Quote:
Originally Posted by will1530
By winning 55% of the popular vote. Sanders didn't lose because of super delegates.
The writing was on the wall after Bernie took 49.59% of the vote in Iowa, but only 47.7% of the pledged delegates, and 41.2% of the total delegates, and he earned identically zero super-delegates. Amazingly, 14% of Iowa state delegates are super-delegates.
Then, a week later, Bernie won 60.14% of the popular vote in NH, and ended up with only 50% of the total state delegates. "Justice" prevailed, Bernie won the support of one of the eight super-delegates. Again though, amazingly, 25% of NH state delegates are super-delegates. Considering how the popular vote in NH went for Bernie, it seems that perhaps no level of popular support would have been sufficient to sway the minds of the super delegates.
This gave Bernie supporters some time to consider the level of the playing field.
Almost two weeks after NH, Bernie managed 47.29% popular support NV, but only managed 37.2% of the state delegates. The super-delegate shenanigans were tamped down... Bernie took 1 out of the 8 available. Super-delegates represent 18% of NV state delegates.
Its important to demoralize the loser as early in the contest as possible.
The psychological affects aside...
Given the pattern of 10-25% of delegates being super-delegates on a per-state basis, and 95+% of super-delegates going for Clinton, it seems that in order for Bernie to win the Democrat Primary in 2016, his popular support by the end of Super Tuesday would have needed to be over 75% to make up for the DNC's super-delegate machine.
In reality, Bernie had no chance.
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Now, consider for a moment the 2008 Democrat Primary. Hillary took 48% of the popular vote, to Obama's 47.3%.
Obama did to Hillary in 2008 what Hillary did to Bernie in 2016. Though Hillary was virtually tied in the popular vote in the early primary states, Obama took nearly all the super-delegates.
Hillary had no chance in 2008, and no amount of popular support would have changed that.
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Ultimately though, the Political Parties can run their parties any way they choose. Its up to the people to be knowledgeable of how the parties are run, and to decide whether they want to participate with or support them.
Last edited by Lapidator; 11-13-2016 at 12:46 AM.