Florida & Michigan Delegates: A Train Wreck?
Well, there is no way around it; delegates play an important role in selecting our presidents.
This year a big tempest is brewing over the barred delegates from Florida and Michigan. With the Democratic nomination race so close between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, those delegates could make a difference in who the nominee will be.
I’ve posted several times that I couldn’t understand how the Democratic Party could be allowed to disenfranchise the voters in both states, and it now appears that, thankfully, they can’t.
Negotiations are underway to decide how to seat the delegates but it will be tricky for several reasons. First, Clinton won BOTH primaries, but John Edwards and Barack Obama withdrew their names from the ballot. Their supporters voted “uncommitted”, but how many were for Barack Obama and how many for John Edwards? Should Barack Obama get all of those votes? Or should there be a re-vote in those two states?
Of course, a re-vote in both states now that there are only two candidates might be more fair, but estimates say it could cost a zillion dollars to do that (actually close to $28 million). Who is gonna pay for that?
Voters in Michigan and Florida have a right to have their voices heard but what is the MOST FAIR way to assure that? Clinton wants the results to stand; Obama wants the delegates admitted with a 50/50 split. Both states know it would be prohibitively expensive for their own taxpayers to foot the bill and want the DNC to pay for a re-vote.
No matter what the final decision is, this may be the beginning of needed changes in our election process. The Democratic Party is going to have to acknowledge that they can’t run roughshod over the voters. The idea of “punishing” entire states was ludicrous to start with. Now a solution must be found.
It will be interesting to see if “Big Daddy DNC” can find a solution that’s acceptable to all parties after their high-handed rejection of individual state autonomy. There is either going to be an expensive and fair solution, or it will be a huge ‘train wreck’.
The Dems are going to need to get things squared-away equitably before what will probably be a ‘brokered’ convention, if they hope to have a united front in time to build support for their candidate before November. This will be interesting to watch!
Oh, and one last note: Ron Paul, the Republican Internet Candidate, posted a video on his website basically telling his supporters that he will probably withdraw from the presidential race. Just thought you’d want to know.
Tags: Barack Obama, brokered convention, delegates, Democratic National Convention, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Michigan Primary, Politics, Presidential primary, Republicans, Ron PaulLeave a Reply
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