A Superdelegate Mini-Convention ?

[Tender Branson]

Democrats, looking for a way out, are pondering a new idea: an unprecedented “mini-convention” to bring their punishing presidential season to an early close.

The proposal surfaced during another week of pushing and shoving between the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns, and a growing concern that the party may be hurting itself beyond repair.

The mini-convention would bring together nearly 800 superdelegates after the last primaries are held on June 3 in South Dakota and Montana.

Given the current math, superdelegates — party officials and elected leaders — will decide the nomination, one way or another.

“There would be a final opportunity for the candidates to make their arguments to these delegates, and then one transparent vote,” Tennessee Gov. Philip Bredesen suggested in The New York Times.

Superdelegates, both pledged and unpledged, reacted cautiously to the idea. But they all agreed that something needed to be done to bridge the growing gap between Clinton and Obama supporters.

Some Democrats said the party should take a look at the idea.

Obama called it “interesting.” Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Charles Schumer of New York said the idea might have merit. Clinton, Bredesen said, did not reject the idea.

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/542737.html

[Tender Branson]

Clinton did not reject the idea....buttt...?

anyways, I think its a good idea actually.

Such a mini-convention would probably end polarized, which is a bad thing for Hillary Clinton. At best, Clinton would get 55% of the delegates (440-360). The 80 net delegates she'd win won´t be enough to offset the 160 delegate deficit she currently has. Even if she wins PA, KY, WV and PR, she would most likely add a net 50 delegates ... Obama would still win by 30 delegates.

[Tender Branson]

What if they do this and neither one receives a majority of the delegates? Let's not forget that Edwards still has, what, 18 pledged delegates? So perhaps those 18 pledged delegates, along with maybe a renegade band of half a dozen super delegates who throw their support to Al Gore or whoever, end up adding to the stalemate by denying either candidate from receiving a majority of the delegates.

What then? There's really nothing they could do but wait until the first ballot at the convention with an anticipated second ballot on the horizon...perhaps multiple ballots to come. The anticipation for a second ballot would possibly, if not probably, create a shadow candidacy, likely for Al Gore, hard at work from June through August as a precautionary measure in case something happens to one of the two nominees, or in case they bloody each other up so badly throughout the summer that neither one has any chance of uniting the party, let alone the country.

I hate to say it, but the Democratic Party is a complete and utter mess. It's almost as if they feel obligated to create circular firing squads during presidential elections, even in a sure-fire Democratic year like 2008. Perhaps the Democrats truly need the political bosses to choose their nominee for them once again.

Nearly impossible. Obama will have 1.700 pledged delegates by June and he "just" needs an additional 350 superdelegates to win the nomination. Achievable.