The word is that neither camp can win w/o SuperDelegates. We need to get active.

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Some folks want to argue, now, at this point in the campaign, that SuperDelegates are unconstitutional or anti-democratic. Or that. somehow, the arrangement is unfair. That may well be.

SuperDelegates include former public officials like Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, many state governors, members of Congress, retired congressional leaders and all of the national committee members for the Democrats. They were put in place after McGovern (after a landslide primary win) lost to Nixon in '72, because the 'party' leaders felt they knew better than the voters who to nominate.

Here we are, again trying to end military aggression in this election, like in '72, and the party insiders will, presumably, get to pick the nominee, no matter what the majority will decide. That would be 840 some party insiders controlling 40% of the vote needed to nominate. That's not a situation which anyone should feel comfortable with.

The result at the point where this nightmare becomes reality, and our influence as voters in that process, will resemble a typical congressional effort to advance a bill, with our elected officials (the 'will' of voters already invested in them, as much as it can be in a politician) bartering among themselves for support. In that effort, our voices and activism will be paramount to our will being represented.

As I mentioned, though, McGovern was a run away choice. This time around, and in every case where the SD's are in play, the choice will be a narrow one, presumably the important policy differences between the two are narrow as well. So the choice of the SuperDelegates won't be all that far from the intentions of voters. There are issues of corporatism and special interest ties which will influence the SD process, but that's going to be an inevitable, unmovable consequence of the closeness in delegates.

We need to recognize that the prospect of this type of end to our primary is coming. I don't believe either candidate will drop out to accommodate the other. So, we need to begin identifying who the Super Delegates are, who they've pledged to, and where their constituent's interests lie. The effort by concerned voters will be as difficult and important as lobbying their representatives and senators for votes on legislation, but it will be folly to just leave the result to chance while railing against the process. I don't see how we can change the rules at this stage. We're bound to see this through as it is. We need to get busy with our activism directed at these SD's.

Here's one good place to begin: http://sd-project.wikidot.com/welcome

"The Super Delegate Transparency Project is a project founded by Jennifer Nix and Mark Myers of LiteraryOutpost.com in collaboration with Chris Bowers from OpenLeft.com. It is meant to build on the fine work being done at DemConWatch. The 'Watch' has a 'Superdelegate Tracker' and other tools.

SDTP is intended as a collaborative project between all interested parties to provide a running audit of the so-called Super Delegates to the Democratic National Convention."

We need to get active NOW to avoid being total victims of this anti-democratic, party leader construction.