Washblog

  I've thought some on this issue tonight and I can't decide which answer I favor most. Clearly, personal honor is a major factor. Being elected a delegate by your neighbors isn't something to take lightly.
  But, some, not so much this year, but lets say the few who stayed with Edwards, or Uncommitted, almost by the nature of the current race MUST switch. And is that a breach of the faith they were elected under?
  As someone who has concluded that Obama is the best shot at beating McCain and supporting down ticket candidates, I could welcome Clinton defectors, but I also don't see it as being all that close, come CD Caucus time anyway.

  Finally, it is a given that there is no legal penalty and little party penalty for most of the delegates. Given how rapidly the participation drops off after the election, it will be the rare faithless delegate that is even noticed by the people who attended the caucuses or by those who  remain active within the party.

   For me, this time, my vote is not an issue. I wouldn't have been a Clinton delegate and I'm not about to switch. But, in 2004, we had a woman switch candidates because A. She wanted to go to Boston. And B. The gender draw was against her. So, even candidate loyalty might be compromised by the facts on the ground at the next Level(s)!

Dave Gibney Pullman

by gibney on Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 11:31:03 PM PST

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By the second caucus, Dean had dropped out. Kucinch delegates tried to get me to switch, but I said I had to remain loyal to Dean. I wasn't going top Boston, but I wanted Dean to have the maximum number of delegates who would go to Boston, many were eager to do so.

In Boston they didn't even have the satisfaction of voting for Dean, since he asked them not to. That was a big letdown, I understand.

I'm now an Uncommitted delegate who WILL have to switch. But I told everyone at my precinct caucus that my second choice was Obama, so my neighbors won't be surprised if I become an Obama delegate. Had I said my second choice was Hillary, some of them might NOT have voted for me (like my husband!)

 

by dinazina on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 07:07:48 AM PST

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it is always advisable to vote for hard core supporters for the reason that delegates are ultimately free to change their positions.

by raincity calling on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:50:24 AM PST

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Good Poll.  Shows what should be kept in mind by delegates.

The world had moved on since Feb., so it makes sense that a delegate elected at the precinct caucus may change their mind.  But, it's also true that you don't just represent yourself.

These are delegates to the county convention, too, there to represent thier neighbors interests in more ways than nominating the presidential candidate.

Bottom line, we elect delegates to represent us.  Maybe our minds have shifted.  As said earlier, people need to elect the most hard core if they want them to stick to their nominee.

Even in states like California, which elect delegates to the convention out of CAMPAIGN caucuses....don't you think people could switch at the convention?

After all, aren't they there because ultimately we trusted them to do their best (sometimes of a bad beet) job for the party?

by ktkeller on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 03:29:01 PM PST

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so they can change their minds and quite a few do and for a variety of reasons.  Only those people elected to be National Delegates are pledged.

There are often good reasons in the caucus process to change.  For example, in one LD in 2004, all the Dean and Kucinich Precinct Delegates banded together went "uncommitted" at their LD caucus so they could move foward more Dean and Kucnich people as Uncommitted Delegates to their CD Caucus than if they had remained Delegates for their respective candidates.  Once at the CD caucus, they switched back to being Dean and Kucinich Delegates.

John, using your reasoning, am I correct that you would think they shouldn't have done that?

For what it is worth, at the precinct and LD caucuses I've attended, I don't ever recall a Delegate promising to stay true to that candidate until the end, but I imagine it can happen.

There is nothing in the rules that even suggests that the precinct, LD and CD caucus delegates should remain committed to one candidate all the way through the process or that their votes reflect the position of the people who elected them.

However, the National Delegate Selection Plan of the DNC does say this about National Delegates:
"Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them." See section J, page 14.

by Cherisse on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 07:38:54 PM PST

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