Please correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't pledged delegates only required to vote for the candidate they're "pledged" to in the first round of voting? After the first round, I believe they can vote for whomever they want.
Correct -- as far as is known about convention rules, they are only "pledged" for the first and maybe the second round of voting. After that they are free to vote as they please. And with all this talk of attempted poaching of pledged delegates (on both sides) they may not even be totally pledged for the first round. Though, this is a new wrinkle. Don't remember hearing about poaching before this. But it may have gone on.
It seems that many writers here only remember the conventions since 1976. The most successful Democratic Presidential campaign during this period was the Clinton-Gore campaign of 1992 - the one in which Bill did not even clinch the nomination until JUNE. Let's give the good folks of the remaining states a chance to hear the candidates debate the issues and to see each of them up close and personal and let them have their say. I would also like to see some resolution to the MI/FL mess that will be the lasting legacy of the Democratic party for a generation if not resolved.
Right, but keep in mind these people weren't exactly picked out of a hat. They are all ardent Obama or Clinton supporters and activists. Not likely to switch sides.
Both camps will work the "smoke-filled back rooms". They are good at it, and they'll have stuff to trade. The superdelegates who wish to have political futures for themselves will be listening very carefully. If you think Bill Richardson turned tail because he was bored, think again.
Actually, no delegates are truly bound even for the first vote. This was changed after the '80 election in which Carter's popular support was crashing at the time of the convention and Ted Kennedy had scored huge primary victories in the later part of the primary season, but Carter had won the necessary pledged delegates in the early primary season when he was still reasonably popular. There was an attempt at the convention to release the pledged delegates from their pledges before the first vote, but it was not successful; the pledged delegates voted as required, Carter was the nominee, and the rest is history. In '82, the party modified the rules to allow the delegates to vote their consciences on the first ballot.
I can't remember where I learned all that (somewhere recently), but I just googled to confirm that my understanding was correct.
Apparently, that '82 conference was also when the super delegates were added to ensure victory for the establishment candidate.
