The timing of the AP's call lays bare the ridiculousness of Super Delegates

[morningfog]

Under the current system, it was not "early" or "premature" to call Hillary the presumptive nominee. It was awkward and revealing though. The reason the call itself is being discussed is not because it included super delegates, but because the AP relied on a count of super delegates on and off voting night.

The problem is not that it will suprress votes, although it may have that effect, but that there were no states voting yesterday. No people were casting their votes. Had the AP made the same call on a voting night, no one would bat an eye. Had the call been made in any day other than a primary voting day, the reaction would be the same.

It's awkward and uncomfortable for the media to call attention to the most undemocratic portion of our nominating process. It's a little embarrassing that this system allows for 15% of unfettered party insiders to have enough power to tip the race at any point, but especially on the eve of the last big vote.

It's not the AP that suppresses votes or steals Hillary's thunder, it is the use of super delegates.

The simple rejoiner is: do away with super delegates.

[geek tragedy]

1. Not only that, but superdelegates who were publicly uncommitted

AP did itself a favor but no one else.

[tonyt53]

2. Bernie knew the rules and the role of superdelegates before registering as a Democrat.

Bernie, and his new groupies, are not changing the Democratic Party. They are going to have to change to fir the Democratic Party, because as it is now, they are not Democrats, they are too much about "me" and getting their way.

Also, you want undemocratic? Try a caucus where there is no secret ballot and voters are shamed into voting for one candidate or another. That is the very reason those caucuses are so poorly attended. Nothing remotely democratic about that. All i hear from Bernie and his supporters is how things are rigged, but Bernie knew better, but just won't face that fact. Now you and Bernie want the will of the majority of the voters to be overturned by those very supedelegates that you despise. Talk about weird.

The simpler solution is for Bernie to run the next time as a Socialist. He would have to run in primary for that too as there is already a named nominee for the Socialist Party for this November.

[morningfog]

5. Are you a programmed bot? Maybe you replied to the wrong thread?

This post has nothing to do with Bernie. You seem confused.

[Silver_Witch]

6. Both caucuses and super delegates are wrong!

As a Democrat I would like to see both bpdone away with. And 2 years of campaigning is wrong gosh I remember elevpctee officials could do good work rather than spend half their term campaigning!

Change is good and possible!

[Silver_Witch]

3. Maybe it will bring change!

[gollygee]

4. You can't change the rules mid-stream, but I agree re superdelegates

I don't think they should exist.

[morningfog]

7. I didn't call for a change now. But the supers could abstain.

thwy should be nixed by 2020.

[Demsrule86]

8. To me it shows how useful Supers are

There was no way Bernie could win and for him to hand around and endangers the general was a bad idea. He had to go and was unwilling to do it on his own. This is why we have supers.

[morningfog]

9. That doesn't follow.

The only argument Bernie has left to stay in is because there are unbound super delegates. Them "stepping in" now has no bearing on whether to continue. If there were no super delegates, Bernie would now be mathematically eliminated and have no path to the nomination whatsoever.

WIth the supers, he has one path, to flip the supers before they vote. You got it backwards.

[seabeyond]

10. I bet the PUMA '08 were arguing just this. I don't know. I paid no attention. But I imagine it was

the same argument. And yet, life went on.

Was it the same argument?

[morningfog]

11. What argument? That super delegates are undemocratic?

It is a fact.

I am not arguing for supers to flip to Bernie. I am not saying that calling her the presumptive nominee was wrong. I am saying that super delegates are undemocratic and they are.

[seabeyond]

12. Fight it. Not in the middle of primary, but when not in primary. Fight it. I bet PUMA

felt the same way. We put our candidates in a primary, with rules. They follow the rules then attacked and win delegitimized because people cry SD unfair. Well, Clinton has nothing to do with that. We didn't dismiss Obama win with SD. Not gonna do it to Clinton.

[morningfog]

14. Who is asking for dismissal? What the fuck are you reading in my words?

Goddamn this place is tedious.

[seabeyond]

15. Well, I dunno. Sanders would be one.

[Faux pas]

13. rachel maddow

did a whole bit last Friday on how the AP did the same thing when they announced trump's presumptive nominee status. That made sense since he was the last ass standing. I kept yelling at her to shut up because she (in my mind) was encouraging the same thing to happen on the dem side. Looks like I called it, and it is shameful that the MEDIA picks our candidates.