Chris Bowers breaks down potential outcomes from Super Tuesday in the Democratic presidential delegate chase and paints a clear picture that shows we’re headed towards an outcome that is determined by super delegates. Then the Clinton campaign confirmed to Matt Stoller that they think this can go to a brokered convention. Then Bowers received further input worthy of reflection on how things could sort out if things remain close between Obama and Clinton.

I’m with Paul Krugman: “I hate this thought.”

I think for somewhat different reasons, though. I hate the horse race, having lived on the tail end of it for much of the last year. But what I hate more is the thought that Democratic primary and caucus goers may not be the final arbiters in choosing our party’s nominee. Super delegates, unelected officials bequeathed with authority for their role in the party structure, could determine the outcome in contravention to the popular vote totals.

This may be how things are always done, but I can’t say the microscope of a brokered convention would reveal particularly democratic tendencies  in the Democratic Party.

I’ve been mulling over a potential alternative system for picking our nominee. I’ll probably post on it after Super Tuesday, but needless to say it will reflect the need for us to evolve a more democratic, more systematic, more national primary system. This kind of nonsense needs to stop after this election.