Florida and Michigan Finally Come Into Focus

by David Epstein

We're finally getting some clarity on Florida and Michigan and, really, this is a deal the Clinton camp should have agreed to long ago.

The basics are this: the political leaders in FL and MI thought they were being clever moving their primaries up before the Feb. 5 Super-Duper-Tuesday date. They didn't care that their delegates wouldn't be seated because, hey, delegates only count if you get to the convention, and that hasn't happened for 40 years!

What really killed them was the no-campaigning rule. This denied the leaders their real objective: promises of favors from the candidates in return for their support in the primary. So the leaders were looking at Armageddon: missing out on the primary season entirely. Oh, the humanity!

But with the overall picture coming into focus -- i.e., we're headed toward a convention -- it is becoming obvious that the Dems need to revote in these states. The results can't stand as they are, and it beggars belief that the voters of Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa will have more to say about the presidential nominee than Florida and Michigan. So we're back to a third-grade playground do-over.

The mechanics are clear too. They need to run a caucus, since the states won't pay for another primary. But they should run a "firehouse caucuses," where you show up any time during the day and vote for a candidate. No two, three, four hours plus in an overcrowded elementary school gym (or cafeteria); just vote like it's a primary. In fact, this is the way the New Mexico Super Tuesday caucus was run (and it's one of the few caucuses that Clinton won, by the way).

So, the outlines of the deal are solidifying. There are only two questions left: when, and who pays? As to the when, there are gaps in the Schedule May 13 and then June 10. I'd go for the May date, but June may be more practical.

And I find myself a bit uninterested in the question of who pays. It only costs about $8 million to put on a caucus, which is chicken feed. I know the state parties should pay as penance for breaking the rules, but I admit to being tickled at the prospect of the 2008 Florida Democratic Primary brought to you by Tropicana.

Comments

[Peg Welch]

My husband and I live in Michigan. We are Obama supporters. If a "do-over" smells of a Clinton way to get more votes for her, then the Democratic party will ultimately have a real problem. We are beginning to feel the split and it is getting stronger each day. Better figure this out with no bias toward either candidate. Better not be to the tune of the Michigan govenor and about 6 other Michigan reps. who have voiced their support of Hillary.

Obama supporters are watching this very closely. Be very careful. The govenor and others who have already expressed their support for Hillary should not be involved in deciding this issue......it smells very badly if they continue down the road to ensuring the nomination of their chosen candidate.

[Jim Purdy]

If you don't count Florida and Michigan, That will be saying America doesn't care about our Millitary Men, and Women fighting in Iraq, and saying to them we are sorry your vote don't count, because the rules are the rules. Is that whatSen. Obama wants?