ISSUE: Democratic delegates

OUR VIEW: 'Super delegates' system could lead to wrong kind of promises

The increasingly tight Democratic primary race between between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama may not be decided by "the people" at all. That's right, all the campaigning, rallying, caucusing and voting may not matter.

First, the Democrats have an apportioning formula for allotting delegates to pick the nominee at the summer national convention. Delegates are to be pledged to the candidate that won the day in a primary or caucus. But how do you win the day?

The Republican Party has a winner-take-all format in most states. It's not even a percentage of the statewide vote translating into the same percentage of delegates. The candidate with the most votes gets all the state's delegates.

The Democrats make things a lot more complicated. The contest for delegates takes place in each congressional district in a state, meaning a candidate could lose badly statewide but pick up nearly equal delegates if congressional district votes fall in his or her favor. The idea is to ensure that strong support in district is not nullified totally by a majority in others.

There's also the matter of delegates such as those pledged to former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who has ended his presidential campaign. For whom will they vote at the convention? They do not have to remain committed to Edwards.

The broader question, however, surrounds a built-in system that ensure power brokers have the final say. The Democrats call them "super delegates." They are Democratic elected officials, party officials and selected "super" Democrats. They make up 25 percent of the voting delegates at the convention and can support the candidate of choice, which makes campaigning for their support important for a candidate.

The Clintons have been thought to have the edge, but recent endorsements by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy and other high-profile elected officials call into question the commitments to Clinton. A super delegate can change loyalties without consequence. Pledges and commitments, at least officially, mean nothing.

Both Clinton and Obama could come to the convention without sufficient delegates to win the nomination, at least as long as super delegates remain up for grabs. A lead could vanish amid back-room politicking of the type made infamous by political conventions of old.

While most times super delegates remain committed to a candidate or unite beyond a consensus nominee, this year could be different. Clinton and Obama may have to work for every delegate. And that could mean making promises of the type that both candidates have said won't be part of the change they'll bring to Washington.

Democrats have begun to acknowledge it may be time to look at their system of apportioning delegates by congressional districts. At the same time, they should consider the role of super delegates. There has to be a better way.

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