American Elections - Help Anyone?

American friends, help please. I have been closely observing the Democrat primary selection process and I am hopelessly confused. I had thought that the candidates would stand against one another in all the States and the winner of the most states won, and would be selected as the Democrat Presidential candidate.

OK, then it was explained to me that each of the States had a different size and importance so, for example, if you won California it was worth a whole lot more than West Virginia. The way this works is that you evaluate each State by its electoral importance and gain delegates proportionate to this.

By this measurement Barak Obama is just about crossing the finishing line, sufficiently ahead of Hillary Clinton to mean that she cannot win. Aha, I thought, then that’s it, he’s won and she has lost, it’s all over! But no, it is still possible for her to win because of the Super Delegates. Who are the bloody Super Delegates, where did they come from and who selected them and why are they there in the first place? Answers anyone? By the way, it is distinctly possible that Hillary will win the popular vote, and win a greater number of States yet still lose the race to be selected as the Democrat Presidential candidate.

Apparently Hillary was ahead in the Super Delegate count at one stage but not now. Even these Delegates with apparently super powers, are now edging towards Barak. Don’t ask me how or why, I don’t even know where they came from or what special powers they possess.

I was recently in America and some of the Super Delegates appeared on TV. There was an impossibly powerful and glamorous black woman who explained why she wasn’t for Barak and a geeky little blonde guy who, with equal conviction told the audience why he loved him and hated Hillary, although, of course, being a Super Delegate, also telling us why he loved and respected her.

What no one explained was what were these Super Delegates and how did you go about being selected to be one and for how long, and do you get paid, and if so, by who and how much? Or are the Super Delegates like Mayflies just appearing for a few mysterious days for reasons only other Mayflies would understand?

Another American anachronism is the Washington political lobbyists. In this week’s Time magazine, Joel Stein quotes the Presidential candidates who state that the lobbyists are so powerful they are ruining democracy. You can make matters even more confusing if you add the layers to this democratic cake. There are also consultants, who are paid to advise the lobbyists, who guide them how to lobby. Then there are the registered lobbyists who are what all lobbyists should be, if they want to be a kosher lobbyist, because if you’re not a registered lobbyist you are just an advocate. The other difference is that a lobbyist gets paid, whereas an advocate doesn’t.

Add to this the continuing American mystery regarding their spooky Electoral College. This shadowy body is a hangover from the country’s post-colonial genesis, I think. These people seem to come into play after the general electorate have voted and can, if they so desire, turn over the result. Apparently, there are circumstances where this unelected and unknown group can become the most important voters in the world, without anyone knowing much about them or what they stand for, or even, how they were selected. Please, American friends, can you explain all of this to me and how you can reconcile any of it with your being the most powerful democracy on the planet.

I guess I need a beginner’s class on American politics, anyone care to join me, or do you all understand their system? I was stupid enough to think all you had to do was vote, someone would count the votes up, and whoever got more was the winner. How dumb could I get?