FYI: Things That Determine the Democratic Nominee

[zarath]

There seems to have been some confusion on this topic recently in this forum and others, so I've compiled a helpful list.

Things That Directly Determine the Democratic Nominee
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* Pledged delegates and super delegates authorized to be seated at the convention by rules set by the Democratic National Committee.


Things That Do NOT Directly Determine The Democratic Nominee
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* Pledged delegates alone unless you get 2025 of them

* The nationwide popular vote

* The state-by-state popular vote

* "Momentum"

* "The will of the people"

* Whoever won the important "bellwether" states

* Whoever won the most "blue states"

* Whoever won the most "red states"

* Whoever won the most primaries as opposed to caucuses

* Whoever won the most closed primaries that did not feature "excessive" numbers of African-Americans, or latte-drinking white people.

* "The better candidate"

* Who can turn the world on with a smile



I don't know about you guys, but I firmly believe elections must be conducted by rules and furthermore these rules must not be changed in the middle of an election because they suddenly no longer favor your candidate of choice. If we want to have a discussion of changing the rules -- getting rid of superdelegates, "undemocratic" caucuses, whatever -- then that discussion has to be about the NEXT election. Changing election rules in midway through the election is what you do in totalitarian countries to ensure the "correct" election outcome.

"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
-- Joseph Stalin

[Uben]

1. All you have to list....

....is what the SDs will consider. That is all that matters now, as it has been stated in this thread.