A Bernie Sanders Supporter Confronted a Superdelegate — Then Leaked Their Convo

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

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http://usuncut.com/politics/alaska-superdelegate/

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Bernie supporters are so feisty.  LOVE IT!  Democracy in action folks.  Let us bring the establishment to heel.

[Desroko]

We used to get two types of volunteers - those who wanted to win votes, and those who wanted to win arguments.*

*It's actually three, but I'm not counting flakes. 

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

"due to her negative conversations with sanders supporters"

surprise, surprise. there sure are a lot of those mythical berniebros

[Landslide Lyndon]

I'm sure these kind of far-left loons had no problem in 2008 when Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller supported Obama despite the fact that Hillary won West Virginia by more than 2 to 1.

[Famous Mortimer]

This chick is crazy to release this conversation because it doesn't make her look good at all. I guess the super delegate sounds a little condescending ("done nothing but caucused") but then this person actually deserves to be condescended to. Where did this idea come from that super delegates have to vote with their states? It has absolutely no precedent and worse than that, it's just dumb. You can be damn sure this chick wouldn't mind a super delegate from Alabama voting for Sanders.

[This account no longer in use.]

who care

[Desroko]

This chick is crazy to release this conversation because it doesn't make her look good at all. I guess the super delegate sounds a little condescending ("done nothing but caucused") but then this person actually deserves to be condescended to. Where did this idea come from that super delegates have to vote with their states? It has absolutely no precedent and worse than that, it's just dumb. You can be damn sure this chick wouldn't mind a super delegate from Alabama voting for Sanders.

It's a berniebro, actually. (Levi is a masculine name.)

One who's fond of statements like "I am the public".

[Figueira]

I think superdelegates should vote based on how the whole country voted, not how their state voted.

[Ebsy]

Unsurprisingly, the Bernie Cult is going about persuading superdelegates to switch to Sanders in exactly the wrong way. Now we have evidence that they are driving actually them into Clinton's camp.

[Bojack Horseman]

I have a feeling that when this is over, many open primary states (Michigan especially) will move to a closed primary system.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The whole point of superdelegates is not being bound by primaries (and that's a very good reason to abolish them as fundamentally undemocratic).

[DrScholl]

The riot comment was out of line.

[Wiz in Wis]

I think superdelegates should vote based on how the whole country voted, not how their state voted.

Superdelegates should vote how they want... hence the whole point of superdelegates.

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Sure, but that's a 2020 issue. They still exist in 2016. If Sanders is so offended by them, he should pledge to support whoever wins the most votes/pledged delegates. But, since his margin is almost entirely based on the less democratic caucus states, I doubt he will.

[Lyin' Steve]

tl;dr:

Levi:  (copy+paste)
Kim:  No sorry, I don't like how negative Bernie supporters are.
Levi:  SNARK SNARK SNARK!  I'm sorry we're all so negative but please vote for him anyway, otherwise you're an anti-democratic fascist, and I wonder who's controlling your vote?
Kim:  See above
Levi:  I wasn't being negative!  Gosh why are you so sensitive?  You should lose your job!
Kim:  Where do you live?
Levi:  Why won't you vote for Bernie when I voted for Bernie?
Kim:  I think Hillary would be a better president.
Levi:  You're in the pocket of special interests!  How dare you vote for the person you think would be better!
Kim:  Knock it off, I'm not.
Levi:  You're so rude!  You're so un-democratic!  You're just an old women content with the status quo!
Kim:  K, you know it all kiddo.
Levi:  You're such an asshole!  You are OBLIGATED to vote for my candidate!  Democracy is dead, you have killed the hopes and dreams of a generation.
Kim:  If you really want to change things, stay involved instead of harassing me on Facebook.
Levi:  Thanks but have you considered voting for Bernie instead of stealing the election for Hillary?
Kim:  No, I prefer Hillary and am voting for her.
Levi:  How dare you!
Kim:  OK, bye.
Levi:  Bye you hack.  You're stealing the election for Hillary and destroying democracy.  Consider your job threatened.
Kim:  k, please stay involved after the election.
Levi:  I'm going to start a riot if you don't vote for Bernie.


I wonder whether insulting and threatening her was enough to change her opinion that Bernie supporters are too negative?

[Lyin' Steve]

I think superdelegates should vote based on how the whole country voted, not how their state voted.

Superdelegates should vote how they want... hence the whole point of superdelegates.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Sure, but that's a 2020 issue. They still exist in 2016. If Sanders is so offended by them, he should pledge to support whoever wins the most votes/pledged delegates. But, since his margin is almost entirely based on the less democratic caucus states, I doubt he will.

Haha, could you imagine Bernie casting his vote for Hillary on principle if she beats him in the vote count but all the other delegates+superdelegates are tied?

[Wiz in Wis]

"I know how voting works. And I know that if you vote for your choice, then your circumventing the democratic process"

This Levi character is a real loony toon.

[SteveRogers]

The whole point of superdelegates is not being bound by primaries (and that's a very good reason to abolish them as fundamentally undemocratic).

Devil's Advocate here: The point of the presidential primary process, and ultimately of the convention, is for the party to choose its nominee. A political party is traditionally understood as consisting of three components: (1) The Party in the Electorate (the voters), (2) the Party in Government (elected officials), and (3) The Party as an Organization (The national committee, state and local party chairs, etc.). The elected pledged delegates represent the Party in the Electorate at the convention. The Superdelegates on the other hand are largely composed of sitting Democratic governors, Senators, and Representatives, as well as party officials from each state.  These Superdelegates therefore represent the other two components that make up the Democratic Party. If a political party is properly considered as consisting of more than just its supporters in the electorate, then why should it be "fundamentally undemocratic" for the other facets of the party to have a role in the nominating process?

[Joe Republic]

Alaska has 4 superdelegates.  About 20% of the voters wanted Hillary, and with this they will get 25% of the superdelegates' vote.  Hardly a massive injustice.

Not that this is how superdelegates are supposed to work, of course.

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

We used to get two types of volunteers - those who wanted to win votes, and those who wanted to win arguments.*

*It's actually three, but I'm not counting flakes. 

+++++++++++  Amen, anonymous internet person.

I have a feeling that when this is over, many open primary states (Michigan especially) will move to a closed primary system.

Oooh yeah. Because I just hate candidates who appeal to Independents. I sincerely hope the DNC now plans to win elections based on the 32% of voters who register as Dems.

[Xing]

My personal feelings about the existence of superdelegates aside... While these superdelegates aren't legally obliged to change their vote based on how their state votes, there is obviously a large part of the electorate which is in Bernie's corner. If they are condescending to these folks, they're only hurting the Democratic Party and the Democrats' chances of winning this year.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I have a feeling that when this is over, many open primary states (Michigan especially) will move to a closed primary system.

Oooh yeah. Because I just hate candidates who appeal to Independents. I sincerely hope the DNC now plans to win elections based on the 32% of voters who register as Dems.

Things aren't so simple. There has been a lot of ratfycking over the years.
Plus, if someone feels so strong about a candidate then it's not that much of a burden to change his registration and vote for him.

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

I have a feeling that when this is over, many open primary states (Michigan especially) will move to a closed primary system.

Oooh yeah. Because I just hate candidates who appeal to Independents. I sincerely hope the DNC now plans to win elections based on the 32% of voters who register as Dems.

Things aren't so simple. There has been a lot of ratfycking over the years.
Plus, if someone feels so strong about a candidate then it's not that much of a burden to change his registration and vote for him.

With deadlines sometimes weeks or months before the election? It really is, for the average voter. Most people aren't paying attention 'til the week or so before.

I mean, I generally favor semi-open more than open*, because you're right about ratfycking. But the majority of Sanders Surprises aren't coming from GOP crossover, but Independents having their input. Which I don't think you can reasonably claim is awful people sabotaging the party.

*semi open meaning Indy and Dem, but not GOP

[izixs]

I have a feeling that when this is over, many open primary states (Michigan especially) will move to a closed primary system.

Oooh yeah. Because I just hate candidates who appeal to Independents. I sincerely hope the DNC now plans to win elections based on the 32% of voters who register as Dems.

Things aren't so simple. There has been a lot of ratfycking over the years.
Plus, if someone feels so strong about a candidate then it's not that much of a burden to change his registration and vote for him.

With deadlines sometimes weeks or months before the election? It really is, for the average voter. Most people aren't paying attention 'til the week or so before.

I mean, I generally favor semi-open more than open*, because you're right about ratfycking. But the majority of Sanders Surprises aren't coming from GOP crossover, but Independents having their input. Which I don't think you can reasonably claim is awful people sabotaging the party.

*semi open meaning Indy and Dem, but not GOP

And some independents are more reliable Democratic voters in the general than some members of the party. I wouldn't mind them having some input in our process. The term independent is so excessively nebulous as folks of all political stripes can make it mean what ever they like to make themselves feel good about their political choices.

Though an expression of the flip side of things, the fact that some indies also vote reliably for the other party, I recall years back in one of my poly sci classes a comic in one of the text books that was something like a guy with boots and a cowboy hat saying: "I'm an independent and make a non-partisan decision each election for who to vote for. That's why I voted for Eisenhower, Eisenhower, Nixon, Goldwater, Nixon, Nixon, Ford, and Reagan."

Really, 'independent' as a party id is kind of silly. I'd kind of be ok if states started eliminating it as a possibility if they're going to insist on close primaries.

[Knives]

Superdelegates are not meant to be Democratic,  but the Democratic party shouldn't be entirely democratic - literally no political party anywhere in the world is. Why do Sanders supporters believe it should be?