NPR: Sanders Campaign Now Embraces Superdelegates As Key To Nomination

[DCBob]

Despite badly lagging in the delegate count, Bernie Sanders' campaign manager told NPR the campaign believes Sanders can and will be the Democratic nominee by winning over superdelegates at the 11th hour.

"If we can substantially close the gap between Secretary Clinton and Sen. Sanders in terms of pledged delegates," Jeff Weaver told NPR's All Things Considered, "he can go into the convention with a substantial momentum from having won the vast, vast majority of states at the end of the process."

It's a sharp contrast from earlier in the campaign when Sanders supporters called superdelegates "undemocratic" and petitioned for them to support the candidate who has the most votes by the Democratic convention this July.

"When they get to the convention," Weaver continued, "nobody has the delegates to win with pledged delegates. It's going to be the superdelegates who are going to have to decide this."

http://www.npr.org/2016/05/19/478705022/sanders-campaign-now-says-superdelegates-are-key-to-winning-nomination

==============

There is so much wrong with this I dont know where to start.

1) It simply wont work. The superdelegates are loyal to Hillary and wont be swayed by someone like Sanders. They trust Hillary from decades of working with her. Many superdelegates hardly know Sanders and what they do know they dont like given all the bashing and trashing he has done to Hillary and the party.

2) Weaver is expecting the superdelegates to vote against the majority vote. That is basically saying he wants to steal the nomination. That is completely undemocratic. Its mind boggling he would even suggest it.

3) The Sanders team early on were adamantly complaining about the superdelegate system and that it was unfair and undemocratic and should be abolished now they want to exploit it for their own gain. Incredible hypocrisy.

[Android3.14]

1. I wondered if it would come to that

Now we have to rely on superdelegates. How funny is that?

[KingFlorez]

2. Can't win it fairly, so steal it

He will never flip the superdelegates, but the principle of trying to steal the nomination is reprehensible.

[DCBob]

6. I think Bernie needs an intervention.

He is now doing damage to himself and to his cause.

[Andy823]

38. He needs to get rid of Weaver

Weaver has been the man behind the scene in most of the problems Bernie has had, and in the new push to make up shit lille this and try and push it off as the truth. Weaver, and Devine, want to keep pushing this because they make a "LOT OF MONEY" off of Bernie's campaign, and the don't want that stop any time soon.

[brush]

27. Nevada must have been practice as that's just what they tried to do here.

[scscholar]

3. After he disavowed them...

he's not trying to woo them? Sad flip flop.

[DCBob]

9. Sad and dumb at the same time.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. I am so glad the citizens of heavily African American DC will be the last to vote.

When Hillary obliterates him there it will be clear just who they are trying to steal the election from.

Can you imagine the lighter put to gasoline when Hillary's African American delegates are told they are trying to steal the election from you?

Good god, are they that blind?

[UMTerp01]

5. Mmmm Hmmm

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. She is also going to obliterate him in Puerto Rico.

So there is another key constituency that will be told their voices don't matter.

This speculation is silly,

As it stands now HRC will win CA, NJ, VI, NM, and DC.

BS will will in ND, SD, and MT.

It is more likely than not he will be further behind on 6/14 than he is now.

[DCBob]

7. DC is going to be a massive blowout Hillary win.

It will be so satisfying to end it on such a huge high note.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. She should have a victory party at the Verizon Center.I bet she can get Stevie Wonder and Pharrell

[DCBob]

20. That would be very cool.

[KingFlorez]

17. That would shut any superdelegate schemes right down

Sanders and his campaign would be no match for the wrath of black leaders coming out in the press blasting him for essentially trying to suppress the bulk of the black vote.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. This is the stuff of fantasists...

The Supers aren't going to go against the pop vote/delegate lead,

And as I said it is more likely than not he will be further behind on 6/14 then he is now.

[griffi94]

8. It really has just gotten sad now

If Bernie continues like this
he'll not only lose the nomination but any credibility or integrity
that he ever had.

His campaign is already turning into a joke with videos like
Bernie Math making fun of their suspension of reality.

It's over Bernie.

[DCBob]

11. Bernie is definitely losing alot credibility now.

I think most Hillary supporters had a fairly high opinion of him in the beginning but that is now beginning to change.

[griffi94]

14. He just looks and sounds crazed now

[KingFlorez]

24. I agree

His speech the other night after the primaries had a tone of anger and rage that I have not heard from him before.

[Demsrule86]

40. He looks unwell

I saw the speech after Kentucky...he acted so out of it.

[imagine2015]

13. Just another hit piece slandering Bernie. The pledged delegates will not decide who is nominated.

Secretary Clinton will not win enough pledged (elected) delegates to capture the nomination.

Period.

That's just a hard fact. Isn't that right?

The super delegates are not obligated to vote for anyone. Like it or not, that's just the way it is.

Therefore Sanders must play by the rules and try to convince a few hundred super delegates that their biggest chance to defeat Trump is to nominate him.

I take it you also don't this system, especially if a few hundred super delegates abandon Hillary once again like they did at the 2008 convention.

That's the great worry in the Hillary camp and among her rich benefactors.

Isn't that right?

[griffi94]

16. In 2008

Didn't the SDs abandon Hillary because she had the fewest
number of pledged delegates.

She didn't win the most delegates and the SDs honored the will of the voters right?

[DCBob]

21. Correct.

[griffi94]

22. Haha

I already knew that.

Funny the really wishful thinking Bernie supporters
keep saying that like Hillary was ahead and the SDs
abandon her because they liked Obama better.

They always seem to leave out the part where Obama had
the most pledged delegates.

[DCBob]

23. Yep. They seem to often ignore reality.

[imagine2015]

45. The abandoned her because she was a weaker candidate than Obama and Obama had a better organization.

Super delegates are not obligated or "honored" to vote for the candidate who has carried the most states, or collected the most primary votes or had obtained more pledged delegates in an undemocratic and rigged primary system.

Super delegates are free to vote for whomever they want for any reason including self-interest.

For example fearing a Clinton candidacy will result in Trump winning and Democratic congressional candidates losing their elections due to a Trump landslide.

That's just a fact and Bernie's is obligated to his supporters and delegates to try and win the nomination which means also appealing to the super delegates for their support.

So Bernie needs to take his fight for working people all the way to the convention and not be intimidated by the massive swiftboating like smears and "dirty tricks" campaign against him.

[griffi94]

47. And had the fewest pledged delagtes

The way Sanders has the fewest pledged delegates now

[upaloopa]

30. No it is not right. There will be a floor vote at the convention. The pledged and supers vote

together by state. I am probably going to be one of Hillary's delegates from CA. We will cast our votes for Hillary as will other states and she will be the nominee before the last state votes.

There will be no contested convention and there will not be a second vote.

That's the reality. Anything else is just denial.

[imagine2015]

46. You're assuming the supers will stick with Hillary even if it becomes clear she'll lose to Trump.

Why would they all stick with a discredited weak candidate?

You know what most voters think of her and it's not very complimentary.

[brush]

32. You must have just caught "The Maltese Falcon" on cable.

Your post is "the stuff that dreams are made of".

Keep trying though.

[boston bean]

15. LOL what a hypocrite.

[ucrdem]

18. Had to LOL at "he needs 68% of delegates going forward" from the reporter.

In fact he needs 90% of unallocated delegates (850/940) to clinch, using the latest AP figures which are fairly conservative:

https://interactives.ap.org/2016/delegate-tracker/

Where do they get these magical numbers, from Weaver? The print version at the link is better but yeah more double down on the fairy dust from Team B.



p.s. Hillary needs just under 10% of unallocated delegates (90/940) to clinch. Won't be long.

[DCBob]

25. Those numbers sound good to me.

Thanks for that!

[ucrdem]

37. Weaver keeps trying to make a distinction between super delegates and primary delegates,

like the super delegates are iffy, but there really isn't one since there's no question about which candidate will win or which is preferred and no danger of any of Clinton's switching to Bernie at this point. If anything Bernie's will switch to Hillary if he releases them.

[Fresh_Start]

26. After Sandernistas go insane about not getting 4 delegates they don't deserve in NV

Sanders wants the superdelegates to ignore the 13 million and counting voters who voted for Clinton.

Politics is ripe with hypocrisy....

[upaloopa]

28. I think they are going into debt and need to keep hope alive to keep contributions alive.

He wants Bernie supporters to bet on a lame horse.

[trudyco]

29. I think he's waiting for Tuesday

And the next 8 weeks to see how the SDs might feel about Hillary.

He's got the money and stamina, and people want to vote for him.

So what's your problem with that?

[Demsrule86]

41. It is a gift for Trump

and stupid...supers won't vote for Bernie...why would they? He has nothing but phoney polls and arrogance.

[procon]

31. Its become increasingly apparent that Sanders is running a con game.

He's been lying to his young and impressionable followers, telling them that he's going to win and always, always, asking them for more money. I can't believe he's feeding this nonsense to those naive kids, and they're so trusting they won't ever see that he's just using them. After all, Bernie is the honest one, he would never spam them, oh no, but that Hillary... tsk-tsk-tsk.

[brush]

34. Kinda like he used to party to get the national recognition he never would have gotten . . .

running as a little known independent, self-avowed socialist from Vermont.

[procon]

39. Or building a tidy nest egg for his golden years with campaign "expenses".

What with all the book deals and the speaking engagements, he should make out like bandit.

[NanceGreggs]

33. Unhinged.

There is no other way to describe this behaviour.

[Smarmie Doofus]

35. Huh?

>>>3) The Sanders team early on were adamantly complaining about the superdelegate system and that it was unfair and undemocratic and should be abolished now they want to exploit it for their own gain. Incredible hypocrisy. >>>>>

I can assure you: it is quite possible.... and not in the least hypocritical.... to both:

1. Maintain that the system is unfair and undemocratic.

and

2. Try to persuade the delegates that were unfairly and undemocratically selected via said system to exercise their judgement regarding the question of whom the party's nominee should be.

There is no contradiction between the two positions. So rest easy.

[DCBob]

36. LOL..

Delusion must be a prerequisite to be a Berner.

[mvd]

44. I hope this isn't a broad brush?

I won't alert as you are usually are above this.

[Demsrule86]

42. wrong

Bernie has lost himself in the world of delusion...or he is tricking the kids who idolize him...either way..he is a gift for Trump and the sooner he goes the better.

[mvd]

43. Super delegates are undemocratic to begin with. It should be

Just the delegates pledged and then it could take multiple ballots. What if something happens with Hillary and the FBI? What if Sanders keeps doing better against Trump? If you have a super delegate system, they should be up for grabs. Otherwise, well I will agree to disagree with DCBob as I often have this primary.

[anotherproletariat]

48. He must be hitting his head right now. "Duh...I shouldn't have dissed them!"

Also, the threatening the DNC thing wasn't a great plan. Obvi