As I’ve written before, I believe that some compromise must be found to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida at the Democratic National Convention.
By “compromise,” I don’t mean the Obama campaign’s proposal to give both Clinton and Obama 50 percent of the delegates from each state, which would disregard the will of the people. I mean a compromise that would reflect how Democrats in those states voted.
I was open to a re-vote, but that idea has been killed in Florida and appears less and less likely in Michigan.
Obama supporter Gordon Fischer celebrates the way they Obama campaign ran out the clock on re-votes.
Obama supporter noneed4thneed doesn’t see why Obama should back a re-vote in Michigan.
Obama supporter Chris Bowers made a much stronger case that Obama should want a re-vote in Michigan, since it would very likely allow him to wrap up the nomination in June rather than having things drag out to a floor fight at the convention.
To my mind, the key question should be not what is best for Obama, but the principle of counting people’s votes and the pragmatic need for Democrats not to alienate voters in two large states.
We cannot afford to go into the general election having angered Democrats in Michigan and Florida, particularly since both Obama and Clinton currently trail John McCain in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
New polls suggest that an overwhelming majority of Florida Democrats want their votes to be counted, and one-fourth of them may leave the Democratic Party if that does not happen.
Look, Obama fans, if you are so confident that your guy will hold on to his lead in pledged delegates and the popular vote, you should have been lobbying for re-votes. Now that a re-vote is off the table for Florida and possibly Michigan, you should be open to some compromise that reflects the way Democrats voted (such as cutting the number of delegates from each state in half).
This situation is screwed up, and many parties are to blame, but the rank-and-file Democrats in those states did not create this problem.
It will be suicide for Obama to go into the general telling Michigan and Florida voters, “I’m sorry, you broke the rules, I don’t care about letting you have a say in the primaries.”
6 Comments
And here is an Obama supporter that thinks its crucial to count the votes
We all aren’t so eager to disenfranchise Michigan and Florida voters. I will say though that I doubt that many Obama supporters are afraid of Michigan and Florida results but rather that they want, like people from both Obama and Clinton camps, to have this nominating processes over with already. This isn’t even about Florida being a swing state in the general; its about the principle of the matter. Sure the states screwed up. They thought they could pull a quick one on Dean and it backfired. But the DNC NEEDS to find a way to seat them. Hell, I would be fine with the DNC seating them by the proportion of votes they already got, with the undecideds in Michigan going for Obama. Lets just give everyone a voice and then turn our eyes to the general with whichever candidate we may have.
iowa-dem Wed 19 Mar 10:22 AM
uncommitteds going to Obama
is a compromise I could accept, although of course many people who voted uncommitted were Edwards supporters.
I think Mr. Respect Empower Include simply can’t afford to go into the general having insisted on delegates from MI and FL not being counted.
desmoinesdem Wed 19 Mar 11:42 AM
I will say though
that if there is no revote it is not Obama or Clinton’s fault but rather the fault of the legislators in Michigan and Florida, whether they be Democrat or Republican. In all reality it is in their hands now, not with the candidates or the DNC (though the candidates will get a say). If either of the candidates is dragging their feet and somehow influencing the votes in the Michigan or Florida legislators, I would be embarrassed to be in the same party as that candidate. I truly believe that both Obama and Clinton, though not necessarily their supporters, are above that type of tactic.
There is nothing more depressing then to watch Republicans in Florida and Michigan be able to derail the primaries there and blame it on the Democrats, but we live in a depressing time…
iowa-dem Wed 19 Mar 12:08 PM
I hear what your saying, but
The decision to leave MI and FL out had nothing to do with Obama, in fact when the decision was made, the Democratic nomination was all but guarenteed to Hillary Clinton.
Either way it is penalizing Obama for something he had nothing to do with.
Vote Fallon!
http://www.equalitygiving.org/
secondtonone Thu 20 Mar 11:24 AM
but in recent weeks it's his campaign
and their MI supporters throwing up roadblocks to a re-vote plan.
This is short-sighted, in my opinion. I don’t think obama can afford to throw away any chance of carrying MI in the general.
desmoinesdem Thu 20 Mar 12:01 PM
yes
But it is so obviously going to go to Hillary and in any case it may be too little too late for Democrats in Michigan any ways. I agree with you but also think that Obama needs to worry about winning the nomination and than look at fixing wounds made in the primary season.
Vote Fallon!
http://www.equalitygiving.org/
secondtonone Thu 20 Mar 12:30 PM