By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer
Posted Feb. 11, 2008 – Sen. Barack Obama has proved his appeal across race, gender and geographical boundaries, but it won’t be enough for him to woo the popular vote if he can’t get those “super delegates” to follow.

That could be critical for him in besting his only remaining rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton.  Right now, Clinton leads Obama in the “super delegate” category, which includes elected state officials, Democratic Party hierarchy  and members of Congress.

One of the fringe benefits of being a member of Congress is being positioned as a “super delegate.”

But this raises an interesting dilemma for many African-American members of Congress who jumped on the Clinton bandwagon – before Obama became the hottest ticket since a free vacation in the Bahamas.

Among some of the most high-profile Black Clinton supporters are lawmakers like civil rights giant John Lewis, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), outspoken Los Angeles Rep. Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee  of Texas and Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio.

But eight out of 10 Black folks in the recent contests have supported Obama.  These voters are the same people who put these super delegate Black lawmakers in office.  That means these lawmakers could find themselves jeopardizing their own re-election efforts if they make the wrong move with their “super support.” 

And the troubles don’t end there.

Another backlash could come if Black folks think their presidential pick was ignored. Black folks might just opt to stay home, which would almost certainly guarantee a Republican victory. 

The Clinton camp may be down, but not out.  The Clintons know how to play these super delegates, and they will.

Word is Hillary and former President/husband Bill Clinton, both notable powerhouses in the Democratic Party, have started flexing their muscles to exert pressure on super delegates

This past weekend wasn’t a good one for the Clinton campaign.  Obama made a clean sweep, winning all three primaries and two caucuses – from Washington state to Maine.  Clinton’s closest confidante and campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, was forced to resign and Maggie Williams, an African American and longtime political ally to the Clintons, has taken over the job.

Comments (90)