Superdelegates donating to Republicans.

[OliverQ]

https://www.democracynow.org/2020/2/28/headlines/democratic_superdelegates_overwhelmingly_oppose_bernie_sanders_campaign

Many of the superdelegates are corporate lobbyists with healthcare clients opposing Sanders’s Medicare for All legislation. The Intercept’s Lee Fang reports one of them, Democratic National Committee member William Owen, donated exclusively to Republican Senate candidates during the last election cycle — including an $8,500 contribution to a joint fundraising committee designed to benefit Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Owen is backing former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2020.

How are people that are lobbyists donating money to people like Moscow Mitch allowed to be Democratic Super delegates? This is why Bernie attacks the establishment. This is horrible.

[Nanjeanne]

1. And Bloomberg just hired CA and Texas super delegates to work on his campaign.

Funny how that’s two of the biggest delegate rich states. Coincidence?

[OliverQ]

2. Bernie's attacks on the Democratic Establishment are making a lot more sense.

The DNC is showing their true colors. I'm horrified that they would allow a GOP donor who helped us lose the Senate in 2018 and who opposes people having universal healthcare would be allowed to decide the Democratic primary.

[Nanjeanne]

3. Lots of former elected officials are now lobbyists with special interest groups

But they are still allowed to be super delegates.

[OliverQ]

6. No lobbyists or GOP donors should ever

be allowed to be superdelegates or even part of the DNC.

[Nanjeanne]

39. Agree.

[mgcgulfcoast]

43. Sanders will win in Nov

All that matters and i hope he cleans out the DNC.

[Jose Garcia]

4. It a shoe of strength for Biden to have the backing of even some GOPers

[Mister Ed]

5. GOP voters, maybe. But GOP-aligned lobbyists? This smells. n/t

[OliverQ]

7. No it isn't.

Trump has over 90% approval with the GOP. We should not waste a single ounce of energy trying to court their vote.

[TheBlackAdder]

34. I scrolled down to see if there was a sarcasm emoticon. Sadly, there wasn't.

[mtron32]

52. Why?

You never hear Republicans talking like that and trying to get democratic votes, their base would sacrifice them on the spot. The democrats need to fear their base like the GOP does theirs.

[rainy]

54. The problem is that the republican base

is brainwashed into supporting republicans so it’s easy to cater to their base because the monied elite still get what they want. To cater to the Democratic base the powerful have so much more to lose and will not give an inch without a fight. Are we ready for the fight?

[mtron32]

58. That's not it

Their base are geared towards getting those judges and liberal tears. They never really cater to us they cater to their donors while talking about bipartisanship. Those are the ones that need to go.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread OliverQ.

[tirebiter]

9. I hear another superdelegate is a socialist

[OliverQ]

11. Better than a GOP donor and lobbyist.

[Fran2020]

10. The superdelegate system is horrible. Just let people vote. Why are they even there?

[polichick]

16. They are there to protect the corporate/financial status quo...

from the tyrants who want gov’t of, by, and for the people.

[awesomerwb1]

29. And Bernie agreed

to play by those rules. Imagine that!

You alls are bad!! But can I play?

[polichick]

41. It's the only game in town - for now.

[awesomerwb1]

45. Nah

He didn't have the ***** to run under the socialist workers party banner. He might still be a member by the way.

But nice of you to suggest he wants to end the Democratic party. Shocker.

[MineralMan]

12. Delegates? You named one who has donated that way.

Do you know of others? If you say that multiple super delegates have done so, I suggest you provide a list.

[OliverQ]

13. Doesn't matter. No superdelegate for Democrats should be a GOP donor.

It puts the entire integrity of the DNC and the Convention in jeopardy.

[TwilightZone]

14. If you have to exaggerate to make a point...

it's not much of a point.

[JudyM]

27. It's simple: it's a conflict of interest. Exactly what Sanders and Warren are trying to fight.

[MineralMan]

17. That superdelegate from Tennessee is a state party official who

automatically qualifies to be one of the unpledged delegates. He was elected to his position by the Democratic Party of Tennessee. Such party chairs, etc. are automatically unpledged delegates to the convention because they are part of the Democratic National Committee.

We have a presidential candidate who has donated to Republicans, as well.

[beastie boy]

15. This is Trump rhetoric.

"They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

"Many of the superdelegates are corporate lobbyists with healthcare clients opposing Sanders’s Medicare for All legislation". The Intercept found one. How "many" more are there? Crickets. But some of them, I assume, are good people, right?

Perhaps the problem with Bernie attacking the superdelegates has nothing to do with their support of Moscow Mitch. Perhaps, quoting from your source, it is this: "Of 93 superdelegates surveyed by the Times, nearly all said they would vote against Sanders in a brokered convention, if Sanders were to arrive with a plurality — and not a majority — of pledged delegates."

A reminder: all superdelegates are Democrats, nearly all are public servants, and most are elected representatives of the people, on one capacity or another. Yet Bernie disrespects them at every opportunity. A great way to get them on his side.

[Bettie]

18. Are corporate lobbyists

"public servants"?

I'm fine with Democratic elected officials

But, honestly, giving that status to corporate Lobbyists is a bridge too far, suggests that we are a party that puts corporations over people.

I hope that isn't true, but it does give that impression.

ETA: A search and look at several sources (google) indicate that in 2016, about 1 in 10 Superdelegates were corporate lobbyists.

[beastie boy]

24. Then why not single them out rather than attack all superdelegates and "establishment"?

This is what I meant by "Trump rhetoric": find an exception and paint the entire group as overwhelmingly representative of that exception.

Works for demagogues, but doesn't reflect reality.

[Bettie]

28. I do single them out

I do not like the idea that corporations explicitly get a seat at the table in our party's nomination process.

I am generally OK with the concept of current officeholders having an extra vote, if there isn't a clear winner. I say 'extra' vote since they all get to vote in their state's primary.

[Cha]

42. Excellent question.

[brush]

33. Take the superdelgate question up with the DNC committee that...

reassigned their responsibilities (they now vote on second ballot instead of the first as before), and btw, Bernie was on the committee. He demanded the changes and got them after the 2016 convention debacle.

[Bettie]

36. No one cares what I think

I have no giant stacks of cash to give anyone.

[beastie boy]

38. Here's how you can make sure you single them out fairly:

Provide the sources you are alluding to. Then compare the number of superdelegates who are corporate lobbyists to the number of pledged delegates who are corporate lobbyists.

If there is a meaningful difference in the results, you have a point. If not, the problem may not be with superdelegates but elsewhere.

I know it's a lot of work, but otherwise it is just hearsay.

BTW, in a peculiar and perverse way, corporate lobbyists ARE public servants. It's in the First Amendment of the Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

On edit: this is actually a reply to your post #28. Sorry about that.

[OliverQ]

19. If Superdelegates vote against Bernie even if he has the most delegates

I hope you're prepared for the end of the Democratic party. That will absolutely cause a massive rift and guarantee a Trump win. I've already heard from numerous people they will ditch the Democratic party if that happens.

[squirecam]

20. The important thing is that you will

Vote for Biden.

If you can do it, so can everyone else.

[squirecam]

22. Really Oliver?

So you let a forum post determine your feelings towards a candidate? Hmmmm.

Based on how Biden supporters behave on this forum they're making me really dislike him.

[Bettie]

30. OMG, I thought I was the only one!

I started out liking him, but around here, it moved to "ick" and I have to remind myself daily that a candidate isn't his or her supporters.

[SharonClark]

46. Me, too! Except it's some of the Sanders supporters who repel me.

[Bettie]

47. Oh, there are some of those who bug me too

most posts are by those two groups too....

[beastie boy]

26. Please read the quote in my OP

"Of 93 superdelegates surveyed by the Times, nearly all said they would vote against Sanders in a brokered convention, if Sanders were to arrive with a plurality — and not a majority — of pledged delegates."

If he doesn't have the majority, the rules are clear. And Bernie ought to know them - he wrote them.

[awesomerwb1]

32. The only people trying to break the Dem party

are russians, republicans and Bernie fana err supporters.

It makes me sick. Enjoy 4 more years of Donald and then Ivanka or Jr.

[Moderateguy]

35. The Democratic Party is not the bubble that some liberals live in..

The Democratic Party has survived much worse that Sanders and will survive him to.

[delisen]

40. Some say the Democratic party ends if Democratic Socialist is nominee

After Trump's questionable "win" of the presidency, the Republican Party was informed that it was now the Party of Trump and Trumpism

At some point with Sanders as nominee the Democratic party would become the Party of Bernie Sanders and his /Democratic Socialism "

a major focus of the general election would become defining Democratic Socialism - or helping the nominee define his avowed Democratic Socialism.

[ibegurpard]

23. Superdelegates? How about actual candidates?

[Dragonfli]

25. How? You kidding me, they got one to run as a Dem

Bloomberg funded Rick Snyder to victory and has done the same with half the serving R Senators.
He also lately has been spending on Dems in the house.

The Dem party sees it as a sort of earned dual citizenship but with parties.
Like buying a ticket to party leadership decisions. If you invest in a party, you have say in it and can even run on it's ticket, no matter how many right wing ideas or politicians you support, that is a seperate issue (and seperate ticket purchase for say in another party), It is just simple 'capital politics'.

Literal stakeholders in our democracy.

[evertonfc]

31. Corporate this. Billionaire that

The drum beat gets old after a while. I mean, people start to tune out.

[Moderateguy]

37. It seems for some people anyone with money is a bad person, except millionaire Bernie

[progressoid]

44. DINO

[bluedye33139]

48. Owen has given years of his life to the Democratic party

Literally has been a Democrat for decades and has served in office and has supported campaigns and has voted for Democrats and networked for Democrats and caucused for Democrats and has supported the Democratic party boldly and strongly for years.

I like Democrats. I do not see anything wrong with this gentleman. I thank him for his service to our country and our party, and I am glad that he is a superdelegate.

[bluedye33139]

51. Don't apologize. You place more value on purity than I do. Because of his work

he has networking across both parties and he has donated money to Republican candidates. I can tolerate that. Don't apologize to me if you have another view! I absolutely see where you're coming from, I just don't agree because I live in a mixed world.

[rzemanfl]

53. Did anyone check the facts since

The Intercept reported this?

[Eko]

55. Just because someone claims something

doesn't make it true.

[bearsfootball516]

56. Is there actually truth to this?

[fleabiscuit]

57. As a side note to the whole super delegates shouldn't involve themselves in... anything I guess...

Biden is leading Trump in Texas.