Democrats Boycott Rogue Primaries
Hillary Stands Alone
By California Yankee Posted in 2008 — Comments (23) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Barack Obama and John Edwards join three other Democratic presidential wannabees in pledging to boycott states that break party rules by holding early primaries
In signing the pledge, the five candidates promise not to campaign in states holding rouge primaries:
I shall not campaign or participate in any state which schedules a presidential election primary or caucus before Feb. 5, 2008, except for the states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as "campaigning" is defined by the rules and regulations of the DNC. It does not include activities specifically related to raising campaign resources such as fundraising events or the hiring of fundraising staff.
Their pledge leaves Hillary as the only Democratic candidate planning to compete in Florida and Michigan.
A pact to ignore tens of millions of diverse Americans by a selfish, four-state alliance of party insiders.
That's the reaction of Florida Democratic Party chairwoman, Karen Thurman.
A week ago, Democratic Party officials decided to disenfranchise Florida voters, unless the state party agrees to hold its primary later in the 2008 election calendar.
So much for "every vote counts."
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Democrats Boycott Rogue Primaries 23 Comments (0 topical, 23 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
We don't need a never ending presidential campaign, and that's where this leap-frogging is taking us.
The parties laid out the rules and spelled out the consequences of breaking them. They should follow through or the 2009-2012 campaign will be even worse.
They'd rather make primary dates from their DC headquarters than allow for state governments to set their primary dates. It doesn't matter to them that the state governments of Florida and Michigan did this.
You can put a new coat on them, but their inner beliefs of extremely centered government keep coming out.
In fact, it may be the first time I can remember agreeing with Howard Dean on anything.
Somebody has to put a stop to this madness. And I don't blame Obama and Edwards one bit, or the DNC.
It's most certainly not "disenfranchising voters." Nobody's forcing them to break protocol...these states are deciding to on their own, despite being warned about the consequences.
They should keep their primaries where they are instead of racing to be first.
Ideally the primaries should start around February or March. But the Democrats really brought this on with their frontloading and other tinkering with primaries.
Any candidate with a functioning brain cell would just get a proxy to file in these primaries, and the proxies would duel, and when the time comes at the convention to decide on delegates, the DNC will fold.
So on the Democrat side, instead of having Hillary/Obama/Edwards, it would be Hillary-head/Obamaniac/Edwards-nut. Just like when some random candidate filed in a primary with delegates pledged to a bigger candidate.
Plus, with the internet, it's possible to campaign in Florida without campaigning in Florida. It's a lot like campaign finance rules. There's no way to stop violations.
The Democrats made their bed, and now they want to get out of it. Florida shouldn't fold for empty threats.
That is an issue, there are problems with them getting earlier and earlier in general.
But, to me, it's the precedent set by states trying to wield more political power by "being first" that's the problem.
I'd be all for a law dictating the earliest date a primary can happen. And, for all I care, all 50 states can go on that day. But a never-ending game of one-upmanship just causes problems.
I suppose you can't blame the state parties. They want the attention of candidates and feel that Iowa, NH, SC, etal get the lion's share of it because of where their caucuses/primaries are.
Like I say, I think it's good that the Democratic Party is putting its foot down.
I agree with the sentiment.. However, the DNC doesn't pay for the primaries; the States do.
Another way around this could be to have the national committees seat the delegates but do not require them, and do not allow the offending States to require them, to vote for the winner of the offending States' primaries.
Or select the nominee by drawing lots.
They knew the rules, but they got prideful and broke them anyway.
The people responsible should apologize and resign.
Look folks, this is bipartisan. Stop them all from holding early primaries. There's nothing they can say that is going to change the minds of the True Believers™ in the first place. The middle group of people are going to sway back and forth depending on what they read from day to day in the newspaper, not what the candidates do. And the most important group, the largest cohort, is always going to cancel everyone's votes by deciding at the last minute.
Ok that's a bit of an exaggeration but I don't see what this early campaign process has *gained* anyone that it's supposed to serve except a dimunition in their bank account and a commensurate growth in the bank accounts of talking heads, politcial consultants, pollsters, and other worthless creatures.
Stop them. Stop them all. Don't give a dime to any campaign that is working in an early primary state, and don't give a dime to any of the others who tacitly go along with it.
I haven't given Dime One to any candidate in this election and I don't intend to for *at least* three months. None of them are worth the money, and none of them are going to get it.
STOP THE MADNESS!
I must say that the DNC's decision to act alone may be among the dumbest decisions in recent American Politics.
I agree with them on the merits - but why act before the RNC does?
Dumb, Dumb, Dumb...
I said last time when the DNC threatened Florida that they did a great thing and Obama and Edwards are doing another great thing. I am sure Republican politicians will soon join in and do the same thing because RNC as basically done same thing. Romney can't afford to lose Iowa or NH so I am sure he will jump on board with the boycott.
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Notice to All - I am an independent who has voted for Senator Bayh (Democrat) and Senator Lugar (Republican) along with over 60% of my state. You may take what I say with a grain of salt at your own party'
Florida could lose up to 50% of its delegates to the Republican convention but when listening to Sen Martinez(head of the RNC) he has stated that he will do what he can not to disenfranchise Florida Republicans.
Remember this was passed by the (very Republican)Florida legislature over the howls and wails of the Democrat reps and senators and then signed by the Republican governor.
The main reason it was brought about and passed was very basic--MONEY!!! The legislature is trying to pump up the tax coffers with money spent in the state from the campaigns.
I guess if we cant sell them swamp land we can try getting them some other way.
by giving in to New Hampshire and Iowa.
What they need to do is sit down and do the following:
Rotate the order of the primaries every four years. Five slates with 10 early states in each slate. Pick them out of a hat and give them a date range. Every state gets to go near the top every year. You can balance out the slates geographically and by size or whatever.
ANY state that goes before then loses all their delegates.
... business or politics:
Don't anger your customers!
This has the makings of a backfire for the Dems. Best they get in a pow-wow with these state party officials and come to some agreement on how to get past this standoff or... or a bunch of voters may get ticked off. Not a great way to build a consensus going into an election.
One can only hope.... :)
Jack
Doing what right is important. Yes people in Florida and Michigan might be upset, but everywhere else they are celebrating. Not to mention that Mich., to my knowledge, hasn't yet affirmed the bill into law so the Democratic Governor might not sign the bill.
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Notice to All - I am an independent who has voted for Senator Bayh (Democrat) and Senator Lugar (Republican) along with over 60% of my state. You may take what I say with a grain of salt at your own party'
I HATE this never ending campaign that never ends. The entire i-can-do-anything-you-can-do-better-primary scene ticks me off! I'd like to see a super-primary day, sometime in April or May! If NH and IA have to be first...who gives a sh*t, let them! THen have EVERYONE else, two weeks or a month later!
When this election is over, if we don't get the correct winner, we can expect the campaign for 2012 to start immediately...along with the marginization of whoever wins!
They should have their names removed from the ballots in those states.
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Halls of Justice Painted Green, Money Talking.
Power Wolves Beset Your Door, Hear Them Stalking.
there you go, let them REALLY put their money where their mouths are. Remove their names, and there won't be any stealth campaigning!
The parties are intended to be relatively weak players in our constitutional government, their primary purpose being to animate the government apparatus.
A state entity exercising its sovereign power over the objection of a party is a federalist ideal. It pulls power away from Washington, and back into the local structures.
To argue otherwise is to argue for increased Federal power. No thanks. Let the states do battle.
The parties aren't part of government. I know the progressives have worked hard to entrench the Democratic party in government, but it's just not so.
The parties are private entities and should be treated as such, I say.
I, for one, do not look forward to the coming day of the 2-year long Presidential campaign and I sincerely hope the leading GOP candidates follow suit.
Bring back the Convention floor fights, say I.
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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.
Republicans can lose 50% of their delegates, Democrats are taking away 100% of their delegates.
Democrats are disenfranchising activists and the question is are they willing to punish them and their special interest groups...risking losing the presidential election.
The system is clearly broken, many are frustrated and their is an outcry for somekind of reform.
However, the state legislatures, not the parties, made the moves. They represent their constituents and were doing what they believe is in the best interest of their states.
The DNC and their "central planners" are attempting to provide NH & IA some kind of monopoly status that everyone does not agree with.
Michigan's Democrat Governor has said she will sign the bill and all the Democrat's names will be on the ballot. Remember, from the Democrat's perspective, this is the home of the UAW, Teamsters, AFL-CIO and powerful African-American leaders.
I can't imagine them disenfranchising these important constituencies...let alone Florida's diverse population. But then again, we can only hope. We'll take any advantage we can get.
Saulius "Saul" Anuzis
Chairman
Michigan Republican Party
"The rules are clear," said Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. "Any state that holds their primary outside of the window shall be penalized delegates."
I certainly hope Republican candidates don't refuse to campaign in Michigan and Florida, but the DNC isn't the only national party organization that's getting snitty about early primaries.