From Super Tuesday to Super Delegate

All of a sudden there seems to be a superlative attached to every political term. When exactly did this occur? I'd swear I never heard these terms in prior elections. Did they even exist or are these new inventions of the parties, the press, who? And who's idea was it to allow all these non-elected people (CNN apparently even has a reporter who is a super delegate) to vote on the presidential candidates? How exactly do they know what the population really wants since they don't represent anyone but themselves?

This entire process is getting murkier and murkier. I'm starting to sound like Randi on Air America, 620 Talk Radio. I'm not saying this is a conspiracy theory, just that we seem to have a number of people making decisions for us. It's also quite possible I've simply had my head in the sand up until now. I certainly have more time to pay attention to this stuff now than I ever have before.

What really slays me is the fact that I don't think Oregon's primary is until May. Whose bright idea was that? Why would anyone care at that point? Primaries will be old news by then. I wonder what it would take to get that changed before the next big election? Hm.