Sean Mussenden and Billy House/Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON -- Jon Ausman and Florida's 21 other superdelegates aren't feeling super right now.
"And this is not just about the presidential race," complains Ausman.
But mostly it is.
It's becoming increasingly possible that the party's presidential nominee could be determined by the votes of 796 so-called superdelegates: local activists, congressmen, former presidents and party insiders from every state who can vote for whomever they please. They're political free agents.
That's because neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama may have the majority needed to win the nomination when the primary season ends.
After 35 contests, Obama currently leads Clinton 1,275 to 1,220 in the regular delegate count, according to a tally by the Associated Press. At the convention, 4,049 delegates will cast votes, and a candidate needs 2,025 to secure the nomination.
Nearly one in five votes will come from superdelegates.
This math leads to one conclusion: Superdelegates could be the key to who wins or loses.
As the importance of superdelegates has escalated in recent weeks, campaigns and outside groups have stepped up lobbying efforts.
High profile supporters - including Chelsea Clinton and former President Bill Clinton - and the candidates themselves have been working the phones.
But Florida's 22 superdelegates are in a superdelegate phantom zone.
They're all revved up - some have even endorsed a candidate - but have no where to go -- if that means having an actual vote, or seat, at the party's nominating convention in August.
That because the Democratic National Committee has officially stripped Florida of its delegates because the state leapfrogged Super Tuesday (Feb. 5) and held its primary Jan. 29 in violation of party rules.
And the national party continues to insist that sanction includes the state's "super-delegates," too.
"This is an illegal action," insisted Ausman, who is a Florida superdelegate by virtue of his being a member of the Democratic National Committee. He continues to battle to at least get the state's superdelegates some say-so
According to Ausman, the very charter of the Democratic National Committee states that all members of Congress "shall be automatic delegates to the party's national convention."
At the very least, he says, that means the vote of Sen. Bill Nelson, who has endorsed Clinton, and the votes of the state's nine Democratic members of the U.S. House should count.
But Ausman also argued there's no authority in the party's by-laws not to seat Andrew Tobias of Tallahassee, the DNC's treasurer, or the state's other superdelegates, who are all themselves members of the DNC.
And he also says this fight has other implications for Florida Democrats.
It's also about Florida having a say at the convention in designing a national party platform on important issues, he said, and in crafting the rules of the next convention in 2012.
But national party officials disagree.
And so, it doesn't matter much right now which candidate individual Florida superdelegates are endorsing.
For the record, Nelson and six other Florida superdelegates have endorsed Clinton; three have committed to Obama, and state Democratic Chairwoman Karen Thurman and 11 others remain uncommitted.
So far, Clinton nationwide is leading the race for superdelegates, according to news organization tallies. She has the support of 234 to Obama's 157, according to interviews conducted by CNN.
But those commitments are not set in stone. On Thursday, Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia superdelegate and prominent civil rights leader, told the New York Times he would vote for Obama at the convention, despite his endorsement earlier of Clinton.
"Something is happening in America, and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap," Lewis said, according to the Times. Lewis's office later said the article misstated his support for Obama.
There were other signs that Clinton's superdelegate lead could be eroding after heavy losses in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
On Tuesday, before the polls closed in Virginia, Clinton supporter Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. said "Hell will freeze over before I change my vote" to Obama.
But after Obama won 70 percent of the vote in Spruill's district, Spruill told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, "I'm going to look at how [Clinton] does in Texas and Ohio and reassess after that."
About half the superdelegates are either undecided or refuse to say who they're backing. In interviews with Media General, several said they hope one candidate somehow earns enough votes to secure the nomination before the convention - or one concedes.
Superdelegates were added by Democratic leaders in 1982 to give party insiders more say in the presidential nominating process.
Many of Obama's supporters argue that superdelegates should vote for the candidate with the most pledged delegates after the final primary.
Nearly every state this year has seen heightened turnout among Democrats, including record numbers of younger voters. Choosing the runner-up as the nominee could disappoint voters and dampen excitement for the general election, they argue.
Moveon.org, a progressive political group that endorsed Obama, circulated an online petition this week asking superdelegates to affirm the delegate leader. The group plans to run newspaper ads soon.
Here's how Florida superdelegates stand, in terms of committing to either Clinton or Obama.
Uncommitted:
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, Boca Raton
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, Palm Beach Gardens
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, Tampa
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, Monticello
Mitch Ceasar, former state party chairman, national committeeman, Plantation
Diane Glasser, national committeeman, Tamarac
Karen Thurman, state chairwoman, Tallahassee
Jon Ausman, national committeeman, Tallahassee
Andy Tobias, DNC treasurer, Tallahassee
Janee Murphy, former Hillsborough County chair, national committee member, Tampa
Rudy Parker, a national committee member, Perry.
Terrie Brady of Jacksonville, a former state party chairman.
Hillary Clinton supporters:
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, Miami
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, Miramar
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Weston
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, Jacksonville
Raul Martinez, national committeeman from Hialeah
Chuck Mohlke, national committeeman from Naples
Barack Obama supporters:
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler
State Rep. Joyce Cusack, DeLand
Allan Katz, national committeeman from Tallahassee
"And this is not just about the presidential race," complains Ausman.
But mostly it is.
It's becoming increasingly possible that the party's presidential nominee could be determined by the votes of 796 so-called superdelegates: local activists, congressmen, former presidents and party insiders from every state who can vote for whomever they please. They're political free agents.
That's because neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama may have the majority needed to win the nomination when the primary season ends.
After 35 contests, Obama currently leads Clinton 1,275 to 1,220 in the regular delegate count, according to a tally by the Associated Press. At the convention, 4,049 delegates will cast votes, and a candidate needs 2,025 to secure the nomination.
Nearly one in five votes will come from superdelegates.
This math leads to one conclusion: Superdelegates could be the key to who wins or loses.
As the importance of superdelegates has escalated in recent weeks, campaigns and outside groups have stepped up lobbying efforts.
High profile supporters - including Chelsea Clinton and former President Bill Clinton - and the candidates themselves have been working the phones.
But Florida's 22 superdelegates are in a superdelegate phantom zone.
They're all revved up - some have even endorsed a candidate - but have no where to go -- if that means having an actual vote, or seat, at the party's nominating convention in August.
That because the Democratic National Committee has officially stripped Florida of its delegates because the state leapfrogged Super Tuesday (Feb. 5) and held its primary Jan. 29 in violation of party rules.
And the national party continues to insist that sanction includes the state's "super-delegates," too.
"This is an illegal action," insisted Ausman, who is a Florida superdelegate by virtue of his being a member of the Democratic National Committee. He continues to battle to at least get the state's superdelegates some say-so
According to Ausman, the very charter of the Democratic National Committee states that all members of Congress "shall be automatic delegates to the party's national convention."
At the very least, he says, that means the vote of Sen. Bill Nelson, who has endorsed Clinton, and the votes of the state's nine Democratic members of the U.S. House should count.
But Ausman also argued there's no authority in the party's by-laws not to seat Andrew Tobias of Tallahassee, the DNC's treasurer, or the state's other superdelegates, who are all themselves members of the DNC.
And he also says this fight has other implications for Florida Democrats.
It's also about Florida having a say at the convention in designing a national party platform on important issues, he said, and in crafting the rules of the next convention in 2012.
But national party officials disagree.
And so, it doesn't matter much right now which candidate individual Florida superdelegates are endorsing.
For the record, Nelson and six other Florida superdelegates have endorsed Clinton; three have committed to Obama, and state Democratic Chairwoman Karen Thurman and 11 others remain uncommitted.
So far, Clinton nationwide is leading the race for superdelegates, according to news organization tallies. She has the support of 234 to Obama's 157, according to interviews conducted by CNN.
But those commitments are not set in stone. On Thursday, Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia superdelegate and prominent civil rights leader, told the New York Times he would vote for Obama at the convention, despite his endorsement earlier of Clinton.
"Something is happening in America, and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap," Lewis said, according to the Times. Lewis's office later said the article misstated his support for Obama.
There were other signs that Clinton's superdelegate lead could be eroding after heavy losses in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
On Tuesday, before the polls closed in Virginia, Clinton supporter Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. said "Hell will freeze over before I change my vote" to Obama.
But after Obama won 70 percent of the vote in Spruill's district, Spruill told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, "I'm going to look at how [Clinton] does in Texas and Ohio and reassess after that."
About half the superdelegates are either undecided or refuse to say who they're backing. In interviews with Media General, several said they hope one candidate somehow earns enough votes to secure the nomination before the convention - or one concedes.
Superdelegates were added by Democratic leaders in 1982 to give party insiders more say in the presidential nominating process.
Many of Obama's supporters argue that superdelegates should vote for the candidate with the most pledged delegates after the final primary.
Nearly every state this year has seen heightened turnout among Democrats, including record numbers of younger voters. Choosing the runner-up as the nominee could disappoint voters and dampen excitement for the general election, they argue.
Moveon.org, a progressive political group that endorsed Obama, circulated an online petition this week asking superdelegates to affirm the delegate leader. The group plans to run newspaper ads soon.
Here's how Florida superdelegates stand, in terms of committing to either Clinton or Obama.
Uncommitted:
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, Boca Raton
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, Palm Beach Gardens
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, Tampa
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, Monticello
Mitch Ceasar, former state party chairman, national committeeman, Plantation
Diane Glasser, national committeeman, Tamarac
Karen Thurman, state chairwoman, Tallahassee
Jon Ausman, national committeeman, Tallahassee
Andy Tobias, DNC treasurer, Tallahassee
Janee Murphy, former Hillsborough County chair, national committee member, Tampa
Rudy Parker, a national committee member, Perry.
Terrie Brady of Jacksonville, a former state party chairman.
Hillary Clinton supporters:
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, Miami
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, Miramar
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Weston
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, Jacksonville
Raul Martinez, national committeeman from Hialeah
Chuck Mohlke, national committeeman from Naples
Barack Obama supporters:
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler
State Rep. Joyce Cusack, DeLand
Allan Katz, national committeeman from Tallahassee