Correct me if im wrong. Did all the candidates agree to abide by the party ruling...

[george_maniakes]

that florida would be sending 0 delegates this year?

[Critters2]

1. Not the candidates' decision to make.

The DNC has the authority to make this decision, and did. It's their convention, they decide who's welcome.

[atreides1]

2. True

But which of the candidates spoke up against the DNC decision?

[fenriswolf]

3. none of them

[george_maniakes]

8. So by not saying boo about the party decision, what does that mean about the candidate?

Did that mean they agreed with the decision or no?

[fenriswolf]

10. it means they followed the dnc in lockstep because they want

their nomination. Remember their are alot of super delegates that are undecided and a nominee going against the grain doesnt go well with established members of the party.

They all went with the decision because they want the nominee more then defending the vote.

[lapfog_1]

4. But all three candidates who are left

and, I believe, all of the major candidates who dropped out (Kucinich, Biden, Dodd, and Richardson) agreed not to compete in those states. Only Hillary, of the remaining top three, did not have herself removed from the ballot in Michigan.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. and only Kucinich actually broke the pledge

not to campaign in michigan.

There was no pledge to remove one's name from the ballot.

[george_maniakes]

19. so does agreeing not to participate in a primary mean you can still get delegates...

from that primary? I dont get it. My understanding was that florida would recieve 0 delegates and all candidates agreed to abide by that rule.

[MonkeyFunk]

21. asking for the rules to be changed

isn't participating in the primary.

Clinton has kept to the pledge 100%. Kucinich didn't in Michigan, and Obama is running ads in Florida. Clinton's clean on this one.

[george_maniakes]

24. so she wants to participate in a primary she agreed not to participate in is that it?

and shes saying this days before that primary? Why didnt she just not sign that pledge?

[Tom Rinaldo]

25. She is not participating in the primary. She is keeping the pledge

Ultimately the delegates who are sanctioned by the DNC to be seated at the Democratic National Convention in the summer become the highest and final authority of the Party. Delegates with a State delegation that has not been accredited by the DNC rules prior to the convention can ask those delegates who have been to rule on whether or not their credentials should be accepted as valid. The matter would be put to a vote and the result of that vote would be final. Hillary is saying what she would urge (not order) her delegates to do at that time. No more, no less.

[george_maniakes]

29. why is she urging her delegates to allow delegates from a primary she agreed not to participate in?

n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

32. Because it will cause serious problems for the Democratic Party in November if we don't

The time and place to punish Florida was making it a no campaign zone prior to their primary. That had real negative consequences for Florida and it's Democratic Party. But the angry feelings at least won't automatically linger beyond the convention if the delegates elected by the primary ultimtely get seated.

For the record, it seems from rumors that people have been leaking, Florida's Democrats had reason to believe (and not just from Hillary) that a solution along those lines would be worked out. And that just makes sense. If nothing else some type of pledge to work in good faith to avoid this problem in the future could be signed before the convention and then the DNC could join in urging the delegates there assembled to seat their Florida and Michingan colleagues. Maybe it will just be Florida, since all of the candidates were on the ballot there. Who knows?

[MonkeyFunk]

26. Because she's not participating

What's so hard to understand?

OH, I get it! You're using feigned innocence to make your point. How PRECIOUS!

[george_maniakes]

27. I seriously dont get it. can you not see me posting a million times on this?

just cause your cynical doesnt mean i am. Why didnt she state she wanted to participate when she signed the pledge back then? why does she want it changed now?

[MonkeyFunk]

31. She pledged not to campaign in Florida.

She is not campaigning in Florida.

She did NOT pledge never to ask that the ruling be reconsidered.

[george_maniakes]

5. But the candidates must of had an opinion on the partys ruling no?

As in "ok ill abide by your decision but i dont think its fair for florida" or " damn straight, iowa and new hampshire should be first" or " hell no! ill fight for those florida delegates all the way to the convention". the candidates must of had an opinion on the matter back then no?

[robbedvoter]

6. Excellent point.

[Tulkas]

7. This is the pledge they all signed

Off Dodd's site

http://chrisdodd.com/media/releases/chris-dodd-signs-pledge-early-caucus-and-primary-states


Hillary is now going back on her word. Surprise Surprise Suprise... this just in, we expect the sun to rise tomorrow, that is all.

[george_maniakes]

9. this is what i got from that pledge:

"THEREFORE, I, Christopher J. Dodd, Democratic Candidate for President, pledge 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 rules and regulations of the DNC."

So did they all agree not to campaign or participate in any primary or caucus before feb 5 except those 4?

[Critters2]

11. Yes. nt

[Skip Intro]

28. Which part of the pledge did she break?

[george_maniakes]

34. urging delegates at the convention to seat delegates from a primary where you agreed not...

to participate in seems at odds with the agreement. How can you agree not to participate in a contest, yet desire the benefits of participating in that contest? If she wanted florida delegates, why didnt she just not agree with the party when it made its decision and fight then?

[sfam]

12. Yes, they all agreed to abide by the party ruling...but this is a Feb 5 thing...

But that was before the race got close. :)

Seriously, if the race is decided prior to the convention, it absolutely makes sense to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates. But you don't change the rules after the game has been played. If the Clinton campaign somehow forces a vote on this in a brokered convention, her credibility disapears. She knows this.

My guess is she's just trying to get positive publicity leading up to Super Tuesday, and really isn't planning to force anything other than getting the newsies to cover the democratic results in Florida. My guess is her ploy will work.

[george_maniakes]

13. But how can she now be saying she wants to participate in that primary when she said she wouldnt?

What is this crazy person land? It makes no sense.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. She never said that she would not say that she wanted to participate in

the primary. She only said that she would not participate in the primary.

[george_maniakes]

16. Ok so she said something like "although id like to, i wont participate in the florida primary"

something like that?

[sfam]

15. She knows the results will be in her favor...she's just trying to get MSM to report them

That's all. Really, as an Obama supporter, I don't see anything else going on here. Its a somewhat crass method of getting the newsies to cover something which isn't newsworthy. She's doing it because it will garner her positive coverage prior to Feb 5.

[MonkeyFunk]

18. She's not saying she wants to participate in the primary

don't believe the lies here.

[george_maniakes]

20. then what is she saying? becaused im as confused as hell. n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

23. What's confusing?

She's not campaigning in Florida. She's running no ads, holding no public appearances.

She's asking the DNC to reconsider their disenfranchisement of voters in MI and FL.

[Nimrod2005]

22. Yes and they all signed something saying so....

[MonkeyFunk]

30. Not exactly, no

they didn't agree not to challenge the ruling. They agreed not to campaign in the states involved.

[george_maniakes]

33. they also agreed not to participate in the florida primary no?

If you agree not to take part in the daytona 500, can you still win it? Were not all the candidates agreed with the party that florida should recieve 0 delegates?

[MonkeyFunk]

35. It's been explained to you many times

I can't do anything more to make you understand, although I think you DO understand and just want to hammer this to attack Clinton. But I assure you if the delegates ARE seated, Obama and Edwards will get theirs, too.