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Superdelegates still in play

By: Herman Wang
(Contact)

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Lincoln Davis

WASHINGTON — While Georgia’s superdelegates have swung significantly for Barack Obama over the past month, Tennessee’s superdelegates haven’t changed their positions at all.

Many uncommitted superdelegates say they’ll stay that way until the Democratic National Convention in late August, unless the neck-and-neck race between Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Obama, D-Ill., is decided by voters before then.

“We’ve had such interest in our party and the process,” said Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., one of seven undecided superdelegates in Tennessee. “There’s a lot of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Both of them bring change from what we have today.”

Gov. Phil Bredesen said he also is not tipping his hand for now.

“I obviously want to see how things will play out,” he said. “I think superdelegates have an important role to play to figure how to get out of the place we’re in and be where we can be unified behind a candidate. That’s why I’m keeping my powder dry, to see if we can’t provide some leadership.”

The Democratic Party created the superdelegate system in 1984 to give high-level party officials some influence in the nomination process, and this year, with the very close race, their leanings are being scrutinized closely.

Many in the party fear that a protracted nomination battle could cause rifts in the voter base. That’s what led Georgia Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kidd to announce recently her support for Sen. Obama, joining Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., and party activist Mary Long, both of whom announced their support for Sen. Obama in the past two weeks.

“I decided that the last thing I wanted to do was wait until the convention and for it to come down to a superdelegate vote and have it be contentious,” Ms. Kidd said. “I do think we need to move toward a resolution.”

Two other high-profile superdelegates, Reps. John Lewis and Davis Scott, both D-Ga., switched their support from Sen. Clinton to Sen. Obama in February.

On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., already has clinched the nomination. Republican lawmakers from Tennessee and Georgia say they are prepared to campaign for him.

“He’ll be strong on the top of the ticket, and I’ll be happy to campaign for him or help in any way that he wants,” Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said.

Chris Riley, chief of staff for Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., said the congressman “will support, endorse and work to elect the Republican nominee for president.”

Voters in Mississippi, the next state to hold its primary, head to the polls today.

ELECTABILITY A FOCUS

Sen. Obama leads Sen. Clinton in total delegates 1,553-1,448, according to a CNN tally, with 2,205 needed to win the nomination.

With fewer than 700 pledged delegates left up for grabs through the end of primary season on June 3, neither candidate is likely to gain the required number to clinch the nomination before the convention.

“Part of what’s going on is neither Obama nor Clinton have soft support,” said Bruce Oppenheimer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University who studies elections. “They have really hard-core support of 40 percent on each side, so that’s what makes it hard for anybody to get on a roll.”

That puts the 792 superdelegates — elected officials and party insiders who can vote for any candidate at the convention — in play.

Among superdelegates who have declared their allegiance, Sen. Clinton leads 238-206.

Gray Sasser, chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party and another undecided superdelegate, said the results from the state’s Feb. 5 primary would play a role in his choice, along with electability.

Sen. Clinton won the Tennessee primary, 53.8 percent to 40.5 percent, while Sen. Obama won the Georgia primary the same day, 66.4 percent to 31.1 percent.

“It’s incumbent on the superdelegates to unify among the candidate who can best win the election,” Mr. Sasser said. “That’s why these primaries are so important. They show who has the ability to carry through.”

TENNESSEE SUPERDELEGATES

Supporting Hillary Clinton:

* Jimmie Farris, Democratic National Committee

* Myron Lowery, Democratic National Committee

* Bill Owen, Democratic National Committee

* Elisa Parker, Democratic National Committee

Supporting Barack Obama:

* Will Cheek, Democratic National Committee

* U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper

* U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen

* State Rep. Lois DeBerry, Democratic National Committee

Unpledged:

* Gov. Phil Bredesen

* Inez Crutchfield, Democratic National Committee

* U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis

* U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon

* Al Gore, distinguished party leader and former vice president

* Gray Sasser, chairman of Tennessee Democratic Party

* U.S. Rep. John Tanner

GEORGIA SUPERDELEGATES

Supporting Hillary Clinton:

* Carol Dabbs, Democratic National Committee

* Lonnie Plott, Democratic National Committee

* Michael Thurmond, Democratic National Committee

Supporting Barack Obama:

* U.S. Rep. John Barrow

* U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop

* U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson

* Jane Kidd, chairwoman of Georgia Democratic Party

* U.S. Rep. John Lewis

* Mary Long, Democratic National Committee

* U.S. Rep. David Scott

Unpledged:

* Jimmy Carter, distinguished party leader and former president

* U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall

* Richard Ray, Democratic National Committee