Illinois Sen. Barack Obama may have won an overwhelming victory in Virginia's presidential primary last week, but gaining the state's 16 Democratic superdelegates, whose votes could help determine the party nominee, may not be as easy a task.
In fact, more Virginia superdelegates have committed to New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton than to Obama.
At least six have said they will back Clinton's presidential bid. Four, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and three congressmen, say they will support Obama at the Democratic National Convention this summer in Denver.
Even with lobbying from both campaigns, at least four of the state's superdelegates have not yet committed to either candidate.
Some of the superdelegates said in recent interviews that they have been overwhelmed by the unusual fervor surrounding a political role that has long been inconsequential to both the primary races and the general public. The close race between Clinton and Obama, however, has led some experts to say that the nomination will likely come down to how the superdelegates vote at the national convention.
"We've never been in this position before," said Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond, a superdelgate who has pledged her support to Clinton. "We've never mattered before."
Some of Virginia's superdelegates say they are being lobbied by constituents or campaign workers to vote a certain way.
The attention has created especially difficult situations for politicians who support a candidate who was not favored by a majority of their contituents.
Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. of Chesapeake endorsed Clinton then watched as Obama carried many of the legislator's South Norfolk precincts by large margins. Spruill still stands behind Clinton, but has said he will re-evaluate his support after the March 4 primaries in Texas and Ohio.
U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher said this week he will back Obama, even though Clinton carried his region - the 9th Congressional District in southwest Virginia - by a 2-to-1 margin.
"I am convinced he is our most compelling candidate," Boucher said. Superdelegates, he said, should "make analytical and seasoned decisions about who would be the strongest nominee. They are not supposed to make emotional choices."
The country's 795 superdelegates make up nearly 20 percent of the 4,049 delegates who will vote at the national convention in August. It will take 2,025 delegate votes for either Clinton or Obama to secure the Democratic nomination.
Obama currently has 1,351 delegates and Clinton has 1,262, according to The Associated Press.
With Obama's Feb. 12 win in Virginia, he picked up 54 pledged delegates awarded to him based on the state's primary results, according to the Democratic Party of Virginia. Clinton picked up 29 delegates.
The superdelegates have a vote at the convention but are not bound to primary results. Party leaders came up with the superdelegate system in 1982 as a way to give elected officials more control over the nomination. The group includes Democratic National Committee members and Democratic members of Congress and governors.
In Virginia, the superdelegates include Kaine and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, Jim Moran and Boucher. They also include past and present party officials, labor leaders, grass-roots activists and campaign consultants.
At the heart of the debate is how superdelegates should vote: Should the party member support the candidates endorsed by a majority of state voters? Or is a superdelegate free to vote for any candidate?
Those who plan to support Clinton say the Virginia primary shouldn't determine their positions.
"I'm elected to exercise my best judgment for the party, and that's what I'll do," said superdelegate Mame Reiley, a Clinton backer who heads the Democratic National Committee's Women's Caucus. "If we were to simply mirror what the state or region does, there's no reason for us to exist."
Some superdelegates have no intention of breaking early promises.
"I gave my word to Hillary Clinton," said Susan Swecker, a Democratic National Committee member who was also a former state director for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid. "I grew up in a rural area where your word is gold. I'm going to keep my word while this process plays out."
Other Virginia superdelegates have ties to Clinton. Terry McAuliffe, a former party chairman, is now her campaign chairman. Barbara Easterling, the secretary-treasurer for the Communications Workers of America, worked with Clinton on health care issues when Bill Clinton was in the White House.
However, Alexis Herman, secretary of labor during the Clinton administration, has not taken a position in this year's primary, a representative said.
Others who have yet to commit are U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, Virginia AFL-CIO President Jim Leaman, state party chairman C. Richard Cranwell, and Jerome Wiley Segovia, the director of a Latino voter recruitment project.
Joe Johnson, a political consultant who has previously advised the Rev. Jesse Jackson and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, did not return a phone call or e-mail.
Cranwell says too much is being made of the superdelegates, because the nominee will pull ahead before the primaries are over.
"I think the fray will be settled long before the convention starts," said Cranwell, who served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1972 to 2001.
McClellan hopes Cranwell is right.
She has received e-mails from some of her constituents trying to sway her away from Clinton and toward the candidate her district chose, Obama.
The difficult part from now until the August convention will be balancing "between what we think and what the people we represent tell us they want," McClellan said.
Still, she said, "I hope it's resolved before we get there."
This report contains information from The Washington Post.
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Superdelagates, Math, & Uncommited
Superdelegates account for 20% of the delegate's votes. If there are 16 super, 6 for Clinton & 4 for Obama, then, there are 6 left who are uncommitted. That is, assuming that the committed ones stick to their convictions or earlier promises. Historically the bandwagon effect have also swung a few of these votes the other way. Either way the 6 uncommitted make it still too close to call. They can hand the throne to either candidate. Personally, I think the superdelegates is an entity that should not even exist. I predict plenty of backstabbing, underhanded techniques, and dirty dealing in the democratic party, in the near future. I find it amusing.
Mom is right
Mother is right. You're going to half to hold your nose when voting for either democratic candidate this year.
Democrats 2008
McCain is about as dry as they come. We have had 8 years of hell with Bush. I love the idea of a woman running this country or a bi-racial man. No one is perfect. Not the current President or any of the others before him. Everyone has flaws. It would be awesome to have Obama and Clinton as President and Vice President.
typo
Make that Dole, not Gole, sorry!
Ewesthoft Gole Out Your Money
You want to blame the Democrats for the illegal immegration problem, but remember George bush wanted 12 million illegals to remain here. I'm all for sending illegals back to whereever they came from, but one point: we can spend billions on a war of lies bombing a country to pieces, and then spend billions of our tax dollars re-building it. Personally I would rather help our own people here on our own shores.
Obama Cult Havoc
Words, words, and more words with no substance. Obama is not the "Messiah" or "Miracle" as I've heard him described. When Obama starts to walk on water someone let me know, then I'll re-consider, but until then no way in hell. Be very careful of Cult Havoc, because this man scares me to death. The news meida has all but declared him the next president, and I think they should be ashamed. It ain't over until the fat lady sings! If you vote Obama you are voting for immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. I have never supported this war, but we are there and we need experience, planned exit strategy, and diplomacy. That's exactly what you will get with Hillary Clinton, with McCan we will be looking at a hundred year's war, and the next bombing will be Iran with the same mentality as George Bush. Remember how Hitler mesmirzed the crowds? With Obama as president we will see the biggest racial divide this world has ever seen led by people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Is that what you really want?
BTW
We don't live in a Democracy, we live in a REPUBLIC. Democracy is best defined as MOB RULE. It's what the framers of our constitution considered it, and nowhere in our constitution will you see it defined as anything BUT a Republic.
Vote?
In case nobody here bothered to really look it all up, these votes are not even required by the U.S. Constitution. Voting in a federal election is not a right bestowed upon us. It's a priveledge that we have enjoyed, but it's not a right.
All The Same
The candidates in both parties are all the same. None of them give a hoot about the average working American. About the only change you will
see is a change for the worse and higher taxes. I will have to hold my
nose to vote for a candidate of either party.
Stand by to standby...
If anyone thinks Billary will not be the nominee, think again. Any and all delegates to the Democratic Convention, can change their vote any time they want. Obama may win the vote of the people for the Dem Party, but Billary WILL be the nominee.
Anyone who doesn't believe this, I refer you to 1968. The Democrat Nominee that year, lost every single state in the primaries and, was STILL the nominee. That's what the 68 riots were about at the convention that year.
"Monica Lewinsky's ex-boyfriends wife" for president!
No I didn't come up with that, but it fits just right! Face it, I like to see a "change" and I'd like to see a woman or a black be president, but we have the entire wrong bunch here. We have a woman who hasn't done a thing but ride the coat tails of her smooth talking husband. Took credit for a book wrote by someone else on a subject she knows nothing about (the nannies raised her kid, and I don't want a village raising mine). Now she's trying to buy or blackmail superdelecates. She claims 30 years experience? Does that mean my wife can claim experience in my job? Then either one of them Clinton or Obama will tax the heck out of us. Remember Carter? Hello 15.5% interest and soup lines. Then look what the choice is on the other side of the isle. Is this the best we can come up with? I must admit, I have the upmost respect for McCain but presidential material he's not. We can only hope that maybe a strong independent will run, or that these clowns that are getting the two parties nominations pick good running mates. As it looks now, we have no one worth voting for.
Superdelegates
I would rather the vote be decided by the superdelegates then a bunch of first time voters who only voted because of someones race. I bet at least half of the people that voted for Barack have no idea what his plans are. Just wait until they all start complaining about higher taxes.
deadkoz
are you kidding me? and where have you been living? Let's get something straight, I can't stand either party, but the illegal immigrant problem has been, and always will be a democrat caused problem because it is not the republican party who wants to dole out my hard earned tax dollars to help the illegals out, it is your party. Look at the two biggest states with the two biggest immigrant problems, CA and NY, both democrat states. NY, also known as the welfare state, gives free healthcare, welfare, tuition, etc. to the illegals, while I, who work hard get nothing.
guns-n-moses
Remember Hillary's comment when helping Slick Willy to get elected?
"I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life."
That caused a stink, too, but the dumbed-down American public didn't care. Just like they don't care that Michelle Obama was a staff lawyer for a major Illinois medical conglomerate or makes stupid comments. The pathetically governmentally addicted seems to love a candidate that tells them what they want to hear, yet cannot tell them how he plans to go about making his "CHANGES" and "HOPES."
Throwing out excuses
You folks can throw out as many Red Herrings as you like but the issue is which person Obama or Clinton will be the next President. Super Delegates will play a role in the final choice but the Party wants a win more than it wants to internally destroy itself. The Dems can’t pick Clinton if the voters pick Obama. They can’t risk alienating the Democratic faithful.
Simply put, the GOP in Virginia's Presidential race is neutered and meaningless at this point. I love watching you all spin your wheels making excuses… Give it up as Obama or Clinton will be elected in November. Let’s hear some more excuses… LOL
Illegals?
It is the Republicans who have allowed our country to be overrun with illegals. The plan worked just as designed, it lowered the wages for the working class blue collar jobs. Illegals dont care about health benefits, vacation pay, sick pay, or any fringe benefits. They work for cash, pay no taxes on income, and yet collect every social benefit they can get. Corporate America(Republicans) dont care how many illegals are in this country, they cut taxes for the wealthy(THEMSELVES) and prey on the poor and middle class. It doesnt matter who wins the election, We have no Leaders Running for President, just Party Loyalists, who in the end will only be a puppet to the machine that wins. TERM LIMITS and PUBLIC FINANCING, these are the keys to unlocking the stranglehold that Corporate America has on OUR DEMOCRACY.
MICHELLE OBAMA
I'm still shocked that the media has brushed aside what I thought was the major political story of the week. Michelle Obama's speech where she claimed "for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country".
What??? And she wants to be First Lady? Who wants that attitude in the White House? Now she says "I didn't mean it that way". What way? She said what she said. What other way is there to interpret it?
Shame on the media for sweeping this story under the rug, all because they have ordained Barak Hussien Obama as their darling and the "Heir Apparent" to the Presidency. A sad story indeed...
Super delegates
I expect all superdelegates to follow the wishes of the electorate and support the choice of Virginia's Democrats.If they can't support our wishes they should resign their position and let someone who can. As a lifelong Democrat I'm shocked by the party's reluctance to ditch the superdelegates and go with the vote. We'll have to work on that.
All that said both Clinton and Obama will make great presidents while what we currently have is an embarassment and has only worked for the oil companies and the military. The rest of us have been ignored and ridiculed by his inability to understand what democracy and equality are. To continue to support Bush shows how morally and ethically bankrupt the GOP is.
For they who say one vote, one person, why do the GOP do winner take all primaries? Do you remeber Florida 2000 or Ohio 2004?
Superdelegates
I guess I'm just another naive American who thought that in a democracy that the people get to vote (choose) who their delegate is and/or who is elected. It would seem (hypothetically), naive again, that if 56% OF THE PEOPLE voted for Obama and 44% OF THE PEOPLE voted for Clinton than 9 of our delegate votes would go to Obama and 7 to Clinton. Simple mathematics! What is the BS that "since it's so close" the super delegates get to decide who they think is best for us - that would only make sense if there hadn't been a primary election open to EVERY registered voter. I guess this gets put in the same file as 70% of Americans telling the President they do not like his policies [in every random poll taken] and he just does what he "feels" is best for us. Where is the democracy if they do what they want (oops - feel is best for us) despite an overwhelming vote against it.......?
Clinton is pulling in favors
Of course...what did you expect? The popular delegate vote means nothing...it's the good old boy network at it again and Obama will take a backseat to Hillary, the super delegates will her the votes and not Obama (though the people want him instead)...that's the way it works in the "Democratic" party. Time for everyone to move over to the GOP!