To Redo or Not to Redo? That is the Question.

[mcscajun]

This one's a real toughie. On the one hand, the voters in FL and MI didn't disenfranchise themselves, it was done TO them by elected/party officials. (It's particularly reprehensible that a Republican state government screwed the Democrats in Florida, deliberately. That must not be allowed to stand.) On the other, the ballots in FL and MI back in January had all the candidates currently running (except BO wasn't on the ballot in Michigan at all) and a new ballot now amounts to Runoff voting, which no other state can benefit from. So voters in FL and MI get a second chance no one else gets. I hear playground shouts across the land of "Not fair! Do over! Do over!" vs. "Not fair! Not fair! No do over!"

Now...I'm pulling in more hands here: On the one hand, FL and MI must have a place at the Democratic National Convention. Again, it's not the voters who did this to themselves, and they must be represented at the convention, particularly as it looks likely to be the first REAL convention in sometime, where the candidate will be determined, not just a coronation of an already determined candidate, and we need the full support of these critical states in the General Election. If the DNC does not seat FL and MI delegates this summer, how can the party keep the loyalty of Democratic voters in these states? On the other, how DO you determine who gets seated and how, when both states broke the rules, and both candidates stand to lose or benefit from either keeping to the rules as they were determined over a year earlier, or chucking them out and saying "Ok, you can come on in, all is forgiven"?

Meanwhile, the Republicans have their candidate, and Democrats have a new variation on our all-too-usual circular firing squad; only in this case, it's not quite a circle, and we're only shooting ourselves in the feet.

Of course, there's also the money issue. If the states have to pay for new primaries as seems likely, will they still have the funds they need to a) send their delegates to the convention and more importantly, b) support their state and local candidates against Republican challenge in the GE?

It is...a puzzlement, and I'm glad I don't have to make the call.

On edit: corrected grammar.

[C_U_L8R]

1. Why does Hillary deserve a Mulligan ?

Does she really want to lose twice ?

[Selatius]

2. Re-do the vote, but with one caveat.

Since legislators in Michigan and Florida wrote and passed the laws changing the primary dates, then they will pay for the re-vote by deducting the cost of the new election from their salary. The taxpayers already paid for an election that caused problems. Now the legislators must pay instead to correct the problem they created.

[HockeyMom]

3. I voted in Florida

No, don't give these states a redo. Throw out the all the votes. They have to learn to abide by the rules, especially Florida.

[Taverner]

I say do it and make Bush* pay for it

:D

[mcscajun]

I like it! I like it! But then...

I like anything where Bush pays. If anyone finds something like that, let me know. :D

[Jack_DeLeon]

4. Yes is the answer.

N/T

[Greyskye]

6. Who pays for the redo?

:shrug:

[Jack_DeLeon]

9. Thats the real question....

I dont have answers.

[Greyskye]

10. In that case...

...you should stop advocating for such. Remember, it's the Republicans who are the fiscally irresponsible ones these days.

[mcscajun]

11. And, it's the Republicans who PUT Florida in this position...

...the lousy conniving bastards. :grr:

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Wasn't the plan to just leave it as it is? Or, was it so messed up

that they assumed it wouldn't matter anyway & they didn't have a plan.

[Jack_DeLeon]

7. Thats probably the case....

just sloppy lazy work by people in our party. Who would have imagined it would be so close. Murphy's law strikes again.

[mcscajun]

13. I think they assumed that a nominee would be apparent...

...so that this wouldn't be the bone of contention it is now.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

8. Chalk it up to experience and

move on. A redo in one or both states will only result in further rancor within the Dem party, further campaign-coffer emptying, and another chance for Repugs to make Dems look like a loosely-tied bundle of ass clowns.

C'mon, are we really ass clowns?

I didn't think so.

If the people of FL and MI feel disenfranchised, it is their duty to strike at the root of the problem: they need to slam the party officials that made the highly dubious decisions in the first place. sounds like one for the courts, meaning it's not going to get tied up any time soon.

And for the shitheel officials that made the call: shame on you. Your attempt to one-up other states and get an early primary has lethally backfired.

[Gore1FL]

12. In the end...

They could seat the delegates and adding last Tuesday to those delegates would still be less than half of what she needed to win last Tuesday to have a credible shot.