Delegates and super delegates

No one will get the Democratic nomination for president without the correct number of delegates, but just what that count is, is a matter of great debate

Enclave took a look at the count and how fluid it is, but there is another group of delgates that will make the final determination of who gets the Democratic nomination: super delegates.

There are 842 super delegates that will show up to the Democratic convention mostly uncommitted to any candidate. They make up about 40 percent of the votes needed to pick a nominee.

The category includes Democratic governors and members of Congress, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, former vice president Al Gore, retired congressional leaders such as Dick Gephardt, and all Democratic National Committee members, some of whom are appointed by party chairman and DFA founder Howard Dean.

The original goal of the super delegates is to make sure no fringe segment of the party succeed in nominating a candidate that was out of step with the rest of the party -- a decidedly unDemocratic concept. Super-delegates, made up of the party leaders, prevent that from happening.

So while state-by-state delegate counts are important, the real power will come from the super delegates and they won't speak until the convention.

    - Jim Grinstead

Comments

[Dorothy Conley]

I strongly believe that our Tennessee Superdelegates should pledge to support the candidate who won the most primary/caucus votes of ordinary Americans.We cannot and must not become like those who brought disaster on our country by stealing the 2000 election. If the superdelegates make a decision contrary to the popular primary vote, we will be just as shameful as the Republicans.