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Bernie Sanders
Related: About this forumOregon superdelegates making Sanders/Clinton choices amid growing unease about system
SALEM After Bernie Sanders won Oregon's Democratic primary this week, two superdelegates announced they'll back the Vermont senator and one declared support for Hillary Clinton, amid increased discomfort with a system viewed as undemocratic, even among some of the superdelegates themselves.
"Every Democrat I have talked to finds the unpledged delegate system offensive," Larry Taylor said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. He became a superdelegate because of his position in the Democratic party in Oregon, but that doesn't mean he agrees with the system.
After Tuesday's primary results came in, Taylor announced he would support Sanders, one of only three superdelegates to do so, with Sen. Jeff Merkley having endorsed Sanders before the primary. Seven have declared they back Clinton. Three remain undeclared.
"I don't think my vote ... should invalidate the vote of thousands of voters," Taylor said. Each delegate vote on the floor of the Democratic convention in July will represent about 8,500 Democrats who voted in the Oregon primary, he noted. He was speaking to AP from Philadelphia, where he and other party officials from Oregon were visiting the convention facilities.
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio is unhappy with this system. DeFazio, a superdelegate by virtue of his position as a congressman, is staying out of the fray for now.
"Generally, I do not weigh in on contested primaries, and as long as the race for the Democratic nomination continues, I have no plans to do otherwise," DeFazio said in a statement Wednesday.
He was blunt about his feelings about the superdelegate system, implemented by the Democratic National Committee before the 1984 election to prevent candidates with little chance of winning the presidential election from being chosen as the party's nominee.
"I find the role of superdelegates undemocratic and they should not be a part of the nominating system," DeFazio said. "Instead, I would prefer to let the voters determine the results of presidential primary."
Superdelegate Lupita Maurer came out for Sanders after his win Tuesday, and was delighted to do so.
"I believe I have to represent the majority of voters in Oregon, and so I will vote for him at the convention," she told AP Wednesday.
Maurer, who has dual US-Mexican citizenship, added: "I am from Mexico City, and to me he has done an outstanding job of standing up for the Latino community."
However, she is not a fan of the superdelegate system.
"It's outdated," she said. "We should just get rid of the delegate system completely."
-- The Associated Press
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/05/oregon_superdelegates_grapple.html
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Oregon superdelegates making Sanders/Clinton choices amid growing unease about system (Original Post)
Donkees
May 2016
OP
Someone should send a link to the AP, since they can't seem to find it.
winter is coming
May 2016
#5
Can you believe the count has stalled at 95%? It's been that way for almost a week! And
Stardust
May 2016
#11
"Multnomah County elections officials still have at least 25,000 still to be counted" (???)
Donkees
May 2016
#13
Donkees, I don't know how you find all these juicy articles...you're amazing ‼️
Stardust
May 2016
#7
Help yourself to cross-posting if you choose :) I snipped parts of the article ...
Donkees
May 2016
#10
Done, but I didn't reference this post or give you credit...in case you didn't want
silvershadow
May 2016
#12
Kittycat
(10,493 posts)1. Oregon isn't even done counting & Bernie's lead is
Continuing to grow.
Silvershadow posted the late night update from John Laurits in the Bernie group. Great info here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1280&pid=200442
Donkees
(31,418 posts)2. I also posted a LIVE Updates Oregon Primary Results Link:
LIVE Updates Oregon Primary Results Link:
http://gov.oregonlive.com/election/
oregonjen
(3,338 posts)4. The last update for Dem President was 10:10am 5/20 on that link
It will be interesting to see the final tally!
Donkees
(31,418 posts)6. Yes, I imagine the updates are actively done Monday-Friday (?)
Clicking on the counties, shows various 'update times'.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)5. Someone should send a link to the AP, since they can't seem to find it.
Stardust
(3,894 posts)11. Can you believe the count has stalled at 95%? It's been that way for almost a week! And
according to John Laurits, they won't release the final totals until mid-June😡, long after all the primaries are over. Grrrrr.
Donkees
(31,418 posts)13. "Multnomah County elections officials still have at least 25,000 still to be counted" (???)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/05/at_least_25000_multnomah_count.html
With 225,000 ballots tallied as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, Multnomah County elections officials still have at least 25,000 still to be counted, according to elections spokesman Eric Sample.
Slightly more than 250,000 Multnomah voters cast ballots in the May primary, 90,000 of them on Election Day, records show. Even by working all through Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, election workers have not been able to open and verify signatures on that many ballots yet, Sample said.
He estimates workers will finish late this evening, perhaps around 9 p.m. and maybe later.
Donkees
(31,418 posts)15. Multnomah County Democratic 77.7% Reporting (politico.com link)
http://www.politico.com/2016-election/results/map/president/oregon
~*~
Voters waited to get replacement ballots at Multnomah County election headquartersin order to vote in Tuesday's primary.
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/05/at_least_25000_multnomah_count.html
~*~
Voters waited to get replacement ballots at Multnomah County election headquartersin order to vote in Tuesday's primary.
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/05/at_least_25000_multnomah_count.html
Kittycat
(10,493 posts)17. Thank you.
surrealAmerican
(11,362 posts)3. I always think this is a bit funny:
... "the superdelegate system, implemented by the Democratic National Committee before the 1984 election to prevent candidates with little chance of winning the presidential election from being chosen" ...
Think what happened in 1984 as a result of those newly-minted super delegates. They were a factor that year in choosing the "more electable" candidate - who lost in the general election by a landslide.
Stardust
(3,894 posts)7. Donkees, I don't know how you find all these juicy articles...you're amazing ‼️
Donkees
(31,418 posts)9. Just ask the googles :)
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)8. Have you shared in GDP? If not, I will. :D nt
Donkees
(31,418 posts)10. Help yourself to cross-posting if you choose :) I snipped parts of the article ...
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)12. Done, but I didn't reference this post or give you credit...in case you didn't want
incoming fire.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512028336
Donkees
(31,418 posts)14. Thanks, I don't care :)
Kittycat
(10,493 posts)16. Brave soul