21 Y/O Super-Delegate has NEVER voted for President before!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

Run time: 10:58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2djFxBJ3rI   Posted on YouTube: February 12, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 12, 2008 By DU Member: WillYourVoteBCounted Views on DU: 856

 
Dan Abrams is joined by 21 year old 'Superdelegate' Jason Rea who has never voted for a president before.

Jason tells about having lunch with Chelsea Clinton, about fielding calls from both campaigns, Clinton, Kerry, Madeline Albreit, Chelsea, all calling this 21 year old guy to support their candidate. This kid says he will not base his vote on what his state's voters say.

He said, "for me, I'm going to have to look into my heart...I have to do what I think is right for the rest of this country...."

The following video is from MSNBC's Abrams Report, broadcast on February 11, 2008

[Bentcorner]

1. It is stuff like this that makes me embarrassed to be a Democrat.

[eyesroll]

3. He's a duly elected member of the DNC. Won a statewide election.

He's been a Democratic activist since he was 5, and was in leadership in his school, county, and CD party organizations.

I voted for him, BTW.

Edit: The superdelegate leaves much to be desired--but if we have to have the system in its current form (and for this election, we do) I have no qualms about this particular superdelegate.

[LiberalFighter]

5. How were you able to vote for a DNC member?

[eyesroll]

9. They're elected at the state Dem convention.

Two men and two women are elected every 4 years as DNC committeemembers.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Given that he's 21, isn't it kinda obvious that he's never voted for president before?

:shrug:

[soulcore]

4. We have the most disturbingly complex and retarded election system in the world

This 21 year old "superdelegate's" vote counts 9000 times more than mine or anyone else's.

This system is broken, plain and simple.

How sad.

[LiberalFighter]

6. I don't see how you can say that his vote is 9000 times more than yours

when you aren't a delegate and even if you were a delegate it would still be a false statement. Delegates are proportionate in each state based on previous Democratic results and number of elected Democrats.

And in reality this is not an election. It is a nomination process to determine the candidates for their respective parties.

[liberal N proud]

7. How the f@%$ does this happen!

:mad:

Most people can't even break into the county delgation let alone SUPER delegation.

[Pyrzqxgl]

8. Its time for Abrams to butt out!

It's not like super delegates have never had a say before. Did anyone complain when
super delegates picked Roosevelt, or Stevenson, or Kennedy,or for all I know Grover
Cleveland. The medias making a big deal about it because they like stirring up trouble.
Boy I really long for the days of Huntly-Brinkley, Cronkite, and the lot. They told us whatwas going on without the bullcrap.

[domlaw]

10. Read your history before commenting

After the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party implemented changes in its delegate selection process, based on the work of the McGovern-Fraser Commission. The purpose of the changes was to make the composition of the convention less subject to control by party leaders and more responsive to the votes cast during the campaign for the nomination.

These comprehensive changes left some Democrats believing that the role of party leaders and elected officials had been unduly diminished, weakening the Democratic ticket. In response, the superdelegate rule was instituted after the 1980 election. Its purpose was to accord a greater role to active politicians.<3>

In the 1984 election, the major contenders for the Presidential nomination were Gary Hart and Walter Mondale. Each of them won some primaries and caucuses. Hart was only slightly behind Mondale in the total number of votes cast, but Mondale won the support of almost all the superdelegates and became the nominee.<4>

The superdelegates have not always prevailed, however. In the Democratic primary phase of the 2004 election, Howard Dean acquired an early lead in delegate counts by obtaining the support of a number of superdelegates before even the first primaries were held. Nevertheless, John Kerry defeated Dean in a succession of primaries and caucuses and won the nomination.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate

[rosesaylavee]

11. I think this is great. Of course we want people from all walks of

life and AGES to be superdelegates. Who would you all be comfortable with? This guy is old enough to vote and sounds like he is much more informed, much more involved that the typical joe schmoe voter. And he is going to great lengths to be be fair to both voters.

Ageism is an ugly thing. And this thread is rampant with it.