Pledged Delegates

[NoBushSpokenHere]

This question is about PLEDGED DELEGATES not super delegates. Pledged delegates are apportioned to the amount of popular vote received in the primaries.

It has been said here it is legal for them to do so, but is it right for them to do so?

[dkf]

1. If pledged delegates switch then this primary season is a sham.

This is a joke.

[Florida22ndDistrict]

2. re: Pledged Delegates

On the first ballot I believe they should vote as pledged. If no candidate is victorious then pledged delegates should take all factors into consideration, listen to the arguments of all candidates (including any new candidates that my be added to the various ballots that may follow), and make a judgment as to what they think is best for their constituents. If this means the party ends up with Obama, Clinton, Gore, or Kucinich that is fine by me. The major problem I have is that I have no representatives in this representative form of democracy.

* I'm not a fan of your poll options, so I'll refrain from voting within those constraints.

[lojasmo]

3. They should not switch on first ballot. Not voting in poll. EOM

[NoBushSpokenHere]

4. I just believe it would be wrong to switch

and glad I am not alone in my thoughts.

[thoughtcrime1984]

5. Delegates have a responsibility to uphold the PROMISE they made when they accepted

the position. The promise to vote for thousands of people according to the will of those people. Is it illegal to switch? No. But it is highly seedy, and very sad that a delegate would betray the people they are representing.

[BlooInBloo]

6. I would be curious about what historical precedent, if any, there is for switching.

[NoBushSpokenHere]

8. Haven't heard any pundits singing about it so hopefully

it hasn't ever been so...

The only case where I could agree to this is:

If a candidate with the lead does something like totally asinine prior to the convention or if a perilous fact would be brought forward. In addition, these items would have to be proven to have changed the will of the people. From what I hear, there is no reason to think that would be the case with Obama.

[Garbo 2004]

7. Pledged delegates are usually activist supporters of their candidate and one would surmise not

easily won over to the other candidate, at least not on the first ballot.

I suspect the Clinton campaign has raised this "pledged delegates are not really committed" thing since they may be having problems on the "superdelegate" front. There continues to be a trickle of SD's to Obama while others are not willing to publically commit one way or the other. And also as a very few SD's who already endorsed Clinton have suggested that they might, under certain circumstances, switch their vote.

It's also a bit bizarre for the Clinton campaign to talk about poaching pledged delegates, who are sent to the convention to represent the voters' will, and then also talk about "disencfranchisement" and how the opposition wants to "take your vote from you."

Politics. ugh.