Letters to the Editor

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Tom the Dancing Bug
Superdelegate: He came to save them from democracy!
By Ruben Bolling [2008-02-28]
The letters thread is now closed.

  • Look! Up in ythe sky...

    Superdelegates only weakness?...krypto-conspiracies hatched in back rooms.

    -- lordbyron080808
    [Read lordbyron080808's other letters]
    Wednesday, February 27, 2008 06:59 PM

  • A serious question

    Why do Super Delegates only exist in the Democratic Primaries?

    -- Rubick Cube
    [Read Rubick Cube's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 04:09 AM

  • They actually have a few

    Just not too many; they can't risk confusing "the message" whatever the message happens to be that year.

    -- meffert
    [Read meffert's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 04:41 AM

  • So who doe sthe GOP have protecting them?

    Oh, right. God-Man

    -- Over there, in the hat
    [Read Over there, in the hat's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 05:01 AM

  • @Over

    So... we have Super Delegates to protect us... from what?

    -- Rubick Cube
    [Read Rubick Cube's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 08:48 AM

  • History from Wikipedia...

    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.

    -- BD
    [Read BD's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 09:55 AM

  • @Rubick Cube

    Read the comic? Notice the title? "He came to save them from democracy!"

    -- Russ
    [Read Russ's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 11:30 AM

  • 5 Stars!

    HYSTERICAL!

    Brilliant use of the iconography.

    -- paradoctor
    [Read paradoctor's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 03:21 PM

  • Nice art

    Wonderful nostalgic sendup of early Siegel and Schuster.

    -- Jacques DELAGUERRE
    [Read Jacques DELAGUERRE's other letters]
    Thursday, February 28, 2008 05:13 PM

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