What will happen if Superdelegates nominate Hillary w/out popular vote support?

[stacylee94]

My husband and I called the DNC headquarters to discuss the outrage we would feel if the superdelegates choose Hillary over Obama if he has the majority of delegates and popular vote at the time of the convention.

We were told by the DNC to "relax", we were told that this election will not be chosen by superdelegates (how could they know this?), and that if the superdelegates did have to step up and decide the nominee we would have "nothing to worry about because these are regular people, they could be your next door neighbor in fact, they are just ordinary citizens". My husband laughed and said, "Ma'am, I do not live next door to my Governor, nor any Senators, nor ex-Presidents. These are party insiders, how can you tell people this lie with a straight face?!?!"

We then proceeded to tell Her, that if we are disenfranchised Again, there is no way on earth that we will back Hillary. In fact, we will (as independents) vote for McCain. All of us have had seven years of a secret and powermongering government, and if Hillary uses the exact same tactics we, as a nation, will be lost for four more.

I will not go gently, I will not sit by idly and watch "old tricks" rob me of the best Presidential candidate I will see in my lifetime. My husband and I will be in Denver to protest, should this convention turn to a superdelegate vote against popular vote.

I have two questions: How do you feel; Should we just fall in like the sheep we've been for seven years and back the Democratic nominee chosen by superdelegates if it counters our pop. vote?

2) What are the chances of a nationwide "write-in" movement for Sen. Obama on election day to take the power of our vote back if we are disenfranchised?

[AAF]

stacylee94 Wrote:I have two questions: How do you feel; Should we just fall in like the sheep we've been for seven years and back the Democratic nominee chosen by superdelegates if it counters our pop. vote?

2) What are the chances of a nationwide "write-in" movement for Sen. Obama on election day to take the power of our vote back if we are disenfranchised?

Absolutely NOT fall in line with delegate vote if the pop. vote counters. The thought of this happening enrages me, and unbelievably even more than the 2000 decision, because the so-called "democratic" party would be doing it.

I definitely will "write in"... but a nationwide movement? Given the track record of US citizens, on the whole, to behave like the sheep you mention, I'm afraid the chances are slim.

I would love to wrong on this.

[bm08]

The thought of having the nominee decided by merely a few hundred people is mind bothering for me because I do not see how the party would be able to ignore millions that have turned out to vote in record numbers.

I think if the SD's do call the nominee, it would split the party and would definitely overwrite the decisions many made in the primaries

[csj]

Super delegates voting contrary the popular vote would be the dumbest thing the Democrats could do. The SDs should listen to the people. The Dems are going to have a tough time getting either Obama or Clinton elected -- they sure can't do it with a split party.

[Taopoet]

Senator Obama is calling for our stories, to be compiled and presented to the superdelegates as a reminder that we are a government of the people, and as a forceful indicator that we are watching. We are paying attention. We will not be herded and quieted and cajoled and tricked into any additional years of being told what to do by the elite few party insiders* who have the power to push us around.

Please share your personal story of why you support Senator Obama here: http://my.barackobama.com/superdelegates

*Disclosure: I am a delegate selected at my local caucus, but I am not a party insider. I'm a regular citizen who votes, cares, and has a lot to say.

Thanks stacylee94, for starting this important thread!

[Taopoet]

And furthermore ...

I've just perused a number of articles about the history of superdelegates and their designed purpose. (I've included a number of links below.) Here's the thing: Superdelegates emerged in the early 1980s as an invention of the Democratic Party designed to assure that some crazy party-outsider populist candidate (specifically, Gary Hart) with no deep ties to the establishment could capture the nomination by garnering the support of voters.

It was thought that such a candidate, who obviously roused the spirit of the People, could not be elected because he (or she) would not be able to get along with other members of the political establishment, would be impotent when it came to actually leading, and was therefore unelectable.

In other words, superdelegates are the appointed "parents" of the voters, able to choose the nominee based on their own ideas of crony-ist electability. They are in place to assure that we "children" (unthinking, ridiculously inept, unlearned, and untested voters) don't make the horrible mistake of electing a candidate who's not "one of them."

According to many sources I consulted, what will happen if superdelegates nominate the candidate who does not have the support of the majority of voters is dire. Some sources say a superdelegate-driven nomination of Clinton will assure a McCain presidency (I've read his website, and it frightens me). Other sources say such a nomination will spark a rebellion that will make the 1968 convention riots in Chicago look like nothing more than a heated rugby game. This also frightens me.

We can't let either of these things happen! Please write to your congressional representatives and let them know that you know America is a Government by the People, and as such, they and all the other superdelegates are responsible to us to cast their votes for the candidate with the majority of popular support. Let's not let tyranny consume us completely! We have the power of the pen and the pixel, and we can effect change without bloodshed!

The easiest way to find the names and contact information for your congressional leaders an internet search for [your state] government. The official site of your state government, complete with contact information for all of your congress people, senators, and other important leaders, will be the very first result.

YES, We Can!

Selected online sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/0...9674.shtml
http://origin.denverpost.com/news/ci_8190382
http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/948024.html
http://origin.insidebayarea.com/opinion/...ci_8248656
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/opinio...ref=slogin
http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager...6&a=328687

And for reading all the way to the bottom, you get the reward of a link to a really amusing political cartoon: http://origin.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_8202050

[khurd77]

1. We should not fall in like sheep. I WILL NOT vote for Hillary after seeing the lengths she would go to and the principles she is willing to pervert just to get elected. However, I will not vote for McCain either. He betrayed many independents, (including me) when he started going against everything he wrote about in his books by going and catering to the religious right and now he is groveling at the feet of the right-wing insiders JUST TO GET THEIR SUPPORT AND GET ELECTED! John is as obsessed as Hillary about getting elected for getting elected's sake!

2. I for one have also emailed the DNC to express my opinions and feelings, (which basically matched the writers) and I have not heard anything specific other than some emails from Dean saying basically the same thing that was told to you. I never realized that there really are a lot of pompous people in control of the DNC. If the SD pick the democratic nominee AGAINST the will of the PEOPLE than I for one WILL write to everyone I can in protest. I will not give up and my sadness about losing our greatest chance to make our country one again will drive my efforts for many years. I do not think I will be alone.

[follol]

I think the best thing that we can do right now is to support Barack in any positive way that we can. Writing our stories to the superdelegates is a good start. The more that we can turn our collective worry into collective positive action the better off we are. Lets do our level best to leave all the negative stuff to the HRC campaign ... have you noticed that it usually comes back to her?

I am certainly not naive here, only practical. I have noticed how much energy it takes out of me to get worried or angry about all of the campaign tricks and I would guess that is pretty common. On the upside, when I change that anger to positive action and keep the hope alive I am always surprised how many people I have been able to reach. And this is the first time I have been this involved in any campaign ... Obama's message feels right - the right man, the right message, the right time and with the right support!

Thanks for listening and have a good night!
Barbara

[sunken]

I think the democratic powers that be are just that insane to allow the superdelegates to override the popular vote. They are already trying to play shenanigans with the delegates from Michigan and Florida. Michigan had only Hilary on the ballot and no one could campaign in Florida. Now they want to seat those delegates with no redo, which would really cheat Obama. Of course since Hilary "won" those, she's all for it, while saying how Obama doesn't want them to count. Probably because he doesn't want to be cheated. There is nothing wrong with expecting fair elections. You know, the more I hear about Hilary, the more I'm starting to dislike her. That surprises me because I liked Bill a lot.

[Texred]

I will wear a black armband to mourn the loss of a dream and the loss
of hope.

And, I'm old enough to know how to protest. Been there, done that, will do it again for Obama.