Sunday, February 10, 2008

Democratic Trainwreck Scenario

Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's 2000 campaign, says flatly about the Super Delegates, "If 795 of my colleagues decide this election, I will quit the Democratic Party. I feel very strongly about this."

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, a Clinton supporter, predicts a "potential train wreck" over disputed delegates from Florida and Michigan, states that were stripped of them by the Democratic Party for scheduling their primaries too early.

Candidates were honor-bound not to stump in the states, but the Clinton campaign did not stop operating in Florida, according to the Obama people, and while Obama withdrew his name from the Michigan ballot, Clinton did not. She won the outlaw vote in both and immediately began efforts to seat their 366 delegates.

If one or the other candidates had a clear lead before the late August convention, none of this would matter. But that is not going to happen.

As a result, generations of younger Americans who think of political conventions as boring talkathons that the networks refuse to cover in full may get a taste of what they used to be like--with floor fights, accusations, recriminations, walkouts, parliamentary maneuvering and lots of overheated language.

The TV networks and the Republicans will love it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michigan and Florida must revote.

I didn't vote in the Michigan Primary because it supposedly would not result in awarding delegates. Plus, my choice was not on the ballot.

Carl Levin encouraged Democrats to go out and vote and if they wanted someone not on the ballot, they should vote "undecided."

What assurance did we have that the "undecided delegates" (if they were eventually admitted) would vote for the one we wanted? What would prevent the "undecided" delegates" from voting for the one we didn't want?

Every state can't go first. The problem is giving too much significance to Iowa and New Hampshire in the first place.

Watch 'n Wait said...

Before their delegates can be counted, I agree that both Florida and Michigan should revote. To do anything else would be totally unfair. Which doesn't seem to bother Clinton....

Chuck Butcher said...

MI/FL created their problems when their State Parties agreed to let an invalid election go forward. They played their Republican leg's game against their own Party. There are no delegates because no election has been held, they pulled levers for something, but not in a Democratic Primary. No delegates have been removed, they simply are not awarded on that basis.

Super Delegates are elected. They are Gov, Congressional Delegation, SoS, Party Chair and Vice and DNC Committee People, all elected by ordinary Democrats. No elites, no special special people.

bluejunkie said...

Who cares when a state decides to have their primary? It seems that all states should have all primaries on THE SAME DAY. Enough with this "ehh, ehh, if I win Iowa, ehh, ehh, it will look SOOOO good." Enough with this.

And to disenfranchise voters in a two-fold manner in MI/FL, by rejecting their delegates and, nationwide, by allowing "superdelegates" the same voting power as entire districts of people, is a joke. The Democratic party should be ashamed of themselves, and acknowledge that shame by letting MI & FL vote again.