Thread: DNC's Dilemma: Michigan and Florida

For those who haven't been following the US presidential primaries, Florida and Michigan held Democratic primaries earlier this year that were nullified because they ran it against the Democratic National Convention (DNC)'s planned order of primaries.
During the entire ordeal, Obama cooperated with the DNC and requested to take his name off the ballots during the primaries in those states. Thus, Hillary Clinton easily won in both states before the results were nullified.
Now the Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaw Committee is debating over how to deal with these states in light of their potential lack of representation and their rulebreaking:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/us...s/15rules.html

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s hopes for the presidential nomination may in large part rest on an obscure Democratic National Committee panel, a group of several allies, but not enough at this point to achieve her goal of counting the votes or delegates of Florida and Michigan.

The panel, the Rules and Bylaws Committee, is to meet on May 31 in Washington and could determine the nominating process, or at least heavily influence it. What the committee will do is a major question mark before the last primaries on June 3.

Among the 30 panel members, 13 have declared support for Mrs. Clinton and 8 have declared for Senator Barack Obama. Seven others are neutral or have not declared, although some of their fellow members perceive at least four as leaning toward Mr. Obama. The co-chairmen have not endorsed anyone.

Mrs. Clinton’s campaign wants the delegates apportioned between her and Mr. Obama based on popular votes. That would give her a net increase of 47 delegates.

Mr. Obama has said that if he has enough delegates to secure his nomination, he would want to seat the full Michigan and Florida delegations. But he has not said how the rules panel should apportion the two states’ delegations if he has not gotten the required number of delegates over all by the May 31 meeting.

His campaign hopes that the question becomes moot, and plans are afoot for Mr. Obama to claim the nomination on May 20, when the Oregon primary is expected to give him a majority of pledged delegates.

The whole article is quite interesting, so I suggest you read it.

How do you think the DNC should rule on the issue?

I think it's a cheap trick from the desperate Clinton campaign to get her in office.

Originally Posted by Urameshi-sama

How do you think the DNC should rule on the issue?

The entire issue was concocted by Clinton, what she needs isn't those delegates or votes, she needed the uncertainty that the situation provided to appear competitive.

It doesn't matter how the ruling goes because Obama is still going to win, even seating Michigan as is.

^Yeah, I also got the impression Hillary is just fighting her demise as much as possible.

I hope there aren't any more hitches now and that within the next few primary dates we'll have this stupid competition over with.


I also don't think the states should even be considered into the voting since they defied the DNC at all, which is the organization that has the say-so in the issue. Florida and Michigan citizens just need to learn how to be less rampant and self-destructive by being punished through neglect this round.

I think she is old for the president position. I don't ever think of a woman president.

Shes 60. Thats not old.

McCain is older. Isn't he in his 70's?

^ yeah. Iirc he'll be one of the oldest/older president(s) if he is elected.

If he's elected he will be the oldest.

Actually, the only older president to be inaugurated would be Reagan back in -85, but that was his second term.