In today's Honolulu Advertiser political columnist Jerry Burris talks about the role of superdelegates in the nominating process, and notes:
Hawai'i has nine superdelegates, the four Democratic members of Congress, four top party leaders and a ninth to be chosen by the state convention.
Three of those nine have made their voting intentions known. U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and National Committeeman Richard Port will vote for Clinton, while U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie will vote for Obama.
The others have not publicly declared their intention.
I decided to write to the two undeclared members of Congress, Sen. Daniel Akaka and my Rep. Mazie Hirono, to urge them to support Sen. Obama, and soon. Below the fold is my letter.
Aloha Sen. Akaka/Rep. Hirono,
I am writing to you in your capacity as a superdelegate in the Democratic Party nominating process.
I urge you to support Sen. Barack Obama, and to declare your commitment soon, for the following reasons:
- Here in Hawaii, Sen. Obama won the state [and CD2- for Hirono] with overwhelming numbers, showing that he is the clear choice of your constituents.
- Sen. Obama has more overall pledged delegates and it is almost impossible for this to change through the end of the primaries.
- Sen. Obama has more overall votes, and it is also highly unlikely that this will change through the remaining contests.
- Sen. Obama has won twice as many contests so far, and is predicted to win the majority of the remaining contests.
- In national surveys polling the match-up between the Democratic contenders and Sen. McCain, Sen. Obama polls stronger.
- In a Survey USA poll showing state-by-state matchups against Sen. McCain, Sen. Obama yields a greater number of electoral votes than Sen. Clinton, and a victory.
- Sen. Obama has pursued a true 50-state strategy and has done much more to build and energize the party around the country, and would have a much greater coat-tail effect in down ticket races, helping increase Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress as well as boosting state-level races.
While Sen. Clinton certainly has the right to continue campaigning, in her apparent desperation her campaign unfortunately has shown her willingness to attempt to seriously damage Sen. Obama and cross the line of what should be considered acceptable tactics in the nomination process.
It is clear that the votes of the superdelegates will be the deciding factor that provide the necessary votes on top of the pledged delegates for one candidate to clinch the nomination.
For all the reasons stated above, I believe that superdelegates must in the end ensure that the nomination goes to Sen. Obama, and that the superdelegates should commit soon enough to ensure that the nomination is decided well before the convention in August.
Therefore I urge you to support Sen. Obama, and to declare your commitment to him soon.
Mahalo,
Scott Crawford