# Superdelegates have been abolished in Maine **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 7, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203 "2016-05-07T19:39:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/1 "2016-05-07T19:39:57Z")
[http://usuncut.com/politics/maine-democratic-party-just-got-rid-superdelegate-system/](http://usuncut.com/politics/maine-democratic-party-just-got-rid-superdelegate-system/) I am proud to say that my state has ended the anti-democratic process of superdelegates. Some of the other states this year have let the party elite cancel out the voice of the voters. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/2 "2016-05-07T19:46:15Z")
What would be your opinion if Sanders had the majority of superdelgates? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/3 "2016-05-07T19:52:48Z")
This is restricted to the Democratic Party. [Maine is of course famous for its Republican governor, Paul LePage–and I was surprised on reading the headline wondering if he had approved it.] ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/4 "2016-05-07T20:00:34Z")
I note of course that Maine uses the caucus system for choosing a nominee which is hardly all that democratic. I wonder how many Bernie voters would favor doing away with the caucuses and requiring all states to have primaries. Bernie claimed all the Superdelegates from the caucuses he won by huge majorities should support him. I wonder in how many of those states would his win total have been so high if they’d been primaries. As it is, he’s lost the vast majority of primaries he participated in, both closed and open and of the ones he won, in only two did he manage to win a huge majority, 60% or more. One was his home state of Vermont and the other was his next door neighbor, New Hampshire. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/5 "2016-05-07T20:02:28Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > This is restricted to the Democratic Party. [Maine is of course famous for its Republican governor, Paul LePage–and I was surprised on reading the headline wondering if he had approved it.] Well, yes it’s restricted to the Democratic Party, but that’s because the Republicans don’t have superdelegates, though I have a hunch after this election, several of the wise men of the Republican party will recommend putting them in place. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/6 "2016-05-07T20:27:26Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Well, yes it’s restricted to the Democratic Party, but that’s because the Republicans don’t have superdelegates, though I have a hunch after this election, several of the wise men of the Republican party will recommend putting them in place. The GOP has undeclared delegates, same deal. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/7 "2016-05-07T21:09:24Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The GOP has undeclared delegates, same deal. It’s really not the same deal. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/8 "2016-05-07T21:11:46Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > It’s really not the same deal. It’s close enough for government work. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/9 "2016-05-07T21:26:28Z")
It is not the same at all. > [@](#): > > There are delegates to the Republican National Convention who are seated automatically, but they are limited to three per state, consisting of the state chairsperson and two district-level committee members. Republican Party superdelegates are obliged to vote for their state’s popular vote winner under the rules of the party branch to which they belong.[1] > **[Superdelegate](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate)** > > In American politics, a superdelegate is a delegate to a presidential nominating convention who is seated automatically. > In Democratic National Conventions, superdelegates—described in formal party rules as the party leaders and elected official (PLEO) category—make up slightly under 15% of all convention delegates. Before 2018, Democratic superdelegates were free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination in all rounds of balloting. (This contrasts with pledged delegates, who w... You think that’s remotely the same? Frankly with all the media focus on the Dem superdelegates it’s baffling that you think the Republicans had basically the same deal. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/10 "2016-05-07T21:35:34Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > It is not the same at all. > > [Superdelegate - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate) > > You think that’s remotely the same? You copied the wrong part. > [@](#): > > In American politics, a **“superdelegate”** is a delegate to the **Democratic National Convention** who is seated automatically and chooses for whom they want to vote.These Democratic Party superdelegates include distinguished party leaders, and elected officials, including all Democratic members of the House and Senate and sitting Democratic governors. Other superdelegates are chosen during the primary season. Democratic superdelegates are free to support any candidate for the nomination. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/11 "2016-05-07T21:38:16Z")
What? Why don’t you explain in what way Republican undeclared delegates are similar to Democrat superdelegates. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/12 "2016-05-07T21:41:03Z")
[This is what I was talking about.](http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2016/04/will-pennsylvanias-gop-primary-trump-the-partys-convention/) > [@](#): > > In all, The Green Papers website lists a total of 108 uncommitted or unpledged delegates in play, from Pennsylvania and five other states/territories (North Dakota, Colorado, America Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands). ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/13 "2016-05-07T21:56:43Z")
Ok, let me tell you the important differences. The Democratic party’s undeclared delegates consist of party officials and various office holding members - the Republican equivalent automatic delegates are all bound by their States primary results. Republican uncommitted delegates are individually elected. Pennsylvania is particularly peculiar in that their Presidential preference is not on the ballot but mostly they all declare how they intend to vote if they are sent to the national convention though they are not obliged to follow through. So you can see, Democrat uncommitted “superdelegates” is made up wholly of party loyalists and/or already successful Dem politicians. The Republican undeclared delegates is just a bunch of guys who ran in a micro election with a campaign promise to vote a certain way. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/14 "2016-05-07T22:17:06Z")
The way the Dems have the primary system set up with all-proportional representation and a large number of superdelegates, the party bosses can hand pick a candidate in anything resembling a close election. If Candidate A beats Candidate B 55-45 in a state which has 100 delegates, he gains only a 10 delegate advantage. Although winner take all is equally unfair in the opposite direction, a candidate who consistently wins should have enough votes to blow away the opposition. Under the Dem system, a candidate could win every primary with a majority but lose at the convention. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/15 "2016-05-07T22:33:10Z")
By my back of the envelope math, the superdelegates can overcome a ~59% pledged delegate win. (They are ~15% of the delegates, so if the remaining 85% split 50-35 then all the supers going the othe way would overcome it; 50/85=58.8%) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/16 "2016-05-07T22:36:57Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Ok, let me tell you the important differences. The Democratic party’s undeclared delegates consist of party officials and various office holding members - the Republican equivalent automatic delegates are all bound by their States primary results. Republican uncommitted delegates are individually elected. Pennsylvania is particularly peculiar in that their Presidential preference is not on the ballot but mostly they all declare how they intend to vote if they are sent to the national convention though they are not obliged to follow through. > > So you can see, Democrat uncommitted “superdelegates” is made up wholly of party loyalists and/or already successful Dem politicians. The Republican undeclared delegates is just a bunch of guys who ran in a micro election with a campaign promise to vote a certain way. Really? Are you under any illusion that the state chairperson _isn’t_ part of the Republican establishment? Committee member undeclareds might be another story, but I’d be willing to bet that the majority of them are establishment, at least when the likely nominee is establishment. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/17 "2016-05-07T22:40:25Z")
As I said in the first paragraph you quoted, they are obliged to vote according to the statewide winner. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/18 "2016-05-08T01:58:15Z")
Maine hasn’t abolished superdelegates; it just requires Maine superdelegates to proportionally vote in according with the primary’s popular vote. And it only applies starting in 2020 (& that assumes the national party goes along with it). ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/19 "2016-05-08T02:35:09Z")
That’s a distinction without a difference. Requiring the superdelegates to vote proportionally with the State vote effectively nullifies them as “super” delegates. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/20 "2016-05-08T02:45:17Z")
have these youngin Berners ever heard of George McGovern? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203.md?page=2)