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KGMB9 55 Years
Superdelegate System Scrutinized Print E-mail
Written by Brooks Baehr - bbaehr@kgmb9.com   
February 20, 2008 06:22 PM

 
It is possible votes cast by Superdelegates from Hawaii at the Democratic National Convention will not reflect the outcome of Tuesday's caucus.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama got 76 percent of the vote during Tuesday's caucus in Hawaii. His opponent Hillary Clinton garnered 24 percent.

Twenty delegates were up for grabs at the caucus.

The Democratic Party of Hawaii has 20 days to designate those delegates to the candidates, but KGMB9 is projecting 14 delegates for Obama and 6 for Clinton.

In addition to those 20 delegates, Hawaii has nine superdelegates. Superdelegates are are party leaders who can vote for whoever they want regardless of the popular vote.

Some said it is a good system. Others want it changed.

The superdelegate system was devised as a safeguard in the 1980's. Here is the reasoning behind the superdelegate system.

Say, for the sake of argument, the frontrunner gets involved in a scandal between now and the Democratic National Convention in August.

Superdelegates would then be able to switch their vote to another candidate and in doing so may be able to protect the party from having to nominate the candidate involved in the scandal.

Richard Port has represented Hawaii as a delegate at six Democratic National Conventions. And he will be at the convention in Denver in August as one of Hawaii's nine superdelegates.

"The decision that I make will be based on what's good four our country," Port told KGMB9.

Port's official title with the Democratic Party is Democratic National Committeeman.

He said he will be voting for Clinton.

"I believe that Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for our party to oppose John McCain," Port said.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye will also vote for Clinton.

Of the other superdelegates only Congressman Neil Abercrombie has already committed to a candidate. He will vote for Obama.

The other superdelegates are uncommitted. It is, however, possible more than 24 percent of them will vote for Clinton, and if so, the superdelegates will not represent the will of the people as expressed in the caucus.

"When I was selected to become a superdelegate, I assumed they wanted me to exercise my judgement and that's what I'll be doing," Inouye said.

Good judgement aside, there are those who say the current rules are undemocratic.

A resolution supported by a majority of democrats in the State House of Representatives urges superdelegates to follow the public's vote.

"We hope that they will honor the people's wishes and support who ever the people support," said Rep. Tom Brower who introduced the resolution.

Even if the resolution is adopted, it can not be enforced. Delegate rules are not state law. They are party rules. And party leaders are not rushing to change anything.

"Actually, if I'm a proponent of any change now I would like Hawaii to have a primary rather than a caucus. A primary would be far more democratic. And we would not have the problems that we had last night," Port added.

Florence Kong Kee, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, declined comment on this story.



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Last Updated ( February 20, 2008 06:22 PM )
 

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