The Deciders

[February 13th, 2008]

With Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) battling over every delegate to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominee could be chosen by a lofty and previously obscure class of party officials known as superdelegates.

Oregon’s 12 superdelegates are Gov. Ted Kulongoski; U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden; U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Darlene Hooley, David Wu and Peter DeFazio; Secretary of State Bill Bradbury; and Democratic Party officials Meredith Wood Smith, Frank Dixon, Wayne Kinney, Jenny Greenleaf and Gail Rasmussen.

They are among about 800 national superdelegates given a ballot at the convention in Denver Aug. 25-28. But they’re not beholden to voters and can back any candidate, putting them in position to decide the nominee if Obama and Clinton keep splitting delegates chosen in state primaries and caucuses.

If you’re keeping score at home, only three of Oregon’s 12 have publicly endorsed a candidate. Kulongoski and Hooley are for Clinton. Blumenauer likes Obama. The rest say they’re uncommitted.

Party officials get regular calls from both campaigns. But they’re standing by a pledge they all made not to go public with their favorites until after Oregon’s May 20 primary—though that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll go with the popular vote, even if it’s overwhelmingly for one candidate.

Since we have lots of time to kill before the May primary and they’re not tipping their hands, let’s have some informed speculation on which way several of the party officials might lean.

Dixon is past president of the Democrats’ GLBT caucus and a board member for the gay-rights group Basic Rights Oregon. Obama has won kudos for taking risky stands on gay rights, and Clinton’s husband won no friends for his “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military when he was president. One for Obama?

Kinney works in Wyden’s office in Bend. Wyden’s chief of staff (and Kinney’s boss), Josh Kardon, is on Clinton’s Oregon steering committee. One for Clinton?

Greenleaf went against the establishment in 2004 and supported former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s presidential run. Maybe one for Obama, if Greenleaf turns against Clinton, who is backed by more of the party establishment.

Rasmussen is vice president of the Oregon Education Association. In New Hampshire, the endorsement by the state chapter of that teachers union helped power Clinton to victory. One for Clinton?

Frustrated that we’re left to guess? We are, too. Vent away at wweek.com about what Oregon’s superdelegates should do.