Democratic superdelegates told The New York Times that they are willing to hurt their own party to prevent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders from becoming the presidential nominee if he fails to win a majority of delegates.
The Times interviewed more than 90 superdelegates and found that most of them oppose nominating Sanders if he wins the most delegates but fails to win a majority.
If Sanders does not have enough delegates to clinch the nomination on the first ballot, more than 700 superdelegates would be able to vote on the second ballot and swing the nomination to someone else.
“We’re way, way, way past the day where party leaders can determine an outcome here, but I think there’s a vibrant conversation about whether there is anything that can be done,” said Rep. Jim Hines, who is one of the superdelegates.
Some want most electable candidate:
New York Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs said that the party should nominate the person who has the best chance to defeat Trump, not Sanders.
“Bernie wants to redefine the rules and just say he just needs a plurality. I don’t think we buy that. I don’t think the mainstream of the Democratic Party buys that. If he doesn’t have a majority, it stands to reason that he may not become the nominee,” Jacobs said, effectively arguing for a candidate who has even fewer delegates to become the nominee.
Only nine of the 93 superdelegates said Sanders should be the nominee if he has a plurality but not a majority.
Some disagree:
Former Vice President Walter Mondale, also a superdelegate, said he doesn’t believe superdelegates will stage a coup at the convention.
“I’ve had 60 years experience with Democratic delegates — I don’t think they will do anything like that,” he said. “They will each do what they want to do, and somehow they will work it out. God knows how.”
Some Democrats floated someone like Sen. Sherrod Brown, who opted not to run for president, as an alternative at the convention.
“If you could get to a convention and pick Sherrod Brown, that would be wonderful, but that’s more like a novel,” said Rep. Steve Cohen. “Donald Trump’s presidency is like a horror story, so if you can have a horror story you might as well have a novel.”
