It's official: Walz endorses Obama!

The Walz campaign's political director Richard Carlbom just sent us this statement:

"The real winners of last night's caucuses were the people of Minnesota.  Voters turned out in record numbers to embrace the Democratic call for change.

The next President will have a lot of work to do to clean up eight years of mismanagement from George W. Bush.  I am confident that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are up to the challenge.

Last night at the Democratic caucuses, the voters of southern Minnesota overwhelmingly supported Senator Barack Obama and his hopeful vision for positive change.  As a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, I will honor their decision and support Senator Obama."

Update: NPR quotes Walz criticizing the superdelegate system.  /end update

Comments

[MinnesotaCentral]

One thing the old civics’ teacher commented on that may not be getting the attention that it should :
Although Walz holds a coveted superdelegate position, he admits that the system is not without its flaws. It troubles him that superdelegates could potentially override the decision of voters.
"I think it should be more direct election," he says.
Taking that a step further, although Minnesota allocated its convention delegates through a preferential ballot, the US Senate race will be decided by state convention delegates.

In 2006, Michelle Bachmann was able to get her minions to the precincts which selected the delegates to the County conventions and then to the District Conventions. Would Bachmann have won the endorsement if party members could have voted directly ?
This year’s most important election is not President, but US Senate. (The Electoral College makes most citizens votes irrelevant.) And who will challenge Norm Coleman from the DFL … unless you are a delegate to the State convention, your voice will not be heard. (As I understand the leading candidates have agreed to abide by the endorsement process and not a primary.)
Why didn’t the DFL provide Senate / House Preferential ballots in addition to the President ?

Ollie Ox: You'll have to ask the DFL that question.