At least Democratic two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, admittedly from heavily Republican districts, are refusing to endorse Barack Obama for president. Under the arcane party rules, both are superdelegates to the August national convention in Denver, but are still holding out.
The only Democratic congressman from Oklahoma, holder of a very marginal to Republican seat, Rep. David Boren, says he is much more conservative than Obama and is declining to endorse. His father is a former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma and currently president of the University of Oklahoma, and was something of a Bluedog Democrat in the Senate.
Rep. Tim Mahoney of Florida, holder of the heavily Republican seat of disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley, is also remaining uncommitted. If the GOP can get its act together, Mahoney should be one of the most endangered incumbents in the Democratic caucus. Foley turned out to be a homosexual, who made e-mail advances to male congressional pages.
The instinct of self-preservation, obviously a major motivator in both these solon's lukewarm attitude toward their partry's all-but-crowned presidential nominee, obviously trumps party loyalty. Both congressmen face uphill re-election battles of their own in November, which probably wouldn't be helped by an excessively warm embrace of Obama.
Nonetheless, it is still rare for Democratic elected officials to shun their party's presidential nominee. Obama's close win over Hillary, and running second to her in their home state primaries, might well leave them no choice. It could leave them out in the cold though, if they lose their re-election battles and the Obama administration is handing out federal sinecures to those who loyally supported the party and his campaign.
It's a big risk to take, and yet both have chosen to be independent and take their chances. It'll be fascinating to see how this bet pays out.
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