Who do we have who can talk the governor around?

I'll have more to say about the ridiculous Democratic superdelegate idea tomorrow, but there was something interesting in the New York Times today. According to the article, both the Obama and Clinton campaigns are wooing these party insiders aggressively, inundating them with e-mails and phone calls.

[Just to catch anyone up who's not up into the campaign, superdelegates are wild cards, not pledged to the result of a primary or caucus, but free to vote for whomever they like. They are governors, congressmen, state congressmen, members of the Democratic National Committee - party insiders. A couple of lists can be found here.]

What struck me was this paragraph:

The Clinton campaign has established a system, overseen by one of the party’s most seasoned behind-the-scenes operators, Harold Ickes, to have superdelegates contacted by carefully chosen friends and local supporters, as well as by big-name figures like Madeleine K. Albright, a former secretary of state. For particularly tough sells, the campaign has former President Bill Clinton or Chelsea Clinton make the call.

That's right, when the respected Secretary of State and ambassador to the United Nations, a woman who, though I don't agree with her approach in every particular, is respected the world over, when she can't get the job done in swaying an uncommitted superdelegate, the Clinton campaign turns to, yes, hedge fund employee and media recluse Chelsea Clinton.

I can only think of two reasons for her to have this prestige: either she can promise favors from Mom more effectively than Secretary Albright can, or our elected officials are easily swayed by political celebrity. My guess is that both reasons play a part. Neither is commendable.