The Superdelegate Strategy

Call me crazy, but I think every time the Clinton campaign holds a conference call and and journalists start reporting things like Dana Goldstein's "they said superdelegates will, indeed, decide the Democratic nominee, regardless of the pledged delegate count in June after all the states and territories have had their say" that they shoot themselves in the foot. To most party activists (from either of Chris Bowers' two classes of activist) this sounds like a recipe for disaster. Adopting a Belicik-esque "one primary at a time" line might create the scenario they're sketching out to Dana. Talking about this scenario, however, only builds the sense that the Clintons care more about their personal fortunes than about the fortunes of progressive politics, and encourages things like this raft of endorsements from New Jersey Democrats including two superdelegates, one of whom had previously been supporting Clinton. Rep Ron Kind from Wisconsin (like all members of congress, a superdelegate) also endorsed Obama today.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2008/02/the-superdelegate-strategy/48637/