I was listening to Bill Bennett this morning and a caller asked why the GOP doesn't have a sysytem like democrats and if so, would we (the GOP) be better off for it?

It's tough because the superdelegates are there to ensure that the GE candidate have the most viability of winning in November. I would say it does favor the superwealthy because how else to you get to be a superdelegate without time and money.

But I would also say that the DNC didn't realize that the primaries would be so polarizing or divisive this year. At the outset, this election was looking kind of humdrum, the BIllary campaign machine was gonna get the nod and we could all go on about our days. Then came Obama who has steamrolled Hillary. And with the loss of Michigan and Florida, Hillary won't be able to make the delegate count to make it out of the starting gate to the general election.

However, the superdelegates have a decision. They take a risk with either candidate in terms of electability. Hillary will polarize and repel white male voters. Obama will polarize and repel racists (let's admit it, there are few of those) and women who supported Hillary. And both of them have certain policies and issues that will repel economic conservatives that consider themselves to be liberal otherwise. On top of that, imagine the riots that would ensue if Obama wins the the delegate count and the majority of the votes, but loses the nomination because Howard Dean and company decide to count Florida and Michigan, and HIllary is deemed more electable and make her the nominee. Some of the dems may vote for McCain just out of spite.

So what happens then? I don't think we have even begun to see the what the effect of having only one democrat choice would have John McCain's campaign.

If Obama can minimize the divisive nature of his former pastor and his terrorist connections, he might have a shot in the GE. Because he motivates people to the polls. Especially heretofore disenfranchised black voters and apathetic young voters. If Hillary gets the nod, she'll take the democratic strongholds, but she'll lose the GE because she will not galvanize those young ones to the polls and she will be the target for the wrath of the aforementioned disenfranchised voters.

So personally, I think the winner-take-all delegate system is perhaps more unifying because at the end, the GOP doesn't allow itself to get mired down in this kind of stuff. It's ironically darwinian and brutal in nature but it prevents a good portion of the in-fighting and mud-slinging that is helping neither of democratic candidates and only the GOP nominee.

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