February 22, 2016 7:16 AM

The Democratic primary process: Shouldn't we be better than corrupt backroom politics?

The Nevada results highlighted Clinton’s strength with black voters, a crucial Democratic electorate in the next contest in South Carolina, as well as several Super Tuesday states. The Hispanic vote was closely divided between Sanders and Clinton. According to the entrance polls, Clinton was backed by a majority of women, college-educated voters, those with annual incomes over $100,000, moderates, voters aged 45 and older and non-white voters. Sanders did best with men, voters under 45 and those less affluent and educated…. Sanders congratulated Clinton on her victory, but then declared that “the wind is at our backs. We have the momentum.” With a vast network of small donors, Sanders has the financial resources to stay in the race for months. Clinton’s win means she will pick up at least 19 of Nevada’s 35 delegates. She already holds a sizeable lead in the delegate count based largely on her support from superdelegates — the party leaders who can support the candidate of their choice, no matter the primaries and caucuses.

It’s not secret I long ago endorsed Bernie Sanders, but I’m by no means anti-Hillary Clinton. More than anything, whoever the eventual winner is, I want there to be no question about who prevailed and why. Being mired in accusations of corruption and deals cut in smoke-filled back rooms will do nothing to aid the cause of keeping the White House in Democratic hands.

Unfortunately, there’s a very big reason Democrats may end up spending a good deal of time and energy trying to explain away our own particular brand of corruption: superdelegates. No matter how much I might try to wrap my head around the concept, I can’t conjure a reason why superdelegates might be indicative of anything save an addiction to corruption to the detriment of the democratic process. How can the voice of the people be held to mean anything when that voice can be silenced by Democratic Party insiders who can in effect determine the party’s nominee.

We’re not talking the “It’s a bird! It’s a plane!!….” variety of superheroes. No, superdelegates are Democratic insiders with a significant role in the nomination process…AND WHO ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO NO ONE. They may throw their support behind any candidate they choose for whatever reasons(s) move them. They’re not bound by the results of state primaries or caucuses. It’s the reason why, though Sanders won in New Hampshire and Clinton in Iowa (barely) and Nevada, Sec. Clinton holds a 502-70 lead in delegates. If that doesn’t scream “CORRUPTION!,” I can’t imagine what would.

Think about that for a moment; after the dust settled in Nevada, Sec. Clinton has SEVEN times the delegates Sen. Sanders can claim, even though each clearly won one state and essentially tied in Iowa. How is that even fair or reasonable? Such a disparity means there’s no way the Democratic primary process can be considered a level playing field. It also means the voice of Democratic voters barely matters…because the candidate will ultimately be selected by those party insiders who have a stake in ensuring the “right” candidate- in this case, Sen. Clinton- wins.

Why even go through the charade of allowing voters to believe they’re selecting their party’s nominee when it’s a farce directed toward a predetermined result by Democratic party insiders? We may (with good reason) complain about Republican corruption and dishonesty, but how can we claim the Democratic primary process to be any better? How can Democratic voters have any faith that the process isn’t completely devoid of integrity and rigged to ensure Hillary Clinton is the nominee…regardless of what voters want?

The truth is that we can’t have faith that our voice matters, not as long as superdelegates are allowed to skew the process for their own corrupt and selfish ends. America deserves better.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 22, 2016 7:16 AM.

If Franklin Graham is a Christian, I'm Kim Kardashian was the previous entry in this blog.

If you're still talking about "free stuff," stop listening to the propaganda and think is the next entry in this blog.

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