The close contest between Clinton and Obama has brought to light the existence of superdelegates and the role they play in the party nomination process. Most delegates are committed to candidates and that commitment is based on the percentage of the vote a candidate received in a state party's primary (Democrats use proportional representation, Republicans tend to use winner take all rules).
Since this removes the selection completely from party leaders, the Demcratic establishment created superdelegates sometime ago to give them influence in the process. The superdelegates are party leaders, often members of Congress or state legislatures. In recent elections, one candidate has earned enough support to make the superdelegates insignificant, but not this year.
The question now becomes, what should drive the superdelegates' votes? Should they respect the decision of the people and vote for whichever candidate received the most votes or make a decision based on either their own convictions or for whichever candidate they believe is most likely to win?
Here are some recent news stories and opinions on the subject.
Superdelegates: Why They Matter.
Q and A on the subject.
The Superdelegates' dilemma.
This will only get more heated.
