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Three-Fifths Compromise : Sanders supporters revolt against superdelegates

Bernie Sanders

Outraged by the delegate deficit Sanders faces even after his New Hampshire win, the senator’s backers are taking action.

By Daniel Strauss

02/14/16 06:34 PM EST

Bernie Sanders lost by a hair in Iowa and won by a landslide in New Hampshire. Yet Hillary Clinton has amassed an enormous 350-delegate advantage over the Vermont senator after just two states.

Outraged by that disconnect – which is fueled by Clinton’s huge advantage with Democratic superdelegates, who are not bound by voting results – Sanders supporters are fighting back.

Pro-Sanders threads on Reddit have been burning up with calls for action, with some supporters even reaching out to superdelegates (who are typically Democratic governors, members of Congress, and top state and national party leaders) to lobby them on the Vermont senator’s behalf. Progressive groups are also taking a stand: There are currently two petition campaigns designed to urge superdelegates to reflect the popular vote, rather than the sentiment of party elites.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/bernie-sanders-superdelegates-democrats-219286#ixzz40G9k2JnJ

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Three-Fifths Compromise : Are ‘superdelegates’ Hillary Clinton’s secret weapon?

hillary-clinton-what-difference-does-it-make

The purpose of superdelegates was to save voters from political suicide, and while they have tended to follow public voting patterns in recent elections, 2016 could be different.

By Peter Grier, Staff writer FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Does Hillary Clinton have a secret weapon in her battle for the Democratic presidential nomination – “superdelegates” already pledged to support her?

Well, yes, yes she does. But in the end, they probably wouldn’t tip the balance in a close race with rival Bernie Sanders.

Superdelegates aren’t delegates with special powers. Their votes don’t count more than normal elected delegates. They won’t wear spandex or any kind of identifying costume at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Decoder/2016/0211/Are-superdelegates-Hillary-Clinton-s-secret-weapon-video