CNN asked Tad Devine about the superdelegates interfering in the ‘08 Democratic primary and his answer was spot on then. Of course, now I wonder how he feels that his candidate believes this is a great idea? OR maybe Tad and his candidate believe it's a great idea?
Interestingly enough, Devine was asked about this when Obama was leading by 1096-977 in pledged delegates and Clinton was ahead in superdelegates 234-157.
Yes, Clinton talked about superdelegates having a say in 2008. That doesn't mean what she did was right. It was wrong then, as wrong as Sanders doing it now.
It is perplexing that Sanders and Devine are now looking for the establishment to overturn the will of the voters, when they have run against the establishment?
Maybe Devine should start thinking a bit more rationally, like 2008 rationally and have Sanders dial back the talk of contested conventions. Better to leave that talk and chaos to the GOP, while it tears itself apart before the fall.
If the superdelegates were to tip the balance against the popular vote, the turmoil would last long beyond the convention, longtime Democratic Party strategist Tad Devine said.
"If a perception develops that somehow this decision has been made not by voters participating in primaries or caucuses, but by politicians in some mythical backroom, I think that the public could react strongly against that," Devine said.
"The problem is [if] people perceive that voters have not made the decision -- instead, insiders have made the decision -- then all of these new people who are being attracted to the process, particularly the young people who are voting for the first time, will feel disenfranchised or in some way alienated," he said.
Devine said it could hurt the party in the general election.
"I think it will hurt us particularly because so many of the policies that we're saying we will pursue in government as Democrats are based on fairness, whether it's the tax policies that we advocate or the social programs we want to advance, there's a fairness component in all of that," he said. "People need to believe, I think, that our process is fair as well, if they want to believe that our policies will be fair."