What Makes a Delegate Super?...or Not Super?

If you've been following the Democratic nomination process, even if just at a minimal amount, you have probably heard the term "super delegate". But over the course of the last few months, I have been continually asked: "What actually is a super delegate?" According to her interview with Jay Leno, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton says they get one vote each, "and they walk around with capes on!" Although this provides us with a spectacular visual image of a super delegate, it doesn't quite clarify their actual job. So, Mr. Leno asked a follow-up question that everyone seems to want to ask: "But why does their vote count more?" Well, to be honest, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't. As Sen. Clinton said, "every delegate's vote counts the same."
There's the trick! "Every delegate's vote counts the same." This is where you need to know what a "ordinary" delegate is. In a way, delegates are like the electors of the electoral college; they are chosen before the convention and they cast their vote for the candidate that their vote is designated for. Let's say you're a democrat in Nevada, Nevada has 25 delegates given to them by the Democratic Party. Each district in NV is also awarded a certain number of delegates for the state vote based primarily on population and proportion of registered democrats in that district. When the caucus finished in NV, the delegates in each district were apportioned based on the popular vote of that district. Then those delegates go to the state convention to vote for thier candidate. Based on that vote, the delegates for the state are reapportioned. In NV they split 13 for Barak Obama and 12 for Hillary Clinton (even though Clinton won the popular vote in NV). These 25 state delegates go to the Democratic National Convention in the summer (this year, August in Denver) and cast their votes for their candidate (13 for BO and 12 for HRC).
As I mentioned in a previous post, a candidate needs 2025 delegates to receive the nomination for the Democratic party. Neither Clinton nor Obama will be able to reach that number with just the "ordinary" delegates, and so for the first time in a very long time, the super delegates' votes actually will make a difference. Super delegates consist of prominent members of the democratic party, such as all democratic members of Congress, all Democratic Governors, past Democratic Presidents, party chairs, and even people we associate with the media (like Donna Brazille). At the convention, they too vote as the other delegates. The Party decided to use this system about 35 years ago, because they wanted the input of the dems that are actually deeply invested in the party and who may have more insight into who would make a better President/candidate for the party. In other words, it helps measure for intensity.

I hope this helps!