Geraldine Ferraro on Superdelegates - and the Rush Factor

Hi folks!

I am still trying to decide what Ms. Ferraro is saying about Superdelegates. Let's see what I can make of this, the (paranthetical) comments are mine:

Geraldine Ferraro, in an article in the New York Times on Feb 25, 2008, explained the reason for the superdelegate process that she helped create.

By. Geraldine Ferraro
New York Times, Feb 25, 2008

It gets a little bit long, so let me see if I can parse out the pertinent points:

o Ms. Ferraro: "That decision, (who to nominate in a close race) they say, should rest with the rank-and-file Democrats who went to the polls and voted."

OK, I can follow that. I suppose "they" is me and everyone else who went to the polls and voted. Go on, I'm on the edge of my seat.

o "But the superdelegates were created to lead, not to follow."

....?

Like, "follow the will of the voters?"

o "..the delegate totals from primaries and caucuses do not necessarily reflect the will of (the) rank-and-file"

Er. OK, let me try to get with you here. You are saying that maybe not all Democrat voters would come out to the primaries and caucuses? And *that* would invalidate the vote?

Uh, well, have you seen the percentage of voters who turn out in the past general elections? Does that mean, since the majority of potential voters did not vote in the past general elections, that the will of the "rank-and-file" of the American population was not represented in the general elections? Should we then, um, have a set of Super-Duper-Delegates who can decide whether the "rank and file" of the American public are right or wrong in November?

There has to be more to this, let's see what comes next.

o "More important, "

Oh, good! Glad we're onto the More Important issues than voters repesentation and such!

Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. I mean, not to say you are volatile and likely to lash out or anything, just didn't mean to ... er... Sorry, go on. please?

o "although many states like New York have closed primaries in which only enrolled Democrats are allowed to vote, in many other states Republicans and independents can make the difference by voting in Democratic primaries or caucuses."

AHA!! You *were* right! That was the *much* more important point!!

What you *mean* to say - correct me if I'm missing something here - but what you *mean* to say - what the "superdelegate system is setup to do "Most important"ly, is to correct for any OUTSIDE INFLUENCES that SUBVERT THE WILL OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!!!!

I am *so* with you on this one!!

I mean, just imagine if some Evil Outside Influence - say some Extremist Radio Talkshow Host for example (just a strawman you know - just a thought exercise - kinda going out on a Limb, augh [sorry, phlegm]) with a "ditto"ing horde of millions of slavering listeners, some Far Right Fanatic, were to - I dunno how to put this - RUSH into the middle of a highly contested Democratic Primary and try to get his listeners to switch their voter registrations to Democrat and go and actually *vote* for one candidate or the other - *that's* what superdelegates are for!!!

So, if it were to come to a Convention, and it were - like you said - a close thing, and one of the candidates could be shown to have gotten a sudden (let's just pick a number) 100% increase in Republican votes in (say) - Texas, just to pick one out of the air - *right* after this theoretical RUSHing talk-show host urged his listeners to go vote for her (wouldn't want to be sexist - candidates can be women, too) - THAT'S where superdelegates would step in and say: "Hey! That's just not fair play!" and OVERRIDE those votes!

That is *so* *cool*!

You'd want to be really really sure that you weren't jumping the gun, of course. There'd have to be other evidence. Lemme see if I can make up another one. I dunno, let's pick Mississippi just for kicks:

OK, then comes Mississippi, and this same Democratic Candidate, who hadn't been getting many Republican votes prior to Texas and this Evil Radio Show hosts call for Repulicans to Rush out and vote for her, say she suddenly gets - pick a number? - why not 24% of her votes from people willing to call themselves Republican.

NOW you have a case for the superdelegates to step in!

Case Closed!

Strip the candidate of a whole pile of credibility, the Democratic voters didn't make her a close match to the other candidate at all! It was a *subversion* of the will of the rank-and-file of the Democratic party!!

Wow! You did a *great* job setting up that superdelegate system!

Sure, this is just a wild thought exercise. A situation like this wouldn't come up in a million years! It's crazy!

But it sure is good to know that you and the other Democrats put a system in place two decades ago so that if anything so far fetched ever *did* happen, we can count on those superdelegates to make it alright.

Whew!

Thanks for setting that all straight, Ms. Ferraro. You always have such a level-headed way of explaining these complex issues.

Thanks.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-k-wilson/mississippi-limbaugh-ef_b_91112.html