# when an how did they "won" those superdelegats (Obama & Clinton) ?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 6, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365 "2008-03-06T19:45:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365/1 "2008-03-06T19:45:10Z")
Obama is noted with 199 superdeledates and Clinton with 238
> **[View 2020 primary and caucus results](https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/primaries-and-caucuses)**
>
> View 2020 primary and caucus results, interactive maps, poll information and candidate fundraising totals in each state and US territory.
when and how did they “win” these delegates ?
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365/2 "2008-03-06T19:53:16Z")
Those are the superdelegates who have publicly stated who they intend to vote for at the convention.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365/3 "2008-03-06T20:04:13Z")
[QUOTE=friedo]
Those are the superdelegates who have publicly stated who they intend to vote for at the convention.
[/QUOTE]
Correct. Note though that they can, and some have, change their mind.
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365/4 "2008-03-06T20:06:12Z")
[QUOTE=Wildfire\*\*MM]
Obama is noted with 199 superdeledates and Clinton with 238
> **[Senate, House, Governor Races - Election Center 2010 - Elections & Politics...](https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/)**
when and how did they “win” these delegates ?
[/QUOTE]
Those delegates are not won by vote; they’re Democratic politicians (for the most part) who have what’s called “Superdelegate” status-- they can cast their vote for whomever they wish.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365/5 "2008-03-07T04:04:26Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder]
Those delegates are not won by vote; they’re Democratic politicians (for the most part) who have what’s called “Superdelegate” status-- they can cast their vote for whomever they wish.
[/QUOTE]
Are there any official rules about how they decide to vote for “whomever they wish,” like not accepting bribes or concessions from the candidates?
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-an-how-did-they-won-those-superdelegats-obama-clinton/440365/6 "2008-03-07T06:42:14Z")
The superdelegates are holders of political office or party officials. They aren’t going to do anything that smells too bad, to avoid jeopardizing their careers. Here’s the seated superdelegate list:
> **[List of superdelegates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29_Superdelegates%2C_2008#Seated_superdelegates)**
>
> This is a list of Democratic party unpledged delegates, also known as superdelegates or automatic delegates, who voted in the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the culmination of the party's presidential nominating process that began with the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries and caucuses.
> At the time of Hillary Clinton's campaign suspension on June 7, 2008, the count was 246½ for her and 478 for Barack Obama, with 99 still 'Uncommitted' of the 823½ total then existing, although ...
Note that it is a collection of DNC officials, congresscritters, senators and state governors.
This makes more sense if you remember the historical perspective. Binding primaries were not always the preferred method for parties to choose their candidates. Primaries of any type were something that came about as a progressive movement reform in the early part of the 20th century. After 1968, when the binding primary really became the preferred method, the party committees were hesistant to turn the process completely over to a popular vote, and continued to have some unpledged delegates that operated as convention delegates had in the past.