Election: Superdelegate plan is wrongheaded

Re: “Bernie backer has a plan to impel superdelegates,” (TNT, 5/6). Andrew Williams’ proposal to force superdelegates to vote with caucus majorities is, frankly, a little nuts and very un-American. I’m shocked the county convention went along with him.

Williams’ ill-advised notion would remove party funding and support from any elected official (superdelegate) who did not vote with the majority of caucus goers. Under his plan, all 17 superdelegates must vote for Bernie Sanders because 72.7 percent of Washington voters who participated in the caucus felt the Bern.

Wouldn’t it be truly democratic for 72.7 percent of the superdelegates to vote for Bernie? That would be 12 of the 17. But that might force several superdelegates to give up their right to cast a ballot for a candidate they support. That kind of treatment is more egregious than the worst of the GOP-backed voter suppression laws.

Williams says he’s upset because “… all of our elected officials are voting for Secretary Clinton.” That’s not true. Ten of the superdelegates have indicated Clinton is their choice. The other seven have made no declarations. And it was Williams who wonders “… does our vote really matter?” Of course it matters. And so do the votes of the superdelegates. They, like Williams, should be allowed to make their own choice.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Election: Superdelegate plan is wrongheaded."