2000 Redux

OK, here's what's keeping me awake at night. Obama continues his momentum, and wins a majority of delegates, but not enough to avoid a brokered convention, so the super delegates come into play. (As you may or may not know, "super delegates" are political insiders. Wikipedia defines them as "Superdelegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention include all Democratic members of the United States Congress, Democratic governors, various additional elected officials, members of the Democratic National Committee, as well as "all former Democratic Presidents, all former Democratic Vice Presidents, all former Democratic Leaders of the U.S. Senate, all former Democratic Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives and Democratic Minority Leaders, as applicable, and all former Chairs of the Democratic National Committee."

This year they will compose about 20% of the delegate total, so they can make a big difference. They can also vote, exactly how they want, regardless of what the popular vote said. Given their insider status, they could easily go for Hillary and give her the nomination, even if a majority of Democrats want Obama to be the candidate.

Power brokers -- not the people -- chose the president in 2000. Will they do it to us again in 2008? If so, where does that leave American democracy?