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Tag(s): Caucus; Delegates; Democrats DNC; Elections; Florida; Hillary Clinton; Michigan; Obama-Barack; State
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May 10, 2008 at 10:31:50

Michigan and Florida: What Happened; Who's Responsible?

by Jim Stinson Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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There seem to be two arguments for seating the Michigan and Florida delegations in the Dem convention: CLINTON: We stole it fair and square, or MI/FLA DEM POLITICIANS: you better, or our people will vote for Nader or just go fishing. With all the spin, fog, and bull around this, we need to return to some clear facts.

1) The Democratic National Committee outlawed both primaries (and for good reason). They had every right to do so.

2)The Michigan and Florida Democratic Committees were bound to respect the judgments of the National committee. They did not.

3)All candidates knew the primary results would be void before the election. Clinton stayed in anyway. (Hmm. What did she expect to do with her outlawed wins?)

4)The primaries were no real test of voter preferences, because some candidates were not on the ballot, and so large constituencies of those candidates stayed away.

Now Clinton is shocked, shocked! that the good voters of Michigan and Florida will not have their say – because the results of these half-crippled elections just happened to favor her. (Hillary's got a paid listing on Google proclaiming "Count Michigan and Florida.") The state Democratic committees are indignant! that their illegal primaries are not being declared legal after the fact. So now there are proposals to remedy this truly unforseen and unacceptable situation. They include:

1) Seat the delegations as chosen by the illegal elections, or,

2) Divide up the delegations however somebody [?] sees fit, as in Michigan's proposed 69 for Clinton, 59 for Obama. (The impeccable statistical procedure for determining this ratio was evidently to stick a wet finger up into the wind . Which finger, you may imagine for yourself.) or,

3) Hold new primaries, funded by the Democrats. Oh, right; but which Democrats? Hillary's close to broke, except for eleven million dollars of her own loose change, Obama's thousands of under-$200 contributors would take a dim view indeed, and the Republicans would just chortle at the prospect of draining the Democratic National Committee's war chest (one estimate: $4 million for Florida alone) or,

4) Choose delegates through caucuses. Both state parties have said they're unwilling to do this. Oh.

So welcome back to square one. Whatever solution you may favor, don't make the mistake of thinking that the good Democrats of Florida and Michigan were "disenfranchised" by a set of regrettable but unforeseeable circumstances. Their elections were screwed up by Republican-dominated legislatures who set primary dates in order to beat out other states and by Democratic state committees who went along with them. Everybody knew the consequences but now everybody's insisting on nullifying them, not for fair play but for political advantage.

And whatever you do, don't make the DNC take the rap, as some seem determined to do. This egregious situation did not come about because of arbitrary and unjustifiable decrees. The DNC had every reason to prohibit promiscuous early primaries and every right to enforce their ruling. Don't forget that strategists for the regressive party are delighted with anything that weakens the power, credibility, and coffers of the DNC - the central organizing force of their progressive opponents.

(For good background on this, check out the Wikipedia articles, "Florida Democratic Primary, 2008," and "Michigan Democratic Primary, 2008.")

jimstinson.com

A career writer and media maven, Jim Stinson is the author of four mystery novels and a college textbook, Video: Digital Communication and Production. He lives with his wife in Portland, OR.

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4 comments

I am a social worker who works with chronically mentally ill people. Like enjoy reading, quilting and visiting with people
beccyI am a social worker who works with chronically mentally ill people. Like enjoy reading, quilting and visiting with people

Michigan

I live in Michigan. I had no say in this decision. I beleave that I have a right and a responsibility to vote. Why should my vote count less then the republicans in Iowa or NH. The only fair way to run primaries is to have all the states vote on one day. The primary cost our state $10 million and it was all for nothing. Michigan is having really hard times and the money would have been better used in fixing the roads and/or helping the citizens.

by beccy (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 87 comments) on Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 7:59:56 PM

10 year Navy veteran,former Federal employee with various agencies,
Gallaher10 year Navy veteran,former Federal employee with various agencies,

Florida and Michigan Don't Count?

If this is true stop claiming Bush “stole” the last two elections.

No one in Michigan or Florida should vote for a Democrat.

The Democrats have informed them their votes don’t count.

by Gallaher (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 761 comments) on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 12:14:01 AM

A career writer and media maven, Jim Stinson is the author of four mystery novels and a college textbook, Video: Digital Communication and Production. He lives with his wife in Portland, OR.
Jim StinsonA career writer and media maven, Jim Stinson is the author of four mystery novels and a college textbook, Video: Digital Communication and Production. He lives with his wife in Portland, OR.

They do count

I didn't say Florida and Michigan don't count. As citizens, as voters, the people of those states are just as important as everyone else. What I said was that this time around, their democratic primaries don't count (obviously through no fault of the voters).

Primaries have rules. For example, the DNC has the power to determine the earliest primary date and to enforce that rule. That's what it did. Another rule: registered Republicans can't vote in democratic party primaries.

To say that Florida and Michigan democrats were "disenfranchised" by the DNC is as silly as saying that all Republicans nationwide were disenfranchised by being denied the right to vote in democratic party primaries.

by Jim Stinson (11 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 70 comments) on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 2:15:44 PM

freelance photographer & photojournalist
Darrylfreelance photographer & photojournalist

Hillary Clinton

In the Florida primary, voters were given a ballot that included both Clinton and Obama. It was a Republican dominated Florida legislature that moved up the primary which was against the Democratic party rules, although Democrats in the Florida's legislature went along with it. Democrats went along with this faux pas, because it was part of an elections reform bill that contained the much needed reform: paper trails for electronic voting machines. Then some Demos tried to change the date of the primary to later with an amendment to the reform bill, but it was defeated and the original elections reform bill passed, containing the early date against the Democratic National Committee's rules. Now Howard Dean controls the consequences of what happens with any effort to count or re-count the Democratic votes in Florida. And he is no friend of Hillary Clinton.

by Darryl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 9:01:33 PM