‘What’s so super about these superdelegates?’ asked my husband from the other room, while I was washing the Jersey Royals.
I do not intend trying to explain the American political system here. These delegates are not necessarily super at all. I wonder what connections superdelegates suggests in the American mind. If it suggests superman, the reference is likely to be the cartoon hero who first made his appearance in 1938, ‘champion of the oppressed, the physical marvel who had sworn to devote his existence to helping those in need’. That hardly sounds like a description of the Democrat politicians who may have to devote their existence to deciding whether Hillary Clinton should be their presidential candidate.
I was surprised to find that no earlier occurrence of superman in English has been traced than its use by George Bernard Shaw in his play Man and Superman (1903), in which he also included the word superhumanity for good measure.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in