When a normal delegate journeys beyond the valley of the dead, crosses the bog of eternal stench, leaves three of their teeth at the center of the earth, and survives the three trials in the cave of time, they are granted immortality and superdelegate status.

 I thought that too, which is why I decided to make a thread to learn more about them.

Superdelegates in both parties serve the same purpose. It helps ensure that the nominee is at least partially hand picked by the party.

Before there were superdelegates, there was the possibility that the national voting could actually pick someone who just wouldn't be a real contender vs whomever was running in the rival party. Now, the party has the last say, if you will, to overturn a national vote.

Its not really anti-democratic either. All other parties simply choose a nominee. The only part of the election that is supposed to be democratic is the November election between all parties for President. Who the parties select as their candidate has historically been done behind closed doors.

In all reality, the actual presidential election is not done in a true democratic manner. This was proven when Bush won in 2000. Popular vote was overturned by the Supreme Court. It has also happened a couple other times.

As for the nominee process, it is fine the way it is. However, the actual presidential election should be reformed to be solely based on popular vote.

Only because other politcians are panzies. If O'Bama loses because the Super Delegates choose hilary, he should say F you and run as an indpendent.

Might they both lose? Yeah. Would it still be the right call. Probably.

I think they should just get rid of primaries and have a runoff system. Have all the "Primary" candidates run in one election.... then take the top 2 and have a runoff.

That way we'd get centrist candidates who actually support the will of the majority of the country instead of like 51% of 50% of the country.

Fiscal conservatives with liberal social issues would finally get a fair shake. As would Fiscal conservaties who are conservative on social issues for that matter.  I think to many people vote on issues like abortion and gay marriage, which are issues that aren't going to change because if they changed such issues they wouldn't have them as such an awesome rallying cry every 2 years.