# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/21 "2016-05-08T02:48:51Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Why don’t you explain in what way Republican undeclared delegates are similar to Democrat superdelegates. Neither of them want to cast their votes for Donald Trump. ---
**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, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/22 "2016-05-08T03:18:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Neither of them want to cast their votes for Donald Trump. I know you’re just making a joke but I think it should be pointed out that a large chunk of the “unpledged” delegates from Pennsylvania said they were going to vote for Trump or the winner of their congressional district i.e. Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/23 "2016-05-08T12:40:07Z")
I wonder if the Maine Democratic party can change those rules. They aren’t Maine’s delegates - they are the DNCs delegates. They don’t get there because they are from Maine. They get there because they have standing in the party. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/24 "2016-05-08T12:50:37Z")
The OP is blaming the superdelegates and ignoring the fact that the majority of regular delegates are also voting for Clinton. No doubt there are already discussions on how to fix the anti-democratic process of people voting for the wrong candidate. ---
**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, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/25 "2016-05-08T13:12:53Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I wonder if the Maine Democratic party can change those rules. They aren’t Maine’s delegates - they are the DNCs delegates. They don’t get there because they are from Maine. They get there because they have standing in the party. Well they are people who have standing AND come from Maine. [Three of the four from Maine are DNC officers and one is a congressperson](http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/D-Unpledged.phtml#ME) but that ratio varies State to State. I am curious how this shakes out. As you say, they really are the DNC’s delegates but I think they might feel obligated to follow a State party decree. Guess we’ll see if the big boys bring the hammer down. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/26 "2016-05-08T13:57:28Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Well they are people who have standing AND come from Maine. [Three of the four from Maine are DNC officers and one is a congressperson](http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/D-Unpledged.phtml#ME) but that ratio varies State to State. I am curious how this shakes out. As you say, they really are the DNC’s delegates but I think they might feel obligated to follow a State party decree. Guess we’ll see if the big boys bring the hammer down. As Michigan knows, and to Clinton’s detriment in 2008, the hammer involves saying “none of your delegates count.” ---
**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, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/27 "2016-05-08T14:36:02Z")
Well, the final hammer was your delegates count for half vote each. I am not sure if they can come down as hard on this rule violation though, optics wise. Everyone hates a line jumper, less people are going to be sympathetic to punishing a state for being more democratic in their process. They might just say the rule is unenforceable. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/28 "2016-05-08T14:44:28Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Well, the final hammer was your delegates count for half vote each. > > I am not sure if they can come down as hard on this rule violation though, optics wise. Everyone hates a line jumper, less people are going to be sympathetic to punishing a state for being more democratic in their process. They might just say the rule is unenforceable. I think it depends on how they do it and when. If they announce they are considering action now against the state Democratic Party for violating convention rules, then announce their decision right before voting (when it won’t matter anyway), it will get lost in the noise, but the state parties will get the message. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/29 "2016-05-11T04:43:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The OP is blaming the superdelegates and ignoring the fact that the majority of regular delegates are also voting for Clinton. No doubt there are already discussions on how to fix the anti-democratic process of people voting for the wrong candidate. [Electoral-Vote](http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2016/Pres/Maps/May09.html#item-1) did a piece on this yesterday. If superdelegates were awarded on a winner-takes-all basis per state, Clinton would be leading by 521 delegates. If they were awarded proportionally, Clinton would be leading by 350 delegates. Superdelegates are having zero actual impact on the race – Sanders is no more equipped to overcome a 350 delegate lead than he is a 750 delegate lead. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/30 "2016-06-06T20:12:22Z")
> **[Bernie Sanders supporters issue call to abolish Democratic super-delegates](https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/bernie-sanders-supporters-issue-call-to-abolish-democratic-super-delegates/article_b47e9542-2e80-5d61-bbc0-3b17ee33acb0.html)** > > The resolution, if adopted, would represent a call for change from the party's grassroots. Wisconsin, Utah, Vermont, Colorado, and Alaska have joined Maine as states that will no longer have superdelegates. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203/31 "2016-06-06T20:31:51Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > [Bernie Sanders supporters issue call to abolish Democratic super-delegates](http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/bernie-sanders-supporters-issue-call-to-abolish-democratic-super-delegates/article_b47e9542-2e80-5d61-bbc0-3b17ee33acb0.html) > Wisconsin, Utah, Vermont, Colorado, and Alaska have joined Maine as states that will no longer have superdelegates. No, they haven’t. They passed resolutions calling for the DNC to make that change. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superdelegates-have-been-abolished-in-maine/754203.md?page=1)