Elizabeth Warren: "I don't think that superdelegates ought to sway the election"

[ashtonelijah]

For months, Sanders and his campaign have railed against how the Democratic National Committee and Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz have handled the primary process, claiming it has helped Clinton with debates held on Saturday nights, closed primaries in major states such as New York, and the use of super delegates.

"That is called an anointment process, not a democratic process with a small or large d," Sanders said on Saturday.

He was joined in his criticism of the superdelegate process on Saturday by fellow progressive stalwart Elizabeth Warren, who said at the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention that she "doesn't believe in superdelegates" -- even though as a senator, she is one.

"I don't think that superdelegates ought to sway the election," the Massachusetts senator said, MassLive.com reported, an apparent reference to Warren's desire for superdelegates to not give the nomination to Sanders.

Warren has not endorsed a candidate in the Democratic primary fight. But behind the scenes, discussions between the Warren and Clinton camps have been markedly increasing, especially as the freshman senator has begun to a play a more prominent role attacking Donald Trump, a source close to Warren has told CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/04/politics/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-convention/index.html?utm_content=buffer36b6a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[lunamagica]

1. Powerful statement from one of the party's bigger members. If Warren doesn't sway the election

results to favor Sanders, who will?

I think this was a message to Sanders. He now knows what to expect.

[pmorlan1]

2. CNN Putting Words In Warren's Mouth

Last edited Sun Jun 5, 2016, 02:34 AM - Edit history (1)

an apparent reference to Warren's desire for superdelegates to not give the nomination to Sanders.

She didn't say that and until she does I will ignore this inaccurate statement from whomever wrote this piece at CNN.

I did enjoy seeing the video at the link and the John King video following the first video.

EDIT: The Guardian wrote about Warren's comment too minus the Anti-Bernie spin that CNN added at the end.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/04/elizabeth-warren-superdelegates-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton

[RobertEarl]

3. The 'election' count will be very close

Too close to call. Neither candidate will have enough to win without supers, so the supers will make the call.

[ashtonelijah]

4. 3 million votes is not close. 275+ pledged delegates is not close. She's far closer than Obama 08

Nt

[Lord Magus]

13. No, it will not be too close to call.

Hillary has a huge lead in both popular vote and pledged delegates. Both of those are likely to expand in the next week. When the superdelegates do vote on July 27 (assuming Bernie really does insist on a roll call vote) she will likely end up with over 2800 delegates.

The fact that Bernie has outperformed what everyone expected of him when he first announced is very different from him actually being close.

[Nye Bevan]

5. "I don't think that superdelegates ought to sway the election" is a nice, diplomatic way

of saying "please Bernie, stop with this nonsense".

[tarheelsunc]

6. Sounds like an implicit endorsement of Clinton, the winner of the majority of pledged delegates. eom

[geek tragedy]

7. She opposes disenfranchisement.

It's not an endorsement of either candidate's merits, she's saying the wish of the voters must be respected.

[tarheelsunc]

8. I know that's her point...

but the underlying subtext is that the people have chosen Hillary, and Hillary should be our nominee. This is in stark contrast to the belief of Sanders and his supporters that superdelegates should subvert the will of the people by stealing the nomination from Hillary and gifting it to Bernie.

[geek tragedy]

9. Yes, we agree.

Bernie's window of having even a possible legitimate claim to the nomination closes Tuesday.

[bigwillq]

10. I agree.

I am for eliminating the SDs and have pledged delegates and, more importantly, pop vote count to decide the nominee.

[ashtonelijah]

16. That would've given Hillary the nomination not only in 2016, but likely in 2008 as wel

Since, by most counts, she actually won the popular vote that year (but I'm glad Barack Obama got the nomination; he was the right man for 2008, and she's the right woman for 2016).

[JoePhilly]

11. oh ..oh ... did Warren just pick up an under the bus pass?

[jonmac511]

12. unfortunately

The media, DWS and the Clinton campaign have used super delegates to sway the election long before a single vote was cast. By portraying Bernie in a huge hole before Iowa even caucused, the damage was already done. How many "I like Bernie but he just can't win, so I won't vote for him" have we heard? People like to be on the winning side and the media went out of their way to promote Hillary as the winning side even ignoring dnc leaders telling them SD should not be reported in the delegate counts.

[Lord Magus]

14. How many people saying that have we heard?

I've never heard anyone say that. Ever.

It also didn't seem to make Hillary unbeatable in 2008 when she had a similar huge superdelegate lead before Iowa.

[jonmac511]

17. we?

I'm not willing to do the research on why you, personally, haven't heard it but judging by your lack of surprise that the statement exists I'd say, while you may have not heard it directly, you've certainly heard discussion of it. Have you phonebanked for Bernie? I can't tell you how many times I've heard it while phone banking. The media didn't report her huge lead in SDs nearly as much, in 08, as they have this year. Lesson learned, I guess. They actually played it down as the coverage of BO was much more fair.

[ashtonelijah]

18. B.S. argument. Hillary also had a huge lead among SDs early in 2008. Obama convinced them to switch

During the campaign and because of his electoral wins. Bernie Sanders, far from convincing them to switch, has lost the popular vote considerably and spent his campaign attacking the very people he now wants to subvert the will of the voters to sway the nomination in his favor.

[jonmac511]

19. maybe

Instead of taking the time to tell someone their argument is BS, you should not dismiss any argument while trying to convince someone they're wrong. If you're telling me the media's use of SD have not swayed anyone, I'm gonna have to disagree.

[madokie]

15. I don't know much

but being a born and raised okie, same as Sen. Warren, BTW, I see Elizabeth and Hillary as miles apart more so than close in any of their ideology. I read Senator Warren and Senator Sanders closer than her and Hillary. My read on thing that is.

[seabeyond]

20. A bitter man unwilling to lose to the first woman president. He is demanding anointment.

Clinton won with the votes of the people.

[hollowdweller]

21. I think superdelegates are on the way out.

This will be the last year we argue about them on DU during the primary