It is becoming increasingly popular to bash superdelegates in recent
days, for several obvious reasons. Most fundamentally, the fact that
the pledged delegates are beginning to hint at one story, while the
superdelegates currently are on the opposite side inspires people in a
fit of democratic fervor to speak out against these tyrants (okay, no
one's called them "tyrants" ...yet). More than just a few people have
declared their lack of faith in the SDs, including a prominent SD
herself.



If we could just put the torches and pitchforks down for a brief
moment, I'd like to propose a few hypotheticals in which we'd be in
real trouble without superdelegates.

1. The Ron Paul: If candidate x, running as a Democrat has
a lot of ideas that critically undercut the party's platform, it is
clearly in the party's interest to mobilize against that candidate.
After all, the candidate owes at least some of his support and his
visibility to his party affiliation, and should not be able to ride
those coattails to cut off the party at the knees.

2. Late scandal: Pledged delegates are decided at caucuses and
primaries months before the national convention, and legally bound in
their vote. There are any number of scandals that could become known
after the delegates from the voting have already been pledged. Without
superdelegates, it would be impossible to insure the Democrats don't
walk into the general with a candidate that is going down in flames.
Imagine trying to rally the party around an indicted candidate.

3. Accountability: Consider the possibility of a tight election in the
final states to vote. 11th hour tactics crossing all reasonable bounds
of ethics could be employed. The mere existence of superdelegates as a
final after-the-primaries primary discourages such self-destructive
behavior.

4. Last minute rebellion against the party: This one is barely even
hypothetical. Consider if Clinton strongarmed the seating of Michigan
and Florida delegates to tip the votes her way while the DNC was still
vigorously opposed to it. The superdelegates again offer a check
against such party-endangering tactics.



It's useful to take a step back and evaluate what the likely priorities
are of these superdelegates. They are elected democrats, and they are
the quiet machinery of the democratic party itself. A few individuals
back one candidate or another for power in a possible future
administration, or out of loyalty for favors done in the past, but this
is the vast, vast minority. On the whole, there is likely no group of
people that is as devoted to the idea of advancing the Democratic party
than these superdelegates. These conspiracy theories of SDs quietly
biding their time in hopes of being able to subvert the will of the
Democratic voters are just that - Conspiracy Theories.