Commentary: Florida, Michigan don't deserve revote

CNN ^ | 3-12-08 | Roland S. Martin

[kingattax]

(CNN) -- For two weeks we have watched nearly every political hack from Michigan and Florida hit the airwaves to tell us that voters in those states deserve to have their votes counted, and new elections should be called for and paid by­ the Democratic National Committee.

Roland S. Martin says Florida and Michigan blew their shot in the delegate process by moving up their primaries.

One word they all keep tossing around is disenfranchisement. Because of this nation's sordid history on the issue of denying African-Americans the right to vote, those calling for a revote know the true power of the word, and just uttering it sort of backs the opposition up.

But folks, I'm sorry. Knowing full well how the two political hacks --­ also called governors of Michigan and Florida -- deliberately chose to ignore the Democratic Party rules and try to leapfrog the other states, I just don't have any compassion for them.

Just listening to Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Charlie Crist of Florida whine and complain on national TV is just too much.

They keep blaming Howard Dean, chairman of the DNC, for this debacle. But he's not to blame. They could have vetoed the bill, or told their state legislatures to stop the grandstanding and get on with the people's business. But they chose otherwise.

Yes, I do feel sorry for the voters in those two states because their votes should have mattered. It would have been great had they counted. But it was the elected officials in both states who chose to go down this terrible path. Had they just remained where they were, their delegates may have made the difference in this close presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

[libbylu]

already posted an hour ago. i just posted to the other one.

[Leisler]

I would just like to help out Democrat minorities by saying that they were if fact disenfranchised by sinister white, Jewish forces and their minority lackeys within the leadership of the Democrat party.

Just doing my part. Thank you.

[Leisler]

When I said above, Jewish, I of course meant racest Zionist oppressors of the true, shining Palistinians and their moderate and just desires to form a multicultural paradise within the area presently known as Israel.

[harpo11]

I want another re-do primary vote since the democrats screwed with electing our nominee. It ain’t fair that some state voters get to vote twice (who knows really how many times in truth) when everyone else gets only one vote.

Disenfranchise the entire nation by giving only Florida and Michigan a re-do.

[Intolerant in NJ]

They keep blaming Howard Dean, chairman of the DNC, for this debacle. But he's not to blame. They could have vetoed the bill, or told their state legislatures to stop the grandstanding and get on with the people's business. But they chose otherwise...beyond these steps, there is apparently a mechanism within the DNC rules which permits state organizations unhappy with the arrangements being foisted on them by their states to appeal directly to the DNC so that special primary procedures can be set up more in keeping with the purposes of the Party - apparently the party bigwigs in neither Florida or Michigan used this appeal process - they deserve all the opprobrium they're getting......