So whats the deal with these guys?
If Edwards doesn’t drop out, do they have to vote for him?
If he does drop out do they have a choice? If so, how does the Party deal with the constituency choice of Edwards’people to go to the convention when that choice will directly affect the outcome ? Say if Joe goes its Obama, but if Mary goes its Clinton.
If a candidate drops out, his delegates are basically free agents. They can vote for whoever they want or they can still vote for Edward. Generally, they tend to back the presumptive nominee.
Which, in this case, may not exist :smack:
By ‘free agent,’ you mean they are functionally equivalent to super-delegates? Is this a state-by-state determination? As in, could a state have decided this way, while another state decides that the delegate should be committed to the second-highest vote-getter in that primary/caucus?
Each delegate can do whatever he or she wants, so yes, functionally, they’re like superdelegates.
AFAIK they’re only obligated to vote for him on the first ballot.
See my post#5 in response to the same question last Sunday.