A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Superdelegates
further complicate a
complicated process
O
regon’s primary election
is in the books, and
some deciding votes
were cast on issues both large
and small.
But in the national
presidential race, it may have
been a complete waste of
time. Donald Trump is the
only candidate left on the
Republican side, and he won
a majority of the GOP vote
here. On the Democratic side,
Bernie Sanders easily handled
Hillary Clinton, winning all
but one county — Gilliam —
and outpacing her by about 13
percentage points.
But Sanders’ win only
gained him a few delegates,
and those may well be canceled
out by Oregon superdelegates
pledging their support to
Clinton.
It has Sanders supporters
— and Clinton detractors —
claiming foul and accusing the
process of being undemocratic.
In two words: It is.
And who would ever
assume such a process would
be? Remember, this is not
an election for Americans to
choose their next president.
This is an election for two
political parties to choose
their representatives. How
state governments all over the
country get roped into spending
taxpayer dollars to achieve that
is beyond us.
There is nothing democratic
about different states holding
elections on different dates
with different rules — some
primaries and some caucuses,
some closed and some open,
some with day-of registration
and some that required
registering weeks in advance.
Remember, too, that unlike
the presidential election
in November, you “win”
delegates, not states. Though
cable news likes to trumpet
who won Wisconsin or
Alabama, it doesn’t matter.
Delegates are the only thing
that matters — not states, nor
votes necessarily.
And since the Democratic
party is the only major party
with their nomination still up
for grabs, let’s look at how
those delegates are chosen.
For the Dems, 2,383 delegates
are needed to wrap up the
nomination, and Clinton is
right at the precipice of doing
so. She has 2,293 pledged
delegates while Bernie Sanders
has 1,533. Clinton also has
about 3 million more individual
votes cast for her in primary
elections than Sanders, and that
is partly why she is ahead on
delegates.
But it’s not the only reason:
There are 715 superdelegates in
the Democratic primary, which
carry plenty of weight and
can help choose the eventual
nominees.
Parties created
superdelegates because they
want to avoid the populist,
idealist candidates that can
stimulate their base and then
get clobbered in national
elections. In modern history, it
has happened to both parties:
the extreme conservative Barry
Goldwater for the Republicans
in 1964 and liberal, anti-war
darling George McGovern for
the Democrats in 1972. After
both candidates fl oundered in
election day routs, the parties
rearranged their nominating
system to give their insiders
more sway.
Those rascally voters may
pick the candidate they like
most, but they might not pick
the candidate who can win the
White House. And to political
parties, winning the position of
power is more important than
any democratic principles.
Oregon’s 11 Democratic
superdelegates include names
you’ve heard of, and some you
have not. They are: Suzanne
Bonamici, Kate Brown, Laura
Calvo, Peter DeFazio, Frank
Dixon, Lupita Maurer, Jeff
Merkley, Karen Packer, Ellen
Rosenblum, Kurt Schrader and
Larry Taylor.
Six of them have pledged
their support to Clinton, despite
the fact that Sanders won
signifi cantly more votes here.
Three others remain undecided,
so Clinton’s unearned gains
could still grow.
It is understandable then,
that outsider candidates like
Sanders and Trump have
excelled in this primary season.
Voters are disappointed with
each party’s inability to pull
together for the good of the
country. Neither Sanders nor
Trump has long been a member
of the political party whose
nomination they are running
for, and many of their views are
outside the party platform.
Trump has succeeded at
destroying each and every
mainstream candidate the GOP
could throw at him. Clinton
looks like her mainstream
power will be enough — barely
— to hold off Sanders.
If Clinton crushes Trump in
November, look for the GOP
to change their primary rules to
make it even more diffi cult for
an outsider to win the party’s
nomination. They want to win
the presidency much more than
they want to win votes.
W HERE TO W RITE
GRANT COUNTY
• Grant County Courthouse — 201
S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City
97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-
575-2248.
• Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon
City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509.
Fax: 541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@
centurylink.net.
• Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville
97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541-
987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net
• John Day — 450 E. Main St, John
Day, 97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax:
541-575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.
net.
• Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax:
541-421-3075. Email: info@cityofl ong-
creek.com.
• Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025.
Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net.
• Mt. Vernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt.
Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax:
541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net.
• Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie
City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax:
820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net.
• Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca
97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161.
Email: senecaoregon@gmail.com.
SALEM
• Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State
Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378-
3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www.
governor.state.or.us/governor.html.
• Oregon Legislature — State Capitol,
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Web-
site: www. leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon
Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes).
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Reject efforts to recall
Commissioner Britton
To the Editor:
I am aware that there is an effort
to recall Grant County Commission-
er Boyd Britton. So permit me to of-
fer a personal endorsement of Boyd.
I was born in Prairie City, raised
at Bates and graduated from Prairie
City High School. I own property in
Grant County. I have written some
local histories. I love Grant County. I
am very interested in its fate.
It has been a pleasure to work
with Boyd Britton on issues of mu-
tual interest. Boyd is an intelligent
man with a high degree of person-
al integrity. He was instrumental in
working with the Forest Service to
establish the Malheur 10-Year Stew-
ardship Contract that will provide
101 good-paying private jobs, create
$2 million in economic activity and
enhance the environment.
I was lucky in business so I estab-
lished a substantial scholarship fund
for Prairie City High School gradu-
ates. Boyd and I talked about that.
Boyd knows a good education is crit-
ical to offer economic opportunities
for Grant County’s young people.
Boyd was very active in the ef-
fort to create Bates State Park. And
he has also given testimony to the
U.S. Board on Geographic Names
in Washington, D.C., opposing the
fake Indian names the Umatilla and
the volunteer Oregon Geographic
Names Board are seeking to impose
on Grant County sites.
Boyd is a successful businessman.
He knows the value of a dollar. He is
a master welder. He is an artist with
steel, but he has a soft heart. He vol-
unteers at local nursing homes and
drives old people to activities when
they can no longer drive themselves.
Boyd goes out of his way to help
people. But he is not shy when he
feels something is unhelpful to Grant
County. I have seen Boyd work pro-
ductively with federal agencies and
private organizations to promote
the county’s economic and social
well-being. He is always insightful,
diplomatic and on-the-mark.
I hope Grant County citizens will
reject efforts to recall Boyd Britton
as county commissioner. He has the
experience and temperament to deal
with the important issues facing the
county over the coming years.
Gregg Smith
Bates
Commissioner’s
contributions
appreciated
To the Editor:
In regards to some things that have
been said about our outgoing County
Commissioner Chis Labhart, that he
doesn’t do things for this community
unless it benefi ts him, I would like to
say a few things.
Mr. Labhart drives the veterans to
Boise once, twice, three or four times
a month all on his own time. He also
helps at the Senior Center in John Day
and supports the seniors in Prairie
City and Monument, which is more
than most in this community do.
In regards to the Grant Coun-
ty Court that people are so unhappy
with, good try, but you can’t make all
the people happy all the time. He also
worked with the Forest Service to bet-
ter this community, because if people
think that they can get what they want
without working with the different
agencies, they are in for a rude awak-
ening.
Let’s see, he took care of the
Chamber of Commerce’s landscap-
ing for a long time, something else I
didn’t see others do. What about all
the lives that have been saved because
he was instrumental in getting airlift
services in this community?
Good for you for standing up for
your constitutional rights. Perhaps
those out there that just think it applies
to them should read it. You have been
in this community for a good long
time, and I know you have worked
hard to support this community. I
could name other things you have
done for people, but I won’t.
I appreciate all you have done
and hope others do too.
Karen K Bailey
John Day
Support Equal
Treatment of Public
Servants Act
To the Editor:
I served the veterans of Amer-
ica working for the federal gov-
ernment for 28 years in Veterans
Administration Medical Centers as
a research biochemist and admin-
istrator recruiting and supporting
quality health care providers for our
veteran patients. I also served in the
U.S. Army. In addition, I worked in
the non-federal sector in medical re-
search, doing farm work and wild-
life conservation.
When I retired, I was surprised
to learn my monthly Social Security
benefi t would be less than half than
that of my colleagues who had never
worked for the federal government.
This is all because of passage of
the Windfall Elimination Provision
(WEP) by U.S. Congress under the
Social Security law.
Throughout my government ca-
reer, my salary was less than those
with comparable jobs in the private
sector. I did not leave because of my
dedication to support our veterans.
But now in retirement, I am subject
to a law that is anything but fair and
equitable. Also many other govern-
ment retirees are also suffering from
the unfair WEP provision denial of
earned Social Security retirement
funds. Mine was earned from em-
ployment in the private sector for
education and to feed and clothe my
family. This dramatic reduction in
my Social Security is for no other
reason than I also worked for the
federal government.
Legislation introduced by U.S.
Rep. Kevin Brady, R-TX, chairman
of the House Committee on Ways
and Means, would reform the WEP.
The Equal Treatment of Public Ser-
vants Act, H.R. 711, recognizes the
work I’ve done and the contribu-
tions I’ve made, and would adjust
Social Security benefi ts according-
ly. Plus it would do so without cost-
ing taxpayers a nickel. Please ask
your U.S. representatives and sena-
tors to support the proposed partial
restoration of the retirement support
we earned and were later denied.
Dallas Cross
Boise, Idaho
Public opinion is not
an impartial jury
To the Editor:
How much pride is allotted to
a media or individuals who pre-
judge an individual even before full
charges are fi led or a fair trial has
been granted as is demanded by the
U.S. Constitution, Article III, Sec-
tion 2, Amendment VI in the U.S.
Constitution Bill of Rights, and fur-
ther supported by Amendment X, as
well as the Oregon Bill of Rights,
Article I, Section II?
All call for an impartial jury, not
the misinformed court of public opin-
ion that has been displayed recently
in Eastern Oregon newspapers, fur-
thered by the opinion of the closed
minded. I would recommend reading
material, but that would possibly be
a wasted effort since our U.S. Con-
stitution has been vilifi ed by politi-
cians at all levels. Has anyone picked
up a copy of the Federalist Papers,
Declaration of Independence, U.S.
Constitution and Bill of Rights and
Oregon’s Constitution and Bill of
Rights? Doubtful because people
seem to accept the opinion of others
instead of putting forth the effort to
educate themselves.
Apathy and ignorance has divided
our county and opened the doors for
wild tales of interlopers promoting
drilling holes in women’s cheeks,
placing rings in the holes and lead-
ing them by chains into the bedroom.
Oh yes, this was told by a wide-eyed
believer in a Prairie City place of
business. Swallow that and you will
believe just about anything. False in-
formation has been fed and believed
by groups and individuals who ex-
pect to reap rewards by dividing our
county. If you are reading this, ask
yourself if perhaps you are spending
too much time with your nose in the
same newspaper that has prejudged
and defamed others in the past.
Judy Kerr
Canyon City
The people are the best
part about John Day
To the Editor:
My husband and I had never been
to John Day before, so last Thursday
we hopped in our truck camper and
headed east from Vancouver, Wash-
ington.
We just want to say how much we
enjoyed our stay in John Day. From
the Grant County Fairgrounds RV
Park, it was a short walk to the Heri-
tage Barn where a cook-off was being
held along with a Patsy Cline tribute.
The best part of our short stay was the
people who live in your communi-
ty. Everyone was super friendly and
helpful, and we started to feel like
we actually lived there. Wherever we
roam, most people are friendly but we
just wanted you to know the people in
John Day are especially nice!
Elaine and Roger Odahl
Vancouver, Washington
See LETTERS, Page A5
L
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