Last night, MSNBC interviewed Jason Rae, a 21-year-old Democratic superdelegate whose vote for President carries the weight of nearly 10,000 voters.  Unlike most 21-year-olds who spend their week nights drinking, studying, or exchanging bizarre gifts, pictures, and digital hugs on Facebook, Jason spent his fielding a barrage of lobbying calls from A-list political celebrities like Bill Clinton and John Kerry to secure his vote in the Democratic Primary. 

The situation is vexing and inevitably yields questions we've addressed below. 

1.  What exactly is a superdelegate?  

Superdelegates include current or former elected office holders or party officials who are allowed to cast their vote for any candidate in the party's race for the nomination.  Unlike convention delegates, which are assigned to a candidate based upon the number of votes a candidate receives in a primary or caucus,  superdelegates are not obligated in any way to vote for the candidate receiving the most votes. 

The superdelegate system went into effect after 1980, as a means of balancing the influence of the general population with the that of elected officials in the party.  Under the current system, The 2008 Democratic National Convention will have approximately 796 superdelegates, although the number can change up to the beginning of the convention. Delegates from state caucuses and primaries will number 3,253, resulting in a total number of delegate votes of 4,049.  A candidate needs 2,025 delegates to win the nomination.

2. Why is Jason Rae a superdelegate?  

In June of 2004, Jason was elected as a Democratic National Committee member of the Wisconsin state party, which holds a superdelegate vote.  At the age of 17, Jason defeated a state legislator for the seat.
 

Watch the video of MSNBC's interview.