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Friday February 22, 2008
Is there democracy in the Democratic Party?
What a titanic struggle for delegates is unfolding in the Democratic race for the White House! With Senators Clinton and Obama locked in hand-to-hand combat for every single delegate, it is beginning to look as if the Democrats may not have a candidate who will have the required 2,025 delegates to secure the nomination after all the primaries and caucuses are concluded.
How can that be? The answer to that question is the role that so-called “superdelegates” will play in the nominating process. Since superdelegates will make up approximately one fifth (19.6%) of all delegate votes at the convention in Denver, only 80% of delegates are selected by caucus or primary voters.
In a hotly contested and evenly divided race such as the one in which Senators Clinton and Obama are locked, it is almost impossible to gain the required 50% + 1 (2,025), especially since by party rule all Democratic caucuses and primaries award delegates proportionally, with a ban on decisive “winner-take-all” results. This is very democratic, but it makes it much more difficult for a candidate who wins the majority of states, but does so in close races, to amass the required majority of delegates.
Consequently, the superdelegates—which include all Democratic members of the U.S. Congress, Democratic Governors, the Democratic National Committee members, as well as all former Democratic Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Senate and House leaders, and all former Chairs of the Democratic National Committee—will play a pivotal role.
These superdelegates—disproportionately middle-aged (that’s being charitable), white, and male—are free to vote their “consciences,” without regard to what throngs of Democratic primary or caucus voters in their districts or states may have done.
How “democratic” is that? It appears that the superdelegates are a symbol of liberal elitism. “Yes, you can vote for the candidate of your choice,” but if the people chose unwisely, the party elders, fulfilling the role of elitist “nanny” state, will decide what is “best for the people.”
Frankly, I doubt that the rank-and-file Democratic Party primary and caucus voters will sit still for this blatant paternalism. I certainly hope not!
Filed Under: casting stones, richard land
posted by Dr. Richard Land @11:55am Permalink 
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About Casting Stones
Diana Butler Bass is a religion scholar and author of Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. She blogs at God’s Politics.
Tony Campolo is Professor Emeritus at Eastern University and author of The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice, with Mary Darling. He blogs at God’s Politics.
Rod Dreher is a columnist for The Dallas Morning News and author of Crunchy Cons: The New Conservative Counterculture and Its Return to Roots. He blogs at Crunchy Con.
Bruce Feiler is the author of seven books, including Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses. He blogs at Feiler Faster.
Dan Gilgoff is Politics Editor at Beliefnet and author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War. He blogs at God-o-Meter.
David Kuo served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and is the author of Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction. He blogs at J-Walking.
Dr. Richard Land is president of The Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and author of The Divided States of America? What Liberals AND Conservatives are missing in the God-and-country shouting match!
Michele McGinty is a mom and a student at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. She blogs at Reformed Chicks Blabbing.
Brian McLaren is a pastor, musician, and author of Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope. He blogs at God’s Politics.
Steven Waldman is co-founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of Beliefnet. His book Founding Faith will be published in March, and he can be reached through the Beliefnet community.
Jim Wallis is executive director of Sojourners/Call to Renewal and author of God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It. He blogs at God’s Politics.
Comments
interesting that you would point out senior white male paternalism as a problem
when the church has a very long record of deciding what is "best" for people itself.
Casting Stones is truly an appropriate name for this page.
Posted by: donna | March 12, 2008 9:14 AM
I, too, found Mr. Land's comments about "blatant paternalism" laffable. As if the Southern Baptist Convention were a stranger to blatant paternalism.
No wonder he is not believed much anymore.
Posted by: recovering ex-Pentecostal | May 12, 2008 3:55 PM
I find it hilarious that mr. Land castigates the Democratic Party for . Not that the Southern Baptist Convention is a stranger to it, eh? Talk about yer double standard.
Posted by: recovering ex-Pentecostal | May 12, 2008 3:59 PM
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