Man, it sucks to be a voter in Nebraska or West Virginia today. Neither state was considered super important to Republicans or Democrats. But now that Ted Cruz and John Kasich are out of the GOP race, and it’s mathematically improbable for Bernie Sanders to secure enough pledged delegates to win, their primaries went from sort of interesting to … and who are you again?
Well, at least there’s still the joy of fulfilling your civic duty (yay, Democracy!) And if you really hate your choices (or lack thereof), there’s always the protest vote.
AND NOW, A QUICK REQUIEM
As we move deeper into a post-Indiana election world, let’s first say how exciting it is not to have to count delegates each week. Nothing good comes from asking journalists to regularly do math, after all. But we feel a little sad for the remaining states that now basically have little choice in their party’s presidential nominee. So, since they probably won’t get it elsewhere, let’s offer a prayer of remembrance for the 445 Republican delegates and 926 pledged Democratic delegates left to allocate. Tear. Oh, delegates, we never really knew you.
EXCEPT SOME DELEGATES STILL MATTER
Hillary Clinton could lose every remaining state and still win, as long as her superdelegates continue to back her. So guess what the new battle is about? That’s right – superdelegates, the shadowy group of mostly elected officials who can support whoever they want at the Democratic National Convention. Bernie Sanders is now in full courtship and has managed to flip 39 of them! But he needs more than 300 – as well as sweeping victories in the remaining states – to secure the nomination.
Sanders, ever the optimist, says it’s totally possible. But, just to be sure, he’s taking a page from the Ted Cruz playbook and making waves over who was assigned to obscure but potentially important rulemaking and platform-setting committees. He says the DNC chairwoman has stacked them with Clinton supporters.
In related news, Maine Democrats realized that it’s a bad idea to let politicians vote however they want and will now force their superdelegates to vote in proportion to how the people voted, which would give Sanders an extra delegate or two. Maine also is pressing the party to nix superdelegates nationally. “I never expected this kind of response from the amendment,” Rep. Diane Russell told U.S. Uncut after her idea to ditch superdelegates passed by a single voice vote.
WHEN YOU JUST CAN'T GET IT TOGETHER
Lest you think Republicans have this election thing all worked out (ha!), it looks like there’s movement afoot to boot Nevada from its coveted early spot in the primary election calendar. Low voter turnout and repeated election problems – rampant disorganization, mass confusion and maybe even some fraud – may have doomed the state, Politico reports. Colorado and Arizona are on the short list to take Nevada’s place because both have large Latino populations, and Colorado is becoming an important swing state.
MORE FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
- House Speaker Paul Ryan says he’ll step down from leading the Republican National Convention if Trump asks (USA TODAY)
- The NEW dark horse in the GOP convention drama? John Boehner, the leader House Republicans just booted (USA TODAY)
- Chris Christie finally has an official title with the Trump campaign – and no, it’s not VP or first hostage (USA TODAY)
- Is the possibility of a Trump presidency boosting applications for citizenship in California? (The Desert Sun)
- Could a third-party candidate really win this time? A former senior adviser to Mitt Romney says yes (USA TODAY)
THE BIGGEST LOSER, PRESIDENTIAL EDITION
Running for president sounds like an honor. But it can be a professional risk if you try and fail – just ask Bobby Jindal, who went from governor wunderkind to promising presidential candidate to driver for his kids’ sporting events. Huffington Post is the latest to join the winners/losers debate with its ranked list of the 15 biggest losers – and no, Jindal isn’t anywhere close to their No. 1.
