Hoyer and Superdelegates

Last week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) addressed reporters and discussed a variety of issues, including his view on the role that superdelegates should play in selecting the Democratic presidential nominee. Stephanie Lundberg, a spokesperson for the congressman, referred to these remarks when contacted by PolitickerMD.com.

“The superdelegates were created, in my view, to bring their judgment, their experience and their commitment to success in the general election and to bring that judgment to bear on how best we can accomplish the most success, and I think that's what the superdelegates will do,” Hoyer said.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) leads Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) by roughly 150 pledged delegates in the race for the nomination. Obama defeated his rival by 24 points in yesterday’s Mississippi primary.

Neither candidate is expected to achieve the necessary 2,025 delegates, but Clinton cannot mathematically overtake Obama in the pledged delegate lead, so she will have to rely on the superdelegates to overturn Obama’s pledged delegate support.

Such a possible scenario has led to a deep division within the Democratic Party as to how superdelegates should vote. The debate centers around the belief held by some that the superdelegates should vote for the candidate who is ahead in pledged delegates and/or popular votes, while others believe the superdelegates should be free to vote as they desire, regardless of who is ahead in pledged delegates or popular votes.

Furthermore, some Democrats believe the superdelegates should vote for the candidate who won their individual state’s primary, while others feel the superdelegates should not exist. Obama has won twice the number of states as Clinton, and he leads in popular votes, as well as pledged delegates.

At his press conference, Hoyer cited the “judgment” of the superdelegates, saying, “They know the nominees, they know their capabilities, they know their relationships, they know they can make a judgment as to how effective they will be as leaders, as presidents.”

In what was a clear signal as to his opinion on the debate, Hoyer said, “The superdelegates didn't do a bad job with Abraham Lincoln. They didn't do a bad job with Franklin Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson, or even Harry Truman back in the days when the delegates were largely party leaders or party followers that the leaders liked.”

Despite growing concerns, Hoyer said he did not foresee the superdelegates as a source of future controversy, saying, “I expect the issue to be resolved prior to August.”

Democrats meet for their national convention in Denver on August 25. The next battleground will be in Pennsylvania on April 22.

The debate will continue for at least six more weeks.