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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 11, 2008
/4 Adar II 5768
Power rightly belongs to Dem superdelegates
By
James Klurfeld
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
After last week's primary results, it's clear that the superdelegates will have to decide who the Democratic nominee for president will be. Good.
There's been entirely too much movement toward pure democracy in the Democratic Party. And now the Democrats are paying the price.
Go back to the Founding Fathers - they didn't trust pure democracy. "Democracy" went back to the Greek word "demos," the common people, rule of the mob. The Founders were much more interested in a representative democracy, a republic. They didn't believe it was wise to have each and every decision made by popular vote.
The superdelegates have a specific and important role to play in the nomination of a presidential candidate for the Democrats. And they've been part of the system - written into the party rules - since the early 1980s. They are a group of party officials and supporters, some elected, and other party elites who are expected to add professional (that means political) judgment to a decision about who'll be the party's standard-bearer. There's nothing illegitimate about them or how they vote.
If you read that to mean the superdelegates are a throwback to the old days of smoke-filled backrooms, you've got it right. Before the Democrats implode, they ought to get some backroom politics into their deliberations (just without the smoke, which, we now know, is dangerous to your health).
You can't tell me that the past 25 years or so of party history says the more democratic system has worked that much better than the old system for choosing a worthy candidate.
For good reason, many political scientists have been cool to the concept of proportional voting. It makes it that much more difficult to reach a clear decision, to declare a winner, especially in a pluralistic society. That is exactly what's happening now with Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. They need 2025 delegates to win the nomination, and each is hundreds of votes shy. The proportional allocation of delegates has made it difficult for either of them to gain a clear-cut advantage.
Proportional allocation of delegates is a concept that Jesse Jackson and other liberals pushed on the party in the name of democracy. With a winner-take-all system, Clinton would likely be well ahead now, because she has won more of the big, traditionally Democratic states.
A long, drawn-out and indecisive battle like this, while making for good TV, isn't necessarily good for the country. It forces candidates to take positions to gain votes that later lock them into bad policy options if they are elected.
Example: Clinton and Obama have been tripping over each other to say they are more opposed than the other to the North American Free Trade Agreement. In reality, they both understand the importance of free trade to the U.S. economy. But they've become so obsessed with getting every vote and pandering to the crowd that they have now said they'll be ready to renegotiate the agreement or withdraw from it. If either is elected in November, he or she will be faced with this choice: Pursue an unwise policy by trying to renegotiate the treaty, or don't - and look like a hypocrite.
At some point the superdelegates should make an attempt to throw their weight behind the candidate they believe will be best for the Democratic Party. That means, in the end, who can win in November. That decision doesn't have to be now. It's only March 7, a point in the political calendar that once upon a time marked the beginning of the primary season, not the end.
The superdelegates, even if they have already committed to a candidate, can still change their minds. (The other, elected delegates, by the way, have no legal obligation to vote for a particular candidate, but they did declare a preference in becoming a delegate.)
The whole point of having these 795 superdelegates is to avoid a train wreck for the party. At the moment, Clinton and Obama are two steam engines chugging down the track headed straight for each other.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
James Klurfeld is a professor of journalism at Stony Brook University.
Previously:
03/04/08: A neophyte looks like a pro, and vice versa
02/22/08: The allure of Obama for young people
02/19/08: Obama sounds good, but words aren't enough
© 2008, Newsday Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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