I usually don’t write about politics and I am not going to try to push my political views upon anyone here but I am just so baffled, confused and annoyed about this years Democratic political primary process that my head is spinning and it seems to me that nobody has any clue what’s happening either. So how many of you out there had heard of “Superdelegates” before this years primary season? Nobody. How many of you outside possibly those of you in Texas, knew that Texas had both a primary and a caucus to decide who receives their delegates? Nobody. How many of you knew that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had the power to strip two large and election changing states, Florida and Michigan, of their delegates because they scheduled their primaries too early-thus rendering their voters’ votes useless? Nobody. Finally, how many of you are sick and tired of this election that has been seemingly going on for two years already and has no end in sight-at least before the Convention? Everybody!
I am very much into politics and have even attended a political fundraiser for one of the two Democrats running for President. However, I am sickened by what is happening here and it has nothing to do with either candidate or even the Republicans. It has to do with all of these little details and nuances that seem to be sneaking out of the bag for this years primary season. First, let me say that I am still having a difficult time getting over the results of the 2000 election and how that was completely mishandled and that mistake did in fact change the world. This years process has a lot of similarities to that year because of all these irregularities.
Barack Obama has won many more votes and states than Hillary Clinton but she has won more big states and is lurking. Sound familiar? However, she has narrowed the gap after winning a few primaries this week and heads into Pennsylvania in 7 weeks with some momentum. Good for her. However, it seems she leads in the seemingly brand new category of Superdelegates. To the casual onlooker-it seems like a made up word, like two kids arguing “I’m a delegate…Oh yeah, well I’m a Superdelegate” as he changes in the phone booth and swoops down and saves the world.
Perhaps I am not old enough to remember Superdelegates playing a role in any election but I have never seen it happen. It certainly seems that in the end more Superdelegates will end up siding with Hillary and again rendering their constituents votes useless. It will be interesting to see how they vote come convention time. Additionally, I would love to know all the behind the scenes wheeling and dealing going on with the Superdelegates-I love the Democratic process.
I won’t even begin to tell you I understand why Texas has both a primary and a separate caucus to determine their delegates. However, it is certainly the case as Clinton won the primary but appears set to lose the yet undecided caucus which offers a third of Texas’ delegates. Does this make sense to anyone else and why is this the only state that does this?
Finally, in an act of pure chicanery, the DNC has stripped both Michigan and Florida of their delegates because they scheduled their primaries too early. Again, I am not going to pretend I understand why this has occurred but the fact is that these voters in these states are being unfairly stripped of their right to be heard. Is that Democratic? Who cares if they moved their primary up? The DNC Chairman and former Presidential candidate Howard Dean comes on TV and says they both knew the rules and we have to abide by these rules. Why are they the rules if they make no sense? Again, who cares-so they moved the primaries up-does that matter? Are people in these two states incapable of making up their minds sooner? And regardless, can they possibly take away millions of peoples’ votes because of this? Is this America?
I am not for either of these two candidates so to speak and I am an Independent. I have my preferences in each of them and will make up my mind about the Democratic winner and John McCain when the general election comes in November. The problem I have is the process here and how everywhere you look, there is a new little something coming at you and you sit there thinking…really?
Just like the endless 2000 Florida recount which should still be going on, this is an embarrassment to the United States and their “unflappable” political system. Just like the electoral college is garbage, this whole process and the way it has been covered is garbage. Have you watched the endless coverage on CNN with all of these talking heads going back and forth constantly over all this minutia. No matter how this ends up and any way you slice it, half the people are going to feel like they’ve been cheated and it will always be disputed-there will be no united Democratic ticket.
Americans always look at the rest of the world and scoff at their electoral processes saying they are unfair or unorganized. Perhaps they are at times in certain countries and regions but sometimes we need to stop talking and look in the mirror. This has the potential to be the third straight disputed Presidential election and if the Democrats aren’t careful they could end up losing a third straight unloseable election.
I am so disgusted with this election. It has been on tv forever and I hate all of the candidates. The Democrats are killing each other and McCain is older than my grandfather and he talks like a man reading a story in a rocking chair and sounds so fake.
I agree. This primary has made me irritated and frustrated with the whole (clearly imperfect) process. The only good thing that has come out of this debacle is that more people are engaged and paying attention to the political process. I find it equally frustrating when people complain, then when I asked them if they voted or even payed attention to the election and they reply “well, no.”