should all revoke their stated support of any candidate if all they are going to do is vote en-masse for the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end? All it does is give the wrong impression as to candidate support, assuming the claim being made about moving at the end of the primaries is legitimate.

If not, then given that the super delegates are not playing by any specific rules at this point, then given that there are 'no rules', I don't see an issue with' implied threats of taking them out at the voting booth'... after all, if it's legitimate to 'buy them', as Hillary is attempting, why would implied threats of being voted out be a worst? At least threats of being voted out is actually part of the democratic process ... unlike PACs purchasing the super votes.

[Logical]

13. The fact you made up such a dramatic title says all I need to know. Wow, really silly. nt

[Vattel]

14. Silly at best.

[PufPuf23]

17. The OP writer has lost its mind.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

19. Those who don't like super delegates

Complain to Bernie's campaign manager Tad Devine. He played a big part back in the day getting those set up. Now that they're working against the guy who's employing him he's against them.

FWIW I don't think the concept of super delegates is the right one but one hopes Sanders knew the rules going into his run for POTUS.