The Democratic Governor of Tennessee, Phil Bredesen, called for a caucus of Super Delegates prior to the Convention in Denver. This is an attempt to end a drawn out debate and select a nominee before everyone gets to Denver. Sorry, no brokered convention.
WE Democrats have a problem, but it’s one we can fix.
We are blessed with two fine candidates, but it’s entirely possible that when primary season ends on June 3, we will still lack a clear nominee. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton could each still believe that the nomination could be his or hers at the national convention in Denver in August.
In that situation, we would then face a long summer of brutal and unnecessary warfare. We would face a summer of growing polarization. And we would face a summer of lost opportunities — lost opportunities to heal the wounds of the primaries, to fill the party’s coffers, to offer unified Democratic ideas for America’s challenges.
Bredesen has not endorsed Clinton or Obama. He is part of the undecided group.
More from the Op-Ed -
Of the 795 superdelegates, over 40 percent have not announced which candidate they are supporting; I’m one of them. While it would be comfortable for me to delay making a decision until the convention, the reality is that I’ll have all the information I reasonably need in June, and so will my colleagues across the country.
There will have been more than 20 debates, and more than 28 million Americans will have made their choices and voted. Any remaining uncertainty in our nominee will then lie with the superdelegates, and it will be time for us to make our choices and get on with the business of electing a president.
There are mixed feelings about the proposal -
The DNC has not officially responded to Bredesen's proposal.
Reaction by readers in online comments on the Times website is mixed.
In Nashville though, Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Gray Sasser lauded Bredesen's plan and urged national party leaders to hold open the possibility if the contest hasn't been decided by early June.
"Once again, Phil Bredesen establishes himself as a governor who can see past typical Washington gridlock," Sasser said. "He's offering a common-sense solution to a problem that otherwise may not be resolved soon."
Bredesen is one of 10 Democratic governors who have not yet committed to a presidential candidate.
I, personally, like the idea. Actually, I think that they should go ahead and put in on the books for right after PA. Let's end this thing. Bredesen may have just brokered himself into a VP slot.