DEMOCRAT DILEMMA WITH FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN
Howard Dean, DNC Party Chairman, made what many consider a tough move in refusing to seat the delegates from both Florida and Michigan because both States broke party rules and moved their Primaries up. These same States also moved the GOP Primary up by the RNC used a little common sense and only penalized the States half their delegates which allowed the vote in Florida and Michigan to at least count for something both in the Primary and at the GOP Convention.
Now the DNC is faced with a huge dilemma. Not only are they getting plastered by more than 2.5 million voters who participated in the Primaries in both States about their vote not counting, but the Governors, State party officials and yep you guessed it the winner of both Dem Primaries, Hillary Clinton, pressuring the DNC to repeat the Primary.
When this move to exclude Florida and Michigan delegates from the Convention took place no one dreamed that these delegates, (156 for Mich. and 210 for FL), would wind up becoming as important to the nomination as they have become. After all when all of this happened Hillary was the presumptive nominee and it was never even taken into consideration that she would fall in the polls and during the Primaries as she has and this would actually become a real race.
Now both States are pushing for a repeat Primary. The DNC now must consider either allowing the vote to stand and assign delegates accordingly, which would cause the Obama camp to go ballistic since he, unlike Hillary, followed party guidelines and pulled out of Michigan and did not campaign in Florida.
The other option is to repeat the entire Primary as if the first never happened. This seems to be the way the issue is leaning but then it becomes a financial problem in both States as the State itself finances a Primary and not the DNC which means the millions that it costs to hold a Primary that has already been spent once must be spent again at tax payer expense. Which is causing a rather understandable back lash with citizens in both States.
Hillary has repeatedly called for counting the votes as they stand. In fact she is playing the voter, "disenfranchised, " card claiming how unfair it is to the States voters. She said, “If you are a voter from Florida or Michigan, you know that we should count your vote. The nearly two and a half million Americans in those two states who participated in the primary elections are in danger of being excluded from our democratic process and I think that’s wrong. The results of those primaries were fair and they should be honored."
Of course if she had lost the Primaries I am sure she would be singing another tune. Looking at it from yet another angle when it comes to Obama supporters, if the Primary results are honored as Hillary is demanding, then his supporters will be disenfranchised, since he pulled out of Michigan and many who may have supported Obama stayed at home in Florida because they new it would not matter anyway!
The Dems have really dug themselves a hole with this debacle and Howard Dean must be pulling what hair he has left out as he contemplates what to do to try to satisfy all concerned while keeping the party from imploding and going to war over this situation.
Even if the both primaries are repeated and all the delegates are seated it does not insure that a change will take place in the delegate count and the lead for the two candidates. Remember that Dems proportion the delegates according to over all percentages and unless Hillary completely annihilates Obama in both States she will only close the gap and not take over the lead.
To be honest with you it is a joy to watch the Dems beating themselves up over this nomination. Even if the Primaries are repeated the war that is taking place will continue and will come to a head at the Convention with a blow up that will be the equivalent of a political Hiroshima. I have never been much on watching the Democrat Convention but this year may very well be the exception because it is going to be a doozy!
All the while John McCain is calmly honing his message against the Dems. Emphasizing the inabilities of both candidates especially as Commander in Chief. Hitting the campaign trail, discussing the issues and the telling voters why Hillary and Obama should not be President. They on the other hand are showing their political tails as they lash out for the nomination and voters are seeing the difference between chaos and calm, professionalism and anarchy, leadership and indecisiveness. All to the advantage of John McCain and the GOP.
Ken Taylor
Now the DNC is faced with a huge dilemma. Not only are they getting plastered by more than 2.5 million voters who participated in the Primaries in both States about their vote not counting, but the Governors, State party officials and yep you guessed it the winner of both Dem Primaries, Hillary Clinton, pressuring the DNC to repeat the Primary.
When this move to exclude Florida and Michigan delegates from the Convention took place no one dreamed that these delegates, (156 for Mich. and 210 for FL), would wind up becoming as important to the nomination as they have become. After all when all of this happened Hillary was the presumptive nominee and it was never even taken into consideration that she would fall in the polls and during the Primaries as she has and this would actually become a real race.
Now both States are pushing for a repeat Primary. The DNC now must consider either allowing the vote to stand and assign delegates accordingly, which would cause the Obama camp to go ballistic since he, unlike Hillary, followed party guidelines and pulled out of Michigan and did not campaign in Florida.
The other option is to repeat the entire Primary as if the first never happened. This seems to be the way the issue is leaning but then it becomes a financial problem in both States as the State itself finances a Primary and not the DNC which means the millions that it costs to hold a Primary that has already been spent once must be spent again at tax payer expense. Which is causing a rather understandable back lash with citizens in both States.
Hillary has repeatedly called for counting the votes as they stand. In fact she is playing the voter, "disenfranchised, " card claiming how unfair it is to the States voters. She said, “If you are a voter from Florida or Michigan, you know that we should count your vote. The nearly two and a half million Americans in those two states who participated in the primary elections are in danger of being excluded from our democratic process and I think that’s wrong. The results of those primaries were fair and they should be honored."
Of course if she had lost the Primaries I am sure she would be singing another tune. Looking at it from yet another angle when it comes to Obama supporters, if the Primary results are honored as Hillary is demanding, then his supporters will be disenfranchised, since he pulled out of Michigan and many who may have supported Obama stayed at home in Florida because they new it would not matter anyway!
The Dems have really dug themselves a hole with this debacle and Howard Dean must be pulling what hair he has left out as he contemplates what to do to try to satisfy all concerned while keeping the party from imploding and going to war over this situation.
Even if the both primaries are repeated and all the delegates are seated it does not insure that a change will take place in the delegate count and the lead for the two candidates. Remember that Dems proportion the delegates according to over all percentages and unless Hillary completely annihilates Obama in both States she will only close the gap and not take over the lead.
To be honest with you it is a joy to watch the Dems beating themselves up over this nomination. Even if the Primaries are repeated the war that is taking place will continue and will come to a head at the Convention with a blow up that will be the equivalent of a political Hiroshima. I have never been much on watching the Democrat Convention but this year may very well be the exception because it is going to be a doozy!
All the while John McCain is calmly honing his message against the Dems. Emphasizing the inabilities of both candidates especially as Commander in Chief. Hitting the campaign trail, discussing the issues and the telling voters why Hillary and Obama should not be President. They on the other hand are showing their political tails as they lash out for the nomination and voters are seeing the difference between chaos and calm, professionalism and anarchy, leadership and indecisiveness. All to the advantage of John McCain and the GOP.
Ken Taylor
posted by The Liberal Lie The Conservative Truth | 10:46 AM
4 Comments:
"Howard Dean must be pulling what hair he has left out." Yeah... isn't it wonderful?! LOL! I'll be watching the Democratic convention too, Ken. Wouldn't miss it for the world! :)
LOL Ken,
This is rather amusing I must say :-)
Ever since Bush beat Gore in 2000, the Democrats have been falling all over themselves in an effort to promote their party as The Tower of Babel meets The Bickersons.
The Democratic National Convention will undoubtedly follow the same lines, especially as they've painted themselves into the corner you describe in your excellent post, Ken.
When would breaking rules bother a Dem?
I am confused. I thought they were the party of rule breaking?
(popping some corn..and getting ready to watch the fun..) :D
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