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Superdelegates Superdelegates are non-elected voters who have the full power of delegates despite not being selected through primaries or caucuses. The Democratic National Committee is currently the only political party to appoint superdelegates or to have a weighted nomination system. The number of superdelegates appointed per state depends upon that state's population and Democratic voter registration, thereby giving more weight to states with stronger Democratic bases.
There are 796 super-delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, comprising nearly one fifth of the total number of delegates.
About half of the super-delegates are current and former elected officials: all current Democratic Congressmen and Governors, and all former presidents, vice presidents, majority and minority leaders. The other half are members of the Democratic National Committee.
Super-delegacy as a feature of the nomination process has come under close scrutiny due to the very tight 2008 race.
2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination Race: Early in the process, most of the superdelegates were expected to support Hillary Clinton. There was a fear that Obama might win the majority of elected delegates, but Clinton would win a large enough majority of superdelegates to secure the nomination.
Barack Obama and his campaign officials suggested that this would lead to many of his supporters feeling disenfranchised, and that it would be wrong for the superdelegates to subvert the will of the voter should he win the majority of the popular vote. Clinton supporters countered that superdelegates were chosen as "super voters" by their own party, therefore more representative of the true will of the entire party.
Obama and Clinton lobbied the superdelegates aggressively. Most superdelegates have announced who they will support, but they are not committed irrevocably to one candidate until the Democratic National Convention in August.
If the Democratic primary race remained very close, the issue of superdelegation and the questions regarding the delegates from Michigan and Florida (see related question) may plunge the Democrats into a nightmare scenario: the supporters of the losing candidate may feel that the election was stolen from them, and thus might not support the winning candidate as actively as they otherwise would. This nightmare scenario however does not appear to be playing out, and as of May 11 Obama and Clinton are running even among superdelegates, with the AP reporting that Obama has taken the lead in superdelegates, and NBC reporting Clinton's superdelegate lead as down to 2.
The argument for: It is a representative means of completing a nomination via respected party leaders designed to balance the popular vote which can largely be unfamiliar with the realities of politics as well as uninformed on issues and actual candidate background and behavior.
The argument against: While the apportionment by region is representative, the selection of individuals isn't. It would be like letting George Bush select 435 super-voters, one from each Congressional district. Superdelegates allow the Democratic National Committee insiders to overrule the voters in a close election.
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Super delegate vs. Superdelegate vs. Super-delegate Because this is political jargon, the correct term might be super-delegate. However most news organizations including the AP, CNN, New York Times, and FoxNews have established "superdelegate" as the standard use of the term. The Democratic National Committee doesn't use the term at all, instead referring only to "Unpledged Delegates."
An Example: The following example was provided. A critique of it is presented below.
Imagine you live in a town where everyone decides to paint all the houses only one color. The town decides to have a vote to determine what color to use. If there are 10 people living in one house and only 3 living in another house, it would be unfair if everyones vote counted equally. It would be fair if every house had one vote. So the 10 vote for one person (a superdelegate or homeowner) to represent them, and likewise the 3 vote for one person to represent them. All these "one" persons, or super delegates gather to vote on what color to paint the houses, one vote per house. Easy enough. The fun part comes when the 6 out of the 10 in the one house want to paint the houses green, but the person they send decides to vote for orange. Now you and others in your area vote for a person to go make the "one" vote, maybe Obama, but that person may actually go vote for Clinton, or vice-versa. That person may be voted out of office when he returns, but the vote is already cast. Critique of Example: The above example may more accurately describe the electoral college, or the allocation of Pledged Delegates, then they describe superdelegates. Nobody votes for the superdelegates. They are appointed by the national committee. The Pledged Delegates (the not-so-super delegates) are the delegates whom the voters select.
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Superdelegates are members of the Democratic Party who are not bound to vote for and individual based on popular vote (ie they are not representing anyone, except themselves). This gives Bill Clinton the freedom, for example, as a living ex-President to vote for Hilary in the Democratic Primary as a delegate, rather than following who his local delegate has voted for.
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Super delegates are non-elected individuals who can support whatever candidate they wish and are used only by the Democratic Party during the presidential nomination. They are fiercely courted by the candidates since those votes can guarantee selection, regardless of the results of the popular vote.
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Super delegates are simply a carry over from the old House of Burgesses and the present Electoral College. The elite white males will continue to run this country and determine its fate. It is not democratic in the least and should be abolished along with the Electoral College. Popular vote should be the only type of vote countable.
The old guard rules and always will until the rest of us get off our hineys and have this elitism abolished from the democratic process.
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How are superdelegates selected?
Who and how are the superdelegates selected?
Why the use of superdelegates increases the influence of party leaders in the Democratic nomination process?
All of the superdelegates are party leaders. They, along with the delegates from the states, determine the nominees.
Who are the 2008 superdelegates?
Dushawn Hayes and Dontay Hayes
What can We do to turn the Superdelegates away from both Hillary and Trump and more towards Bernie Sanders?
First of all, the superdelegates are a phenomenon exclusively in the Democratic Party, so they cannot vote for Donald Trump at all. Second, the superdelegates generally vote in accordance with the way that the people vote in the primaries, so if more Bernie Sanders supporters vote and tip the delegate count away from Hillary Clinton, most superdelegates will follow suit.
When were superdelegates created?
QUESTION: What is a superdelegate?ANSWER: Party activists and elected officials who have a vote at the Democratic National Convention that is equal to a single delegate. A candidate for president needs 2,025 to win the nomination. S.C. awards 54 delegates. During the primary, 45 delegates were awarded based on the vote. The remaining nine will be awarded by the state's eight superdelegates and a delegate who will be named later.QUESTION: Why were superdelegates created?ANSWER: The Democratic National Committee created the superdelegates as a quality-control mechanism after George McGovern's failed bid for the presidency in 1972. These delegates are party activists whose job it is to prevent an unfavorable candidate from winning the nomination.QUESTION: Will superdelegates ultimately decide the Democratic nomination?ANSWER: The race is historically close, meaning each delegate counts. Superdelegates do not have to decide until the August convention. Those who have pledged can change their minds. The primary system could decide the nominee before then. The superdelegates could decide to back the candidate who has the most delegates awarded by voters once all the states have held their preference contests. Or the superdelegates could split, which would take the process into unknown territory.QUESTION: What is a superdelegate?ANSWER: Party activists and elected officials who have a vote at the Democratic National Convention that is equal to a single delegate. A candidate for president needs 2,025 to win the nomination. S.C. awards 54 delegates. During the primary, 45 delegates were awarded based on the vote. The remaining nine will be awarded by the state's eight superdelegates and a delegate who will be named later.QUESTION: Why were superdelegates created?ANSWER: The Democratic National Committee created the superdelegates as a quality-control mechanism after George McGovern's failed bid for the presidency in 1972. These delegates are party activists whose job it is to prevent an unfavorable candidate from winning the nomination.QUESTION: Will superdelegates ultimately decide the Democratic nomination?ANSWER: The race is historically close, meaning each delegate counts. Superdelegates do not have to decide until the August convention. Those who have pledged can change their minds. The primary system could decide the nominee before then. The superdelegates could decide to back the candidate who has the most delegates awarded by voters once all the states have held their preference contests. Or the superdelegates could split, which would take the process into unknown territory.
How many total number of delegates would Obama currently have if the superdelegates would end up voting the candidate that won in their constituency up to now?
Barack Obama will have 9355 delegates and 656 superdelegates.
Is Bill Clinton a super delegate?
All ex democrat presidents are superdelegates.
Do all parties have superdelegates?
In American politics, a superdelegate is someone who's automatically chosen as a delegate to the Democratic or Republican national conventions. Minor parties don't have such conventions, and therefore, superdelegates are generally only Democratic or Republican.
How are superdelegates determined?
* There are 4,090 total delegates to the DNC, of which 796 are superdelegates and have free reign to choose whichever candidate they like best http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3034 * there are only 10 superdelegates in Rhode Island http://www.rifuture.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=1576 * According to the Democratic National Committee's Delegate Selection Rules, there are 719 named superdelegates so far, composed of all the country's Democratic members of Congress, governors, party leaders, former legislators and committee members, as well as a certain number of well-liked activists
How many of the 4049 Democrat delegates are super delegates?
I found this link about superdelegates. I hope this is helpful http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/the_democratic_nomination_a_hoot
Who are superdeligates?
In the Democratic party, superdelegates are voting delegates to the national presidential convention who are not elected by the people but who are prominent Democrats who already hold a public office (e.g. Democratic senators, mayors, governors, etc.).
Are the voters being short changed by superdelegates?
No. Delegates only count in the nomination process and there are ways that the conventions have to choose the proper person. Think of them as men on a chessboard and they can be traded or moved around. Delegates don't chose the president only the person running for the office.
