Griper Blade: Superdelegates are Subdemocratic

Jason Rae is a Democratic "superdelegate" from Wisconsin. As such, he's been enjoying some small popularity. He's taken calls from Bill Clinton and John Kerry, as the two Democratic campaigns battle for Clinton or Obama voters. He recently impressed a friend on the way to the grocery store by taking a call and asking, "Hi, Senator Kerry, how are you?"

With superdelegates expected to make the difference in this year's Democratic convention, Jason Rae is a hot commodity. The superdelegate system is meant to let cooler -- and wiser -- heads prevail in the convention and save the party from the more extreme choices that Democratic voters might make. But the problem here is that Jason's a 23 year old student at Marquette University who's never voted in a presidential election. Still, his position as a Democratic op in student government confers on him superdelegatory powers.

So forget about that white-haired, experienced dem wizard that pops into your head when you hear the word "superdelegate." Yes, Ted Kennedy's one, but so is Rae. And Awais Khaleel, another student from the UW-Madison. I don't mean to rip on these party activists, but will some college student who's never voted for president before make a better decision than I will? I certainly hope he'll at least make a decision as good as mine -- my primary vote in Wisconsin will have a fraction of a percent of the influence of his at the convention. With roughly 20% of all delegate votes at the convention being cast by these "unpledged delegates," the superdelegate vote has the same weight as the primary results of ten average states

And, with Clinton and Obama running neck and neck, it's almost certain at this point that delegates like Rae will make the difference. "They might be the margin of victory, if the two candidates go down to the wire," Mordecai Lee, a professor of governmental affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "A hundred super delegates might be the deciding factor."...

[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]