It's my son Lennon's brithday today.  He's 1.

So we'll just do fun one-year old stuff off the floor on our vacation to Rochester.  No skin off my nose, I guess.

I'm a Franken supporter, myself, but I confess was a little peeved when I discovered most of his campaign staff is renting apartments in my senate district.

So, in spite of delivering everyone left from my precinct to the subcaucus we chose, two staffers got to be delegates and I ended up an alternate. 

In the end though, those experienced Democratic operatives are going to cast votes at the convention that line up with the votes I would have cast.

I'll be represented by the delegates my sub-caucus selected.

Senator Linda Higgins was also in my sub caucus.  I also support Linda – love her really.  But not only will she be represented by the delegates her sub-caucus elected, she'll be voting herself.

The point I was making is that the super delegates screw up proportional representation. 

I personally think it should be really important to preserve the principal of equal representation.  And I sure hope it turns out to be a moot point in the presidential contest, as I think a lot of other people believe in equal representation too, especially independent swing voters.

or not.  I am pretty charming…

A good way for the Democratic Party to eliminate a great number of these risks is to do away with super-delegates all together.

Naming elected officials as delegates is just a time-saving measure anyway.

Are we really to believe that Klobuchar couldn't have won an election to be a delegate?  She won an election to be a US senator.  Surely, if it were important to her that she have a say in the Presidential Race, she could have run to be a delegate like the rest of us regular people.  She probably wouldn't have, because, as Joe points out, it exposes her to additional political risk – and there is no political upside.

In no way am I trying to single out Sen. Klobuchar, either… she just happens to be the topic of this article.

Another good way for the DNC and RNC to mitigate the risks its elected officials face would be to give up control of nominating contests all together, and leave it to the states to set the time and manner of nominating candidates.

Contrary to the author's claim, if the states or federal government took the power to make the rules from the parties and gave that power back to the people, then neither party's presidential candidates would have to worry about the political risk of alienating voters in states that don't follow the rules.

Of course, that would present a political risk to the duopoly control of small ruling elites in our country.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties would prefer to lose a presidential election than risk that.

A good way for the Democratic Party to eliminate a great number of these risks is to do away with super-delegates all together.

Naming elected officials as delegates is just a time-saving measure anyway.

Are we really to believe that Klobuchar couldn’t have won an election to be a delegate?  She won an election to be a US senator.  Surely, if it were important to her that she have a say in the Presidential Race, she could have run to be a delegate like the rest of us regular people.  She probably wouldn’t have, because, as Joe points out, it exposes her to additional political risk – and there is no political upside.

In no way am I trying to single out Sen. Klobuchar, either… she just happens to be the topic of this article.

Another good way for the DNC and RNC to mitigate the risks its elected officials face would be to give up control of nominating contests all together, and leave it to the states to set the time and manner of nominating candidates.

Contrary to the author’s claim, if the states or federal government took the power to make the rules from the parties and gave that power back to the people, then neither party’s presidential candidates would have to worry about the political risk of alienating voters in states that don’t follow the rules.

Of course, that would present a political risk to the duopoly control of small ruling elites in our country.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties would prefer to lose a presidential election than risk that.

or not.  I am pretty charming…

I’m a Franken supporter, myself, but I confess was a little peeved when I discovered most of his campaign staff is renting apartments in my senate district.

So, in spite of delivering everyone left from my precinct to the subcaucus we chose, two staffers got to be delegates and I ended up an alternate. 

In the end though, those experienced Democratic operatives are going to cast votes at the convention that line up with the votes I would have cast.

I’ll be represented by the delegates my sub-caucus selected.

Senator Linda Higgins was also in my sub caucus.  I also support Linda – love her really.  But not only will she be represented by the delegates her sub-caucus elected, she’ll be voting herself.

The point I was making is that the super delegates screw up proportional representation. 

I personally think it should be really important to preserve the principal of equal representation.  And I sure hope it turns out to be a moot point in the presidential contest, as I think a lot of other people believe in equal representation too, especially independent swing voters.

It’s my son Lennon’s brithday today.  He’s 1.

So we’ll just do fun one-year old stuff off the floor on our vacation to Rochester.  No skin off my nose, I guess.