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March 24, 2008 - 6:56am
Both Michigan and Florida this past week gave up on efforts to hold "do-over" Democratic primaries, dealing a setback to Hillary Rodham Clinton's nomination hopes and not doing much for the party's self-image as a smooth and powerful political juggernaut. The plan was that by this point in the race the nomination would have been long settled and the nominee happily beating up on President Bush and the Republicans. But the Democrats have this weird gift -- curse, maybe -- of confounding themselves. Michigan and Florida were stripped of their delegates when they violated party rules by setting their primaries too early. The two states held the contests anyway and Clinton came out ahead in Michigan, where she was the only major candidate on the ballot, and in Florida, where none of them campaigned. In a shrewd piece of political theater, she promptly held a "victory rally" in the Sunshine State. Clinton's camp would desperately like those votes to count. The Obama camp clearly does not. Simply holding new primaries, the so-called do-over, seemed like the best compromise, but the obstacles of money, politics and timing proved too much. Florida had considered a mail-in primary, a chilling prospect to many -- Florida's legendary vote-tallying prowess combining with the vagaries of the U.S. Postal Service. There are now a dwindling number of not-very-good alternatives. Neither candidate can win the nomination outright in the 10 remaining primaries. But the voters in those states might go so overwhelmingly for one candidate or the other that the candidate so blessed could convincingly claim the nomination anyway. The voters are rarely that cooperative. The worst outcome would be to arrive in Denver for the convention with no outcome, leaving the choice to be settled in a frenzied brawl in the rules and credentials committees and providing endless fun and fodder for the Republicans. One possibility would be to have the nearly 800 superdelegates -- Democratic elected officials and party leaders and elders -- step in and settle the race once the primaries are over. Then it wouldn't matter who Michigan and Florida sent. But what outsiders might see as leadership the superdelegates seem to see as getting too far out in front of the elected delegates. This is such a Democratic thing. For the best of reasons, the party tried to stop the race from being settled too early and now it may not be settled at all.  Technorati Tags: Politics
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A perfect example of the old
Submitted by Flapsaddle on March 25, 2008 - 2:35am.A perfect example of the old saw about acting in haste and repenting at leisure.
I think it is fairly obvious that what passes for leadership at the DNC these days is rather lackluster and that little thought was paid to the possibility of the consequences of enforcing such a rule.
Most sincerely,
T. J. Flapsaddle
The do over isn't
Submitted by acf on March 24, 2008 - 5:30pm.The do over isn't necessarily the disappointment to Clinton, the lack of a way for the votes already cast to count is. Given the growth of the Obama campaign since Super Tuesday, he is the one who has a chance to improve his totals with a do over, probably better than Clinton maintaining the edge she had in those two states, and probably better than in a convention rules fight. There will likely be some kind of deal at the convention for at least a portion of the delegates to count. The only things that remain are the numbers.
There is no way in hell The
Submitted by SEAL on March 24, 2008 - 8:38pm.There is no way in hell The Obama camp will ever agree to allowing anything resembling the results of the Florida and Michigan renegade primaries to be used at the convention and you cannot fault them for that. Obama wasn't even on the ballot to be voted on in Michigan and would not have been on Florida's if their rules allowed his name to be removed from the ballot. He did not campaign in either state. Also, I notice unmentioned, is the campaigning Hillary did in Florida after agreeing not to do that. The so-called spillover of TV adds plus one disguised personal appearance.
A substancial number of voters stayed away from the primary voting in both states due to the situation. Anyway you cut it there was no actual primary run in either state or results that you could honorably use for this nomination fight. The only answer to the problem, if they truly want those states to vote in the primary and have them officially count at the convention, is to run a real primary within the rules. Just as if nothing had happened. If they cannot do that, then they must live with the consequences of their actions.
I refuse to believe that both of those states could not run new primaries. It can't be that difficult to set a date and provide the locations with ballots for registered democrats to vote. They can find the money if they really want to. They will do what they WANT to do.