Posted on 08/24/2007 11:14:56 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
The punishment for a one-week change in the date of Florida's primary election could leave Democratic voters stuck holding a worthless ballot.
Democrats from Florida are squaring up for a battle with their national party leadership. On Saturday, the Democratic National Committee will consider punishing Florida, saying the state is holding its primary election too early.
The national Democrats say Florida broke a Democratic party rule when the Republican-controlled Legislature moved up the state's primary.
Earlier this year, Florida's legislature moved up the state's primary to January 29th. But a national Democratic party rule says, except for a handful of special states, nobody can vote before February 5th.
The punishment? At the Democratic convention in 2008, when the party picks its nominee for president, rows of seats under the big signs for Florida could be empty. The national party says it may ban more than half of Florida's delegates. It could also punish any candidate who campaigns in Florida before the primary.
"The bottom line is that we should not be disenfranchising voters based on arcane political party rules," said Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in a conference call with reporters Friday. She and Senator Bill Nelson, also a Democrat, swore to lead the state party in a fight with the national party.
"What we're trying to get out of -- is this box where the people's right to vote in Florida is threatened," Nelson said.
Last week, the national Democrats said Florida could dodge punishment if it made the January 29th primary a "straw poll" -- a vote that doesn't count.
The real vote would come later, in caucuses, small meetings of Democrats that gather in homes and classrooms. Caucuses are how voters in some states, including Iowa and Nevada, already choose their party's nominee.
But the Florida leaders say caucuses would be expensive and leave out the vast majority of Democratic voters.
"All of this conversation should be moot, because there's an easy solution," Nelson said.
The solution from the Florida folks? Have the four states that want to vote ahead of Florida move up their elections by seven days. Florida's vote would stay put, just as ordered by the Legislature.
So far, the national Democrats, led by Chairman Howard Dean, have not accepted that Florida solution.
Florida Republicans are also facing some heat from their national party for voting so early -- punishment is being discussed.
Both the national Democrats and Republicans want Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina to vote before Florida. All four of those states do still have the power to move up their elections.
First Coast News talked with Dr. Henry Thomas, a University of North Florida professor who's an expert on party politics. Even he said he's not sure which side will win out.
If the Democrats strip Florida of their nomination votes that may alienate enough voters to tip the scales in the general.
The national democratic and republican parties can’t dictate a state legislature’s choice of primary date.
When the state's selection of delegates violates the national party by laws the state partys have to abide by the national party by laws. The State Partys had the opportunity to plan alternate methods to choose delegates after February 5, but neither party did.
Moving Florida forward has put a HUGE dent in Democrat plans to make Hillary’s Coronation seem unstoppable.
They spent a TON of money Democrat Machine States Nevada adn Michigan to go early, where the Party could control the results, and keep Hillary from having to run an Primary actual campaign, where she might step on her schlong pandering left for votes...
(And America will NEVER elect a woman with a schlong...)
No one state is more powerful than others, the candidates don’t have to spend a ton of money on just a few states, while practically ignoring the rest of the country.
One day to pick the candidates, then let the campaigns begin, and may the best candidate win!
A very interesting conundrum for both nat’l parties. States are not bound by any nat’l party rules AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT PARTICPATE in the nat’l conventions.
A truer situation of politics we seldom witness.
Politics here are defined as “the authoritive allocation of value”. Who has/wants something of value and how is it going to be apportioned.
This could also affect not only the nat’l conventions but the $ that is to be divided amongst candidates/political advertising etc.
Altho I am sure this will be worked out beforehand, it could be interesting if, as the article suggests, parts of some states delegations (voting delegates)to the nat’l conventions are less than expected.
Given the significant rifts in both parties, a door does open very slightly for a 3rd party candidate from one of the major parties. This would obviously require way more than delegates from one state to rebuke nat’l by-laws.
Earlier and earlier primary elections/caucuses and candidates declaring/running may have just cracked pandora’s box. Time will tell.
Why don’t they just vote next Tuesday?
:) why vote at all, dont the pollsters and pundits already know who the winer is going to be? They all knew ahead of time and pronounced Gore? the winner.
"The national Democrats say Florida broke a Democratic party rule when the Republican-controlled Legislature moved up the state's primary."
A pretty good Dick Tuck trick. Florida Republicans move the primary and the DNC punishes Florida Dems. Eh, eh.
Although the RNC is not happy, I think their protestations are just for show.
yitbos
The Democrats have long since abandoned the notion the people should be the ones to elect anyone.
The election will be won by those who control the counting process.
COUNT EVERY VOTE!!!!
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