[tomder55]

The NY Slimes is in favor of Democrat elitism .

THE Democratic presidential nomination battle is virtually dead even between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And while Senator Obama has moved ahead in recent days, neither is likely to come close to the 2,025 delegates needed to win the nomination from the pledged delegates they are awarded in primaries and caucuses. So the key to victory is in the 796 votes given to so-called superdelegates, the elected and party officials — members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of the House and Senate and others with automatic status under the party rules. Superdelegates are free agents, able to switch their endorsements or commitments at any time.

Donna Brazile, a commentator, long-time party strategist and superdelegate herself, told CNN, “If 795 of my colleagues decide this election, I will quit the Democratic Party.” Gary Hart, the former senator and presidential candidate, recently declared that the influence of the superdelegates “should be curtailed.”...
In 1984, the superdelegates stepped in to provide a majority for Walter Mondale — who had a huge edge in pledged delegates over Gary Hart but not enough to win the nomination — avoiding a potentially bitter and divisive convention that would have fractured the party.

It should be noted that Walter Mondale got his butt kicked in the general election .

These reactions reflect in part a legitimate concern that heavy-handed lobbying of the superdelegates might reverse the outcome of the contest for pledged delegates in the primaries and caucuses. But a review of the history of superdelegates suggests they are likely to play a constructive role in resolving the nomination before the convention and in unifying the party for the general election campaign.

In this case, the nomination could come down to a difficult and complex credentials battle over whether to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida. To have a nomination settled in this way is a bit like having an election settled by a 5-4 vote of the Supreme Court. Averting this kind of disaster is just what superdelegates are supposed to do.

Delegates of Steel - New York Times

My guess is that the old gray lady wants the party to bypass the whole process altogether and select a nominee based on their editorial board's endorsement. :D

[speechlesstx]

Tom,

Does it seem like they want to replace one "relatively small cadre of ideological activists" with another "relatively small cadre of ideological activists?"

[tomder55]

Yeah appears so .
I remember when this started . Gary Hart had the momentum until Mondale asked "where's the beef?" . But the party regulars (the politburo if you will );remembering how McGovern screwed up the party rules , came up with this super delegate idea so there would be an appearance of a democratic process in the primaries... without actually letting the inmates run the asylum .

It would be working well for Evita now if she hadn't sicked Bill on everyone . The Dems are all gushy nostalgic for what they remember the Clintoon years to be... but Bill reminded them of the dark side of his reign .

[speechlesstx]

It would be working well for Evita now if she hadn't sicked Bill on everyone . The Dems are all gushy nostalgic for what they remember the Clintoon years to be ...........but Bill reminded them of the dark side of his reign .

Have you noticed he's hardly been noticed since South Carolina?