Democratic Party Disenfranchises Florida Democrats
Why Can't They Just Play By The Rules?
By California Yankee Posted in Democrats — Comments (18) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
National Democratic Party officials decided to disenfranchise Florida voters. Florida will lose all 210 of its presidential delegates, leaving the fourth largest state without a vote for the Democrats' presidential nominee, unless the state party agrees to hold its primary later in the 2008 election calendar.
Party rules allow only Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina to hold 2008 primary contests before February 5.
Florida's primary date was advanced to January 29, by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature, to give the state a more prominent voice in presidential selection process. Florida Democratic party officials said they originally opposed the change. That may be, but they are now committed to January primary election because they fear less voter participation if Democrats hold a separate primary after January 29.
The Florida Democratic Party was given 30 days to comply with the national party rules by moving its presidential primary at least seven days later. In true Democratic fashion, the state party would rather sue than play by the rules:
Elected officials in Florida have said they would consider legal action and a protest at the convention if the national party barred the state's delegates.[. . .]
Florida's congressional delegation has raised the possibility of a voting rights investigation in response to the punishment.
National Democratic officials insist there is no legal basis to force the party to seat delegates in violation of its rules. Florida officials could not say what law the DNC would have violated or where the case could be pursued.
Get creative lawyers and you can always sue. The question is whether you will win, and if so what will you win? Someday, Democrats may come to understand it is better to simply play by the rules.
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Democratic Party Disenfranchises Florida Democrats 18 Comments (0 topical, 18 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I'm rooting for the DNC on this. Let's all benefit from slowing down.
I actually think the DNC did a good job here. I hate how all these states are pushing forward their primaries. We shouldn't have a December Iowa Caucus period.
I wish the RNC would do the same thing.
should both be moved to June of '08.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
If I'm not mistaken, the RNC has similar rules. State parties must certify their selection procedures by September 1st. Presumably the RNC will not take any official action against states that are going earlier than the Feb. 5th date until they so certify. The RNC can grant waivers, which is how IA and NH get to go early. But the RNC has warned FL, and now SC is certainly in trouble, about their date. I do not know if NV was also given a waiver on the GOP side (the Dems of course blessed a Jan. 19th caucus for NV).
The penalty is a 50% reduction in delegates I believe, should the state parties insist on the earlier dates. They could also be subject to 90% reduction (I really can't make sense of the GOP rules as to what event triggers the reduction - but it's 50% penalty if the trigger comes before the Call to Convention and 90% penalty if it comes after the Call).
It's a game of chicken between the parties and states moving their primaries earlier than the rules allow. I think the Democrats are worrying that imposing the penalty on Florida will irritate enough voters their to tilt the state Republican in 2008.
Maybe something more fine tuned than the 50% & 90% penalties would create an incentive for later primaries. There could be a simple percentage formula something like if a primary on May 15 gets 100% of the states allocation of delegates, every day earlier than that gets the percentage knocked down by 1%, so any states the go in January or February just get the 1 delegate minimum. In that situation, early primaries would be viewed pretty much like the beauty contest straw polls that are going on now, so a state moving it's primary earlier could actually make it less influential.
You are correct but it won't happen. The RNC Chairman is Mel Martinez who is the Senator from Florida. If the RNC tries to do what Dean is doing, Mel will face a primary challenge and the wraith of Governor Crist (R) whose approval rating is 75%. Mel's approval rating in Florida is in the thirties in Florida. Florida is tired of being the ATM for candidates while having little say on who the parties pick.
I don't see why Iowa and New Hampshire should get such early primaries every year anyway. There is something to be said for small states having a say, but it should be random to some extent.
For example, you could allow a randomly selected small state from the West, Midwest, South, and Northeast to go early for a total of 4 early-voting states. Then simply do three randomly-selected states a week for the next 4 months.
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I'm looking for an entry level job in D.C. or Maryland.
I earned a Government and Politics major at the University of Maryland, College Park and have experience interning on Capitol Hill.
I don't see why Iowa and New Hampshire should always be the first in line. As you suggest, perhaps a regularly scheduled or even random rotation of the order of primaries would seem to be fair and appropriate. This current rush to be first by so many states is downright childish and only serves to further prolong a ridiculously long presidential election season.
This isn't an issue about whether Iowa and NH should be first and second but whether we should be done with our nominees by January.
I don't like the idea that they get to always go first or second, but I rather have them go than have the mess we have now.
Sorry for yelling, I just couldn't help myself.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
Listening to my neighbors ya know the ones with Kerry / Edwards signs still on the front lawn and the "!!!union now!!!" bumper stickers on all their pickup trucks the response from them is "We are mad as #ell and won't vote at all if they don't correct this anti Florida decision!!! PLEASE Dr.Dean don't change your mind make very sure all the dems in Florida are real PO'D at you and your party.
("Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a elusional, illogical, liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
rick554
The REAL issue is what the dems wil do to keep their "power" . They will literally canabalize each other to "win" in '08
Thank goodness it's the Dems having this fight, and not the GOP.
We need to be able to win without throwing all our resources into Florida. We need Fla. as a near-given. In 2004 for example, Bush had all kinds of inside tracking that showed he'd carry the state by 5 points, and he could focus on Ohio.
Some folks here are just being too nice. This decision adversely impacts black and hispanic voters to protect the white power base of less racially mixed states. Doesn't that usually mean outrage in the media, an article in the NY Times claiming "women and minorities impacted most", speeches and rallies by Jesse and Al, and a lawsuit by MALDEF, the NAACP etc etc etc.? Let's get the show on the road :-) lol
Actually, this may be 'crazy like a fox' for the Dems. While Florida Democrats could play a huge role in selecting the Democratic nominee, for the Democratic PARTY it would be advantageous to use them instead for the following purpose:
Imagine if all of those Democratic voters, deprived of the chance to help select the Democratic nominee, instead re-registered to sabotage the Republican primary. Florida WILL play a huge role there: imagine if Florida is won by, say, Ron Paul -- or whichever of the Republican candidates Florida democrats believe will be easier for Hillary/Obama/Edwards/etc to beat.