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In the spotlight
(by Daphne Drohobyczer - June 11, 2008)
In the closing weeks of the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, most commentators said Barack Obama had effectively sewn up the race, and some called for Hillary Clinton to drop out. But Maria Chappelle-Nadal of University City, a superdelegate who eventually came out in support of Obama, argued for Clinton to remain in the race.
Chappelle-Nadal thought that Obama’s and Clinton’s struggles to secure the nomination as representatives of minority groups were important, and she personally felt some affinity with Obama because of his race and with Clinton because of her gender. But more importantly, Chappelle-Nadal said, both Clinton and Obama have well-thought-out plans for what they want to accomplish as president.
Chappelle-Nadal, state representative for the 72nd District, said one day she received a phone message from Howard Dean, head of the Democratic National Committee, who asked her to join the DNC. At the time, she had no idea she would ultimately be appointed to her current position as one of Missouri’s 16 superdelegates.
This year, with the primary process extending long beyond the usual season, the votes of superdelegates became crucial, pushing Chapelle-Nadal and other late-deciding superdelegates into the spotlight.
Most of the 794 superdelegates who do not hold their positions through an appointment to the DNC are high-ranking party officials: senators, congressmen or governors, or those who previously held such positions.
Chappelle-Nadal has participated in state politics since 2000, when she started to work for Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell. In 2004, she was elected to the House of Representatives, and she was re-elected in 2006. Her district covers University City north of Delmar Boulevard and the cities of Wellston and Pagedale.
Chappelle-Nadal was part of the final surge of superdelegates that put Obama over the top.
At a June 3 press conference announcing her decision, Chappelle-Nadal said, “What’s interesting about this entire thing is that I’ve never been this important before.”
She noted that Clinton called her personally to ask for her support, while Obama did not. Instead he delegated the task to aides and other politicians who had already backed him.
She said, “As a superdelegate I have been in the tough situation of having to determine which one of these two outstanding candidates should get my vote.” She said that on many issues the candidates “are so close that their differences are imperceptible.” An Obama-Clinton ticket would be the “dream-team ticket,” she said.
Chappelle-Nadal said she was toying with the idea of voting for Clinton after the candidate’s decisive win over Obama in Puerto Rico on May 31. Chappelle-Nadal, the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and an African-American father, said she watched that election closely. “We’re going have to deal with the Hispanic community as it relates to encouraging them to vote a Democratic ticket and as having long-term and genuine relationships,” Chappelle-Nadal said.
But ultimately she settled on Obama. “What Barack Obama has done is inspire groups of people regardless of race, regardless of age — what is astounding is the number of people who have actually come out to vote.
“Barack Obama’s charisma has inspired this sea change from apathy to action.”
The key to a Democratic win in November will be a high voter turnout, she said. “The pendulum has been swinging in our direction for a very long time — eight years in fact,” but Democrats cannot be complacent and must “continue fighting for the principles we believe in — health care and quality education, the environment, seeking alternative resources and alternative fuels.”
Deciding to cast her superdelegate vote for Obama was not easy for Chappelle-Nadal, nor was the road leading to elected office. She remembers some of her earlier years as rough and slow going. Chappelle-Nadal said, “In 2000, I was promised that someone would help me go to the Democratic National Convention and they never did it — it fell through and I was disappointed.”
Chappelle-Nadal’s involvement in politics started well in advance of her run for a seat in the state legislature in 2004. Since she was a young girl, Chappelle-Nadal has been obsessed with politics.
She knew she was a Democrat when she was very young and made a conscious effort to watch the news and stay on top of politics. “I gave up Annie, I gave up Strawberry Shortcake, I gave up Indiana Jones and ET all for watching the Democratic National Convention,” said Chappelle-Nadal.
Now, she is a superdelegate within the party with the power to help determine who the next president of the United States could be. Still, she does not consider herself a typical politician. Chappelle-Nadal said, “I’ve always been an outsider because I’m young and of color.”
On the other hand, Chappelle-Nadal sees herself as an everyday person. She said she has always viewed herself as practical, like any other Missourian is. Of her dream to participate in politics, Chappelle-Nadal said, “I am just an average American who wants a little piece of the American dream.”
It’s an exciting time for politics, she said. “Not since John Kennedy was nominated in 1960 have so many people been involved in the democratic process. Not since 1960 have we seen so many people and such a record turnout of voters. Democracy works best when people are involved and informed and excited.”
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