A presidential primer

Oklahoma is but one of more than 20 states holding a presidential primary or caucus Feb. 5, and a lot is at stake for those still in the race.

By TEDDYE SNELL

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — From pundits to mainstream media to the candidates themselves, the talk of the 2008 presidential election seems to center on the word “change.”

Change occurred just last night with the New Hampshire primaries. Following Iowa wins for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.; and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Republican, many had written off Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as old news. But both Clinton and McCain carried the Granite State last night, with many pundits calling it “an upset.”

With such a thirst for change, it would seem Americans who have taken a more apathetic approach to politics in the past may be casting votes for the first time – or at least the first time in a long time.

That said, there are wrinkles in the political system voters may find interesting, if not confusing – including the difference between a caucus and a primary, and the finer points of the delegate system, with its “superdelegates” and non-committed Republican delegates.

A primary is an election dealing with nominations for public or party office. A presidential primary elects delegates to a presidential nominating convention; indicates preference for a party’s presidential nomination; or determines how all or part of a state’s delegation to a national convention will vote. A primary often does a combination of these things.

State parties that do not choose national convention delegates in binding primaries generally select them by a process that starts with local meetings of party members called “caucuses,” as is the case in Iowa. Caucuses elect delegates to a regional - usually county - convention that, in turn, elects delegates who will meet later to pick the district and at-large delegates to the national convention.

Delegates are men and women chosen in each state, the District of Columbia, and a number of overseas locations to vote at the Democratic and Republican national conventions.

The majority of these delegates are chosen in each state by district - usually congressional – and are called “district delegates.” A smaller number from each state are chosen from a statewide pool and are often, though not always, men and women of greater political stature, and are called “at-large delegates.”

Democrats have an additional category of delegates chosen statewide called “add-on delegates,” who are party and elected officials pledged to presidential candidates who earned a share of these delegates in the state’s primary or caucuses.

According to Pat Frank, who has served the Democratic party at county, state and national levels, Oklahoma Democrats also have an additional tier to their delegation.

“[Oklahoma] Democrats have a process to allow for gender equality,” said Frank. “That’s why some delegates represent a specific congressional district, and others are selected at the state level. For instance, if District 2 gets five delegates, it throws the system out of kilter. That discrepancy would be corrected at the state delegate level.”

In the Democrats’ system, all delegates determined by primaries or the caucus process are called “pledged delegates.” All delegates who serve by virtue of party or political office, past or present, are called “unpledged” or “superdelegates,” and include the entire Democratic National Committee, all Democratic members of Congress, and governors of states or territories, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and 21 “distinguished party members.”

Anyone viewing the CNN political Web site following the Iowa caucuses may have been confused about the delegate process, considering Clinton finished third but showed a whopping 169 delegates, while Obama won the state but showed only 66 delegates.

Following last night’s New Hampshire primary, CNN’s site now puts Clinton with 183 delegates: 24 pledged and 159 superdelegates. Obama has garnered 78 delegates: 25 pledged and 53 superdelegates.

Frank herself has served as a superdelegate, and wanted to reassure voters the superdelegates have little effect on the total outcome.

“Superdelegates really shouldn’t prevent people from getting out and voting,” said Frank. “The viability level for any candidate is 15 percent, meaning that if a candidate garners at least 15 percent of the popular vote, they’ll be awarded delegates.”

Northeastern State University Assistant Professor of Political Science Dr. Ron Becker expounded on the function of superdelegates.

“The essential purpose of superdelegates is to maintain some control of the nominating process by establishment party elites,” said Becker. “It is purely undemocratic, but the reasoning makes sense because primary elections and caucuses are dominated by party activists, as the typical voter does not turn out to vote.”

According to Becker, the dominance by activists increases the chances of a party nominating a far-left or far-right candidate.

“Of course, if the Democrats nominate a candidate too far to the left, or the Republicans nominate a candidate too far to the right, this candidate will lose the general election to the more mainstream candidate,” he said. “So the idea here is to have the establishment party leaders maintain some control over nominations.”

In 2008, a total of 2,026 delegates are needed to secure the Democratic nomination this summer at the party’s national convention in Denver. The Democratic National Committee has allotted states a total of 797 superdelegates to the convention.

The Republican party does not use the term “superdelegates,” but “unpledged delegates,” roughly equal in proportion to the number of Democratic superdelegates. Like their counterparts, unpledged delegates are generally elected officeholders, party officials and members of the Republican National Committee.

Becker pointed out superdelegates and unpledged delegates are free to support any candidate at the convention, regardless of the outcomes of the primaries and the caucuses.

“They can shift their loyalties at will and usually follow the flow, so long as the nominee is not too far out of the mainstream center,” he said. “So, about 20 percent of delegates aren’t chosen in voting booths and superdelegates - the party’s elite - can back a candidate at any time no matter what the calendar, caucus-goer or primary voter says.”

Longtime Republican party member Gary Gore finds this information troubling.

“What’s the use of having caucuses or primaries if the delegates are all sewn up [in the superdelegate process]?” he asked. “It seems like, if they’re able to shift loyalties right up until time to vote at convention, they’ll all wait and decide which side of the bread is best buttered, then vote for that candidate. I really wonder if the primaries and caucuses are worth the effort.”

Gore also pointed out that in the past, winners of both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primaries have secured the party nomination.

“It makes you wonder if those delegates won’t just base their votes on who wins those,” he said. “I would like to see an end to all this partisanship. There needs to be some civility somewhere. Politicians these days just run for office and would do anything to get elected. This superdelegate thing needs more exposure.”

According to a table in the election guide of the New York Times, Oklahoma is set for its presidential primary on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5. More than 20 states will be casting votes on this day, with a total of 2,075 delegates up for grabs on the Democratic side and 1,081 on the Republican side.

As evidenced in the Iowa caucuses, younger voters are more involved in the political process this year. Cherokee County Election Board Secretary Connie Parnell had some tips for local college-age voters who may be attending school in other cities.

“I’ve had several local students who are attending school at [the University of Oklahoma] whom I’m mailing absentee ballots to,” said Parnell. “College-age voters can have their absentee ballots mailed to either their local address, or their address at their college.”

Regardless of the type of ballot, all who plan to vote in the president preferential primary, annual school and special elections must be registered no later than midnight, Friday, Jan. 11.

Those who would prefer to vote in-person by absentee ballot have several opportunities, according to Parnell. The Cherokee County Election Board office, at 914 S. College Ave., will be open for in-person, absentee voting from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 1; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2; and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 4.

Parnell is also encouraging registered voters to volunteer as precinct officials.

“Each precinct has three officials who handle all services, questions and problems on election day,” said Parnell. “The three-person, bipartisan board includes a judge, a clerk and an inspector.”

Precinct training will be offered to former officials at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., today; and at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10. New precinct official training is offered at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 10. A make-up session for both former and new officials will be held on Friday.