The Democratic primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont this Tuesday (March 4) were crucial for the presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Clinton. Though Senator Barack Obama won Vermont-which was expected-Clinton swept Rhode Island and Ohio, and, much to many people's surprise, also won the Texas primary (at the time this article went to press, the Texas caucus was too close to call). Clinton has been quoted as saying that her "campaign has turned a corner."
Clinton's campaign may have turned a corner, but battle for the Democratic nomination is far from over, as Obama supporters are quick to note. Both candidates are already geared up for Wyoming's primary on Saturday, March 8 and Mississippi's primary on Tuesday, March 11. After that, the next big event is Pennsylvania's primary on April 22. And the race could stretch into June and beyond (South Dakota's primary is June 3).
Nevertheless, neither Clinton nor Obama can secure the nomination without the support of the superdelegates and both are hard at work at courting the roughly 800 Democratic superdelegates (over a hundred whom have not yet committed to either candidate). So, what's the deal with the superdelegates? Here's a quick explanation.
First of all, the Democratic party doesn't even call them superdelegates. But since everyone else does, so will we. The superdelegates act as free agents - they are people who get to be a delegate at the convention without being pledged to vote for a particular candidate. Their votes don't count anymore than the regular delegates, but because they aren't pledged, they can vote for either candidate, regardless of their state's popular vote. And, thus, the courting begins.
Numbering about 800, the superdelegates make up about one-fifth of the total delegates. The superdelegates are composed of the members of the DNC, all current Democratic members of Congress, former Democratic congressional leadership, former Democratic presidents, current Democratic governors, and a smattering of other people involved in the party leadership.
The superdelegates originated when the party switched to a more democratic means of choosing their nominee in the early 1970s. Before then, the nominee was essentially decided by the party strongarms. When the party adopted a more grassroots approach in the 70s, it encountered some unexpected results (i.e. disastrous 1972 election). Accordingly, it implemented the superdelegates as a safety measure.
The basic premise behind the superdelegates is that they are people who will have to run on the same ticket as the nominee and, hence, should have a voice in the nomination process. It is also presumed that they will guide that year's party platform and serve as a check to make sure something doesn't get into the platform that goes drastically against the party's principles. While superdelegates can choose to vote for whomever they want, lots of them do choose to endorse a particular candidate (there is a decent list on wikipedia of who has endorsed who so far). And, obviously, the elected officials are under enormous pressure to vote for the most popular candidate of their constituency.
After 41 primaries and caucuses, the delegate count is within roughly two percent (less than 100 delegates). It is the superdelegates that hold one of the major bargaining chips in this race and both Clinton and Obama undoubtedly will continue courting them until the very end.
My wife's father is hessaby as in www.hessaby.com (they stole his cash and put it there) and my mother-in-law family is related by marriage tot the Pakravans., who headed the SAVAKPan Am was nicknamed PanIran as the Shah's family was the largest shareholder. I have extreme amount of details of exactly was going on
from the Iranians wanting him to return their assets to other coup attempts to 6 months before the Shah son pretended he was bankrupt in a public trial, to my wifes relative coming to our house talking about the coup and we did not know they were in Washington DC, to the Iran Contra hearings trial that was going to start Feb 20 th, 1989 to the tipping of the coup to the Iranian govt, ,to something in writing I can prove the coup to the Salamon Rushtie Feb 14th insult to islam to get the people on the street to avoid the coup to the Iranian govt announcement of a coup by 'dissent mullahs' announced at the time to the negiotations between the Bush people involved pretending they were going to make a deal to the 'nice' stories plant in US newspapers at the time (including the Post) as part of the negotation to the fact the bomb had to placed out of London based on the flight path as I worked at USAir at the time creating the flight plans for the 'planes to fly themselves' to overt CIA agents around me at the time to the fact that Bollier, the guy who made the timer for the bomb's wide was IRANIAN and the Libyans told me and said they were not allowed to say... there were 3 witness only.. the main one was trashed.. Bollier and a guy whom said he soldm the Libyan a suitcase in Malta.. hence, one the suitcase guy would be left.. the Libyans did not put up a defence in exchange for evidence to trash the main witness on the stand to what an overt CIA agent told me in the US 4 years later.. etc. etc and the details of several coups to the new World bank (my wie's cousin involved who used to work at the work bank)and US loans starting May 1990 to Iran to the fact that PANAm was shut down 18 months later as they thought it would be targeted again because of the Shah connection (the US airlines go in and out of bankruptcy all the time - this was the one of the first US airlines - an ICON) etc
I also know where the Iranian govt officials have money in the US, Canada and UK; the back door dealing etccall me for details.. Barry Lanza 00 44 1786831554.. My father-in-law was a convicted spy given amnesty