The 2016 primaries have brought an almost endless stream of surprises. Former “outsider” candidates have outlasted most of their well-funded, well-known opponents. As this primary season continually looks like it will be razor-thin, it is clear the most important thing is delegates.
And the delegate procedure for each state is vastly different between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans have a more complicated system. States usually determine the way they distribute their delegates — whether that be winner-take-all or proportionately based on votes. The magic number for a Republican candidate is 1,237. It seems, though, that none of the Republican candidates will reach that number by July, which could lead to a brokered convention, but that’s a story for another time.
The Democrats have a more unified system. If the two candidates nearly split the vote, the delegates will be given out proportionately. The Democratic primary is not without controversy: Superdelegates have become the topic of debate.
For those who don’t know, superdelegates are high-ranking officials in the party, but unlike other delegates, they are not beholden to voters, meaning they can change their vote whenever they like to whichever candidate.
Many have argued this is undemocratic, but is it really? Superdelegates have never been known to go against the will of the American public. In 2008 most of the superdelegates were with Hillary Clinton until it became clear Barack Obama was the stronger candidate. Also, although the Democratic Party is not as prone to populist candidates, the superdelegate system prevents candidates from running who do not want to cooperate with the party but want to use its resources. Something similar to a Donald Trump on the left would not be possible with the system in place. This is a system many on the right may be envying during those upcoming days in July.
One of the problems is candidates who are losing confuse fair elections and their ability to win, which is not guaranteed. Elections are not feel-good exercises; they are bumpy roads that don’t always have a happy ending. Political parties want a candidate with the most experience and who is popular with the majority of America, not just the hardliners in the party.
Regardless of who wins the Democratic nomination, they have had two remarkable candidates who’ve focused on real issues. Both campaigns have even scheduled another debate in Brooklyn for April 14, while the other side seems to be done with debates and, instead, continues to throw insults at one another, most likely for the foreseeable future.
Kevin Foster is a UF political science senior. His column appears on Thursdays.
