Just when you thought it was safe to return to democracy again, the dirty reality of the Democratic National Committee's system of choosing a presidential candidate is coming out into the light. According to a February 13th story from the Los Angeles Times,
With victories Tuesday in three more elections, Barack Obama has now won 23 of the 35 sanctioned Democratic primaries and caucuses so far. But he has not yet solved his problem with Mannie Rodriguez.
Rodriguez supports Hillary Rodham Clinton -- and his vote matters more than most. He is a "super delegate," one of the 796 Democratic Party insiders who will break the tie if neither Obama nor Clinton emerges from the primary balloting with a clear victory, a strong possibility even after Obama's wins Tuesday.
The Fog of War
In last week's column, I mentioned that in the Presidential Election of 1980 that, while I was deeply aware of the issues and candidates, I was too young to vote. Well, my sister corrected that misstatement from my fractured memory, and reminded me that I was, indeed, of voting age, and that I voted for Jimmy Carter. An example of a teen brain up in smoke. Not the voting for Carter. The forgetting. On to this week's column, while I still remember what I'm writing about.
One Man, One Vote? Get Over It!
It wasn't that long ago when the Supreme Court robbed Americans of their vote, as they ordered the famed Florida recount stopped with their Boy George in the lead. Supporters of the Bush were overjoyed - whatever was necessary to win. The rest of us, however, we mortified at the fact that our democracy had been hijacked. When we objected, we were told to "get over it". I guess that settled it. In that moment, American shifted from a process of electing leaders founded in "one man, one vote", to "win, at any cost". And we didn't even get to vote on it!
Democrats to the Rescue?
So now, here we are. After surviving two sham presidential elections, we're ready for Democrats to rescue our democracy, and return us, Electoral College aside, to a process where our votes count. Not so fast. Enter the "super delegate".
It's My Party, and I'll Cry Cause I Have To
After the whipping of the Democrats in the 1972 Election (Nixon vs. McGovern), party elders decided that they can no longer trust rank and file Democrats to elect the "right" candidate, that could win in the general election against the Republicans. By 1980, they instituted a system where party big whigs could tip the balance of overall delegate votes at the national convention, should voters elect an anti-corporate populist. After all, it's not really about democracy. It's about Party rule. But don't tell anybody.
Don't Be Afraid, It's Only Business
Super delegates were not the only addition to the 1980 version of the Democrats. They apparently could not resist the sweet smell of corporate money, and decided to do like the Republicans. In a February 2004 PBS NewsHour Interview with Ralph Nader, he explains the shift,
"Starting in 1980 when the Democrats started under Tony Coelho going big time for corporate money, dialing for the same dollars that the Republicans did. We could almost see the doors closing on the citizen groups, they couldn't get petitions responded to by the Regulatory Safety Agency, they couldn't get hearings in Congress. After a while, you say this is a shutout. And what do we do?"
Enter The Clinton
Riding the Democratic Leadership Council horse into the presidency in 1992, a group of centrist Democrats intent on replacing a populist candidate with one more business-friendly, came The Clinton, a two-headed political beast that gave new meaning to speaking out of both sides on it's mouth: triangulation (maybe that's three sides). The Clinton assured us that NAFTA and open trade with China would be good for Wall Street, workers, and the environment. How does it look a decade or so on? Well, Wall Street seems to be happy.
Can We?
As Barack Obama continues to win primaries and delegates, legitimately building votes from the ground up, The Clinton will grow more desperate. Their machine will look for every possible move to game the process. And, like The Bush in 2000, The Clinton may just have the connections and clout to pull this one from under the feet of the electorate. This is not a far-fetched idea, which does not sit well with all super delegates. More from the LA Times piece,
"My one vote shouldn't matter more than a voter who stood in a long line in the rain in St. Louis to vote," said Donna Brazile, a party strategist and super delegate who has threatened to quit her post with the Democratic National Committee if super delegates decide the race.
So, while Obama may not be a Progressive's dream on the issues, he certainly projects the personality and character to inspire Americans from all over the electoral and societal map. Could it all just be a good sales job? Perhaps. But with The Clinton, we know we're getting a lube job.
For me, the question is, can we move forward with a President Obama? Yes, I believe, we can.
But, against The Clinton, and their army of loyalists, so, I fear, can they take us back to what was. A clear example of how the devil I know is not the devil I want.
Stay tuned.
Craig Gordon
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
I can't get no, I can't get no
I can't get no satisfaction
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction
-Mick Jagger/Keith Richards
