Should voters personally lobby SuperDelegates?

[bigtree]

I was drawn to a post on RiverStone's thread, 'Obama supporters: You may want to call your Super Delegates!', which had a response containing an Obama campaign email discouraging voters from personally lobbying the SDs.

here's the posted email at Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/6/154854/4738/267/451291

Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 13:39:50 -0500
To: Atlanta for Obama 08
From: Chris Hughes
Subject: A Note on Contacting Superdelegeates

Atlanta for Obama,

Congratulations on a HUGE win last night. You all should be very, very proud of yourselves.

If I may make one comment on superdelegates. We're all very committed to seeing Barack Obama become the nominee of the Democratic party. Every one of us wants to contribute to make that dream a reality.

When it comes to winning the support of superdelegates, the best strategy is not to flood them with calls, letters, and emails. Oftentimes that can do more harm than help. The campaign has a very well-developed and focused plan to win over each one of these superdelegates' support. Please refrain from sending additional messages directly.

My first thought was how disabling that made me feel, and I'm a Clinton supporter (concern). The second was the revulsion I have with the idea of favoring having the party insiders huddling together with campaign honchos, instead of favoring an open process which encourages as much participation as possible from voters.

The entire SuperDelegate arrangement is an amazingly anti-democratic construction which is designed to turn the party's back on the will of the people who've voted. Our position as voters shouldn't be one of submission or resignation to the anti-democratic power which has been invested in these SDs by other party insiders voting together. Our only significant influence, if it comes down to this, will be to agitate or to take an activist stance. After all, these SD's are, in effect, getting a SECOND vote. The only way we're going to get a second bite off of that apple is to actively lobby these SuperDelegates, on our own initiative. That is, unless you completely trust your candidate and their staff, negotiating in private with their fellow party insiders, to manage that process for you.

[ingac70]

1. If they want too...

Most of them are elected officials themselves so folks have every right to question.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

2. If they want to

[flyarm]

3. go for it..call them 24/7..they will love you for it!! eom

[mikelgb]

4. dupe

[mikelgb]

5. why not? I'm sure they're being lobbied by everyone else...

[JVS]

6. Yes, we should wine and dine them and then take them to the massage parlor

[bigtree]

9. that sounds a lot like what I imagine the campaigns are doing

[weeve]

7. I just got off the phone ...

... with my two Senator's offices ... Cantwell and Murray, who've endorsed Clinton before the overwhelming Obama win this weekend. Both their staffs were surprisingly friendly. Cantwell's said that they were getting an overwhelming number of calls like mine, and would pass on the message. I pointed out how disheartening it would be to our base should the Super Delegates give the nomination to Clinton in light of an Obama rank-and-file majority. I may not have helped the cause, but I at least have the illusion that I did my small part ?

[bigtree]

8. i don't know why they wouldn't consider your call like they would on legislation

. . . when we make our appeals.