As both the Demoratic and Republican candidates for president zig-zag their way across the country, debating, making speeches and fighting for votes in the country’s primary races, one particular group has become a target: Superdelegates. With no real frontrunner for the nation’s top office for either party, these superdelegates could be the deciding factor in who receives the party nominations for president this summer. The question: who should they be voting for?
Superdelegates are elected officials -- members of the House, senators and others -- who cast votes at the party conventions. Because of their positions as government leaders, they are not bound by the votes of their constituents; they are free to cast a vote for whomever they choose. If a particular candidate can win their support, they can also win the nomination, no matter what that state’s voters decided in their primary elections.
For example, a candidate could come in second in a large state but, if they have enough superdelegates on their side, they could lock up that state’s nomination.
How does this affect African-Americans? The fight for the Democratic nomination is especially tight and, historically, blacks have voted Democratic because the party generally supports social justice issues that affect our day-to-day lives. If, as a voter, you’ve selected one candidate over another, and so have the rest of the voters in your state, you’d rightly expect them to receive the state’s votes for the nomination. It will be an insult to your sensibilities to learn that, because of behind-the-scenes politicking, the votes instead went to the second place finisher.
The nation’s democratic process will only work if the votes of its citizens truly count. Both the 2000 and 2004 elections have proven to this country what can happen when the voices of the people are ignored.
How can you make sure your state’s superdelegates reflect your interests at the Democratic National Convention in August? Call them. Write them a letter. Send them an email. Let them know you expect them to do their job, which is to reflect your interests as a constituent.
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Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president of Rainbow PUSH and a national board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
