Superdelegates? Who even knows about regular delegates? But if they decide who will be the next candidate for the Democrats, they are important. The people who understand it are long-winded, talking as if they teach upper-level college classes, and math fiends. So let’s just cut to the basics.
1. Did you know that delegates are more important than the crowd numbers?
Most people don’t. The reason they are so important is that delegates decide who will get the party’s nomination to run. President Obama knew this. Now Hillary Clinton knows it.
2. How many delegates does Clinton have?
Senior Clinton Campaign officials claim she has wrapped up 20 percent (or about 130) of the superdelegates.
3. Who are these superdelegates?
They are a mixed delegate bag:
“They come from current and former elected officials, committee officeholders, and other party dignitaries.”
4. So how did Clinton get these superdelegates?
First, she understands the power of delegates. Second, she knows that superdelegates are decided by the states and up for grabs right now.
5. How many superdelegates are there?
About 710.
6. What’s the difference between a superdelegate and a regular delegate?
Superdelegates are not elected by us, and they are available many months before the regular delegates. That means the candidates can woo them far longer and commit them far earlier. Regular delegates are selected by us through primaries and caucuses, which start next February.
7. Why is Clinton releasing this information now?
According to bloomberg.com, Clinton used superdelegates to show her power – especially to Vice President Joe Biden, who may run – and to influence undecided superdelegates:
“A person familiar with recent conversations in Minneapolis said that officials are telling supporters and the undecided in the last few days that private commitments increase that number to more than 440—about 20 percent of the number of delegates she would need to secure the nomination.”
8. So how many superdelegates does Clinton really have?
She may have a lot of last-minute commitments, or she may be being intentionally vague. Then there is the difference between the number of her public and private superdelgates. That happens, because state party officials want to back the frontrunner, but they privately pledged their vote to Clinton. So Clinton could have 130 or 300 or 440 superdelegates. It all depends upon how you do the numbers. Regardless, Clinton is making hay.
9. How does a presidential candidate get regular delegates?
When I worked on Gov. Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, he brilliantly declared he would campaign in all 50 states. Until then, both parties hit the states with the largest populations, the closest votes, and the most delegates. Dean knew about the power of delegates. The more volunteers a candidate has working, the more votes will turn out to select those precious delegates.
May the best man or the best woman win.
Information from bloomberg.com was used to compile these answers.
