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Bredesen shifts focus on superdelegate vote
Gov. Phil Bredesen, whose superdelegate primary plan has put him on the national stage, appears to have changed the way he’s approaching his own superdelegate vote.
With Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama likely unable to win the Democratic Party’s nomination outright through pledged delegates alone, the votes of superdelegates will determine the Democrat who opposes Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.
And the uncommitted Bredesen appears to have reconsidered how he’d go about casting his vote.
After initially saying in February that he would be voting for whom he thought would be the best president — regardless of how the majority of Democratic voters came down — Bredesen now says he will consider the public’s voice.
The governor says he’s not certain though on whose will to follow — Tennesseans’ or the national tide.
“I think it’s a combination of what’s my responsibility to the people who voted for me, what’s my responsibility as a member of the Democratic Party, who do I think would be best for the country?” Bredesen told reporters Thursday. “I have to say I think that in some way respecting the will of the people, I’m not sure how that comes out, has got to be an important piece of the thing.”
Superdelegates are Democratic elected officials and party leaders. Bredesen, as a Democratic governor, is one of Tennessee’s 17 superdelegates.
Bredesen could claim either candidate has been backed by a majority of Democrats.
In Tennessee, Clinton easily defeated Obama in the state’s Democratic primary in February.
But on the national stage, Obama leads Clinton in pledged delegates as well as the popular vote.
“Well, if I’m supposed to follow the will of the people, exactly which will am I supposed to follow there?” Bredesen asked rhetorically.
The decision for Bredesen and other superdelegates comes as the Democratic Party is facing a lengthy primary process with no clear outcome immediately present.
Going against the majority will of Democratic voters, Bredesen said, would be a “nightmare” and have long-term negative implications for the Democratic Party.
To try to resolve the Democrats’ conundrum in a fair way prior to the August convention, Bredesen proposed in an op-ed to the New York Times last week the idea of a superdelegate primary.
Under Bredesen’s plan, all of the superdelegates would gather in June and vote on the record for whom they thought should be the party’s nominee.
That would, in theory, decide the nominating contest then and end the “divisive” Democratic primary, Bredesen said, not letting a summer of “brutal and unnecessary warfare” drag out until the late August convention.
Since unveiling that proposal, Bredesen has agreed to several interviews on national television and radio, including appearing on Fox News and CNN four times each.
Earlier this week, he trekked to Washington to pitch his plan, telling Politico.com of his proposal over “rockfish and red wine” and sitting for interviews with National Public Radio, C-Span and The Washington Times.
Despite that national exposure, Bredesen said he’s not seeking the limelight to cast a bid for a vice presidential spot on the eventual Democratic ticket.
“I hope it is clear that I am not in any fashion seeking that,” Bredesen said.
Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has been cool to his plan, Bredesen said.
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From King maker to Court Jester all in a week.
If Bredesen is on the ticket, they has my vote. I once was for a Clinton/Obama, but those two have burned too many bridges to run on the same ticket.
Just vote for Obama and end it.If you believe in voting the will of the people, then you'll vote for the one who's way ahead in pledged delegates and way ahead in the popular vote. Voting with your state at this point would be stupid.
Superdelegates are the Democratic Party's strange peculiarity. What else can you expect from a Party that would treat all Americans as children, dispensing 'cradle to the grave' benefits for all and exacting gun control 'for your own protection' and overly taxing us and redistributing wealth because we aren't trustworthy or intelligent enough to choose our own doctors, schools, charities, and our own children's futures?Superdeletates: The Democrat's Patriarchs, the Mack Daddies Who Know Best...
Imagine the savings of taxpayer money if we did away with the primary voting. Let the political parties decide (and pay) for themselves how to pick a nominee.
I hope he uses his judgement as a Democratic politician in a conservative state. Voting for the candidate with a slim lead in popular votes in the primaries, which might be contributed to Republicans who will not vote Democratic in the fall, would not be wise. The superdelegate idea was very forward thinking and now we have the circumstance. Let everyone in the USA vote first before a decision.
I'm still holdin out for "CHANGE
I think Bredesen should vote the will of the PEOPLE. Not the will of voters of this great state. ALL superdelegates should be looking at the big picture(nationally)and vote the will of the "People of the Democratic party". Keep in mind that Clinton won Tennessee's primary. Good. She won here in Tennessee. But the Governor as a Superdelegate has a much larer obligation and must consider the BIGGER picture of the National stage. This does not mean that I'm an Obama supporter or a Clinton supporter. If my party had superdelegates I'd raise Hell if they voted against the will of the people nationally.
I like Bredesen, he's not perfect, but he hasn't been that bad.
Liberals are like Slinkys, not good for anything but put a smile on your face when they fall down a flight of stairs.
Id, slinky's do not "fall down" a flight of stairs. You are an idiot and the posterchild for abortion.
Cowboy84, I of course agree with you about the Titans, best thing that ever happened to Nashville, IMO. If Purcell had been mayor then, I really don't think we would have the NFL in our backyard. id, this old liberal vs conservative stuff is getting old. Not every person is always liberal or always conservative. Standing behind one party no matter who the candidate is is stupid.
Your first letter must stand for echo. The will of the people, right now, is not completely expressed. If I lived in several big states, especially Florida where Democrats are REALLY mad, I would want all states to have voted or been accounted for before the will of the people is decided.
Bredesen is trying to curry favor with both candidates and will vote for the one who gives him the best "deal
"will of the people". LOL ...as if...
cowboy you must not be paying property tax here in Davidson co.If you were you would be screaming about all the giveaways like dell,the titans,the preds,& the fact that we were not going to pay higher water rates because they were using the water dept surplus for "improvements"in the stadium area.So we get hit twice higher taxes &water bills & now they want to raise them again!!! some businessman.
Isn't it interesting that Metro basically has to bribe businesses to locate here? Combine that with the urban sprawl and what do you get?No one really wants to be here.
If we had real businessmen instead of bend over men they wouldn't have to.Nashville is a hub city The state taxes & fees are relatively low compared with other hub city's, & I don't mind giving tax breaks to corporations to provide jobs.But not 500.00 per employee like in the dell situation.Not to mention all the revenue from the coliseum or the arena.& the fact metro can't receive extra income from rental of the coliseum.Bud Adams gets that as well as profit from concessions at the coliseum.All we get is yes good football but also 1 million dollars a year in upkeep + capitol expenditures .
tv, I was comparing him to Don Sundquist and "sidewalk" Purcell.He also made us a major league city when he brought the NFL here, we can talk all we want about how much country music has done for Nashville but the fact is, when you have the NFL you are in an exclusive club. Lots of people will disagree with me about the Titans and Bredesen and that's fine. I don't believe everything they have done has been perfect and will criticize both if need be, but I will also give them credit where is it deserved.
Titan I agree about the party stuff. There's no way I can vote for any of the candidates left in either popular party.I happen to have a few conservative principles left.
As I always say during the presidential elections; "400 million people and this is the best we can do?"
"18036
OMG! I just got a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I am absolutely radiant. Today I have on a cute 100% Cashmere sweater and some cute Hugo Boss jeans with some cute boots. I cute little spring Jacket with matching hat for when I step outside into the elements this evening to go have Sushi and cocktails with a few close and dear friends.
tv the titians are costing us 20 million a year and the preds another 5 withouth the 3.8 million dollar raise. Plus the lost revenue and the cops etc.
I own a home in Davidson country, Green Hills, and paid over $10K in property taxes this year, so I feel I've earned the right to say that I wish the Preds would relocate to another city. I would say the Titans too, but I own PSLs and attend most of their boring games. I'm not a sports fan, AT ALL, but entertain a lot and it gives me somewhere to take my out-of-town guest when they come to visit.
id, I wish you would back up your numbers with facts sometimes. jsnap, if the democrats are so dumb, how did other democrats get elected? Now, do you see how stupid your statement was? That is what happens when you are a diehard party backer.
Can't NCP ever find more flattering images of the candidates? NY1, careful with that sushi. We don't want a bad case of salmonella now do we?
Bredesen should spend more time with state business and less with the superdelegates. The way he has handled the super bunker, the super kitchen, the super dimmer switches, the super salaries for cronies, the super preK/daycare, the supershortage with continued superspending on second thought we'ed be much better off if he put all his focus on superdelegates.