Those Pesky Superdelegates

With Obama's declaration of victory, it may seem a bit after-the-fact, but by the end of this weekend's Texas Democratic Party State Democratic Convention, the TDP will have finalized its pledged delegate count for the presidential nomination. But that still leaves the state's 35 superdelegates to account for – requiring a process that, as with everything else about the Texas nomination process, isn't as simple as it seems.

For one thing, not all the superdelegates have even been selected yet: Thirty-two of the 35 are Congress members, leading Democratic National Committee members, and senior state party officials. But the three remaining superdelegates are "add-ons" who will be selected this weekend as a special honor for high achievers within the party.

Meanwhile, of the known superdelegates, not all have endorsed a candidate. At press time, the two Democratic contenders were tied at 14 superdelegates apiece, but the reality is that the Clinton campaign failed to build on an early lead, while Obama surged. Before the Feb. 21 Texas presidential debate, Clinton had 11 big-name supporters among the superdelegates, drawing heavily from the Rio Grande Valley and the Houston congressional delegation. Obama trailed with six but soon picked up legislators from Central Texas, Dallas, and Houston.

His most recent acquisition may be his biggest: the joint declaration from TDP Chair Boyd Richie and his wife, Betty. Like the Obama-endorsing Rep. Lloyd Doggett before him, Richie noted the effectiveness of Obama's grassroots organization and said he was "grateful for Senator Obama's commitment to help build the Texas Democratic Party." Richie nevertheless took time to praise Clinton and to stress the difficulty of his decision. "I can tell you that the pacing back and forth in the office was a clear indication that there was a lot of back and forth in his mind," said TDP spokesman Hector Nieto.

At press time, only four of the known superdelegates have yet to endorse. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Fort Bend & Galveston, is perched on the fence with former Democratic National Committee Chair Robert Strauss and Young Democrats of America President David Hardt. But most eyes are on DNC vice chair and former AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson, a two-time former pledged delegate for President Bill Clinton, an honorary chair to his 1996 re-election campaign, and a surprising holdout this time around.