Hi,
You've probably heard about the "superdelegates" who could end up choosing the Democratic nominee.
The superdelegates are under lots of pressure right now to come out for one candidate or the other. We urgently need to encourage them to let the voters decide between Clinton and Obama—and then to support the will of the people.
Why did the party adopt this undemocratic system?
Super-delegates were created to provide the powers that be control over the nominating process.
Before 1972, party elders, such as Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Bronx boss Charlie Buckley, who helped John Kennedy clinch the 1960 nomination, wielded inordinate power.
But in early 1970’s, in response to the demands of grass-roots activists, women, and people of color, the party’s rules were reformed to make them more democratic.
But after Sen. George McGovern, a leading anti-Vietnam war liberal, won the 1972 nomination and then won only one state and the District of Columbia in the general election. The Democrats decided to give elected officials and other party regulars greater last-minute control over the nomination. This is much like the undemocratic electoral college, which was put in place because many of the "founding fathers" didn't trust the will of the masses.
I signed a MoveOn petition urging the superdelegates to respect the will of the voters. Can you join me at this link?
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