I still can't quite wrap my mind around this latest stunt by Ohio superdelegates to hold the Democratic nominating process (further) hostage until the candidates show them a little more love. Rep. Marcy Kaptur was on MSNBC last night, trying to explain to Dan Abrams why it was her duty to blackmail the candidates' into addressing the economic concerns of her constituents. As she sees it, her sworn duty is to be as aggressive an advocate for the people of her district as she can.
No. As Dan points out--and God help me, I cannot believe I'm agreeing with anything the man says--that is Kaptur's duty as a member of congress. As a superdelegate, she is supposed to worry about the best interests of the party as a whole. Alternatively, if she feels moved to focus more narrowly on her district, she should agree to swing the same way her voters did.
As for Kaptur's whining about how the candidates need some incentive to pay attention to Ohio: I'm sorry, but that's what the state's primary was for. You had your moment in the sun. You milked it for all it was worth. Now move aside and let the other states have their turn.
I understand the temptation of superdelegates to abuse their positions of power. But using Kaptur's logic, what's to stop superdelegates in every state from withholding their support until they can provoke a bidding war between the candidates over who will shower their states with the most jobs, roads, subsidies, federal contracts, and, of course, ponies, ponies, ponies for everyone!?
What a pathetic way to pick a president.
--Michelle Cottle