Obama: Reinstate Florida, Michigan delegate votes

[highplainsdem]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/04/america/NA-POL-US-Elections.php

WASHINGTON: Looking to build Democratic unity, Barack Obama has called for restoration of full voting rights for convention delegates from the key swing states of Florida and Michigan, which flouted party rules by holding their primary elections too early.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, who ran a close second to Obama in the party's nomination process, won both states and had argued unsuccessfully that delegates she captured in those contests should be counted in her favor.

The delegates were each awarded a half vote each in a compromise reached during a contentious Democratic party meeting in May. Obama secured the necessary number of delegates shortly afterward, and Clinton suspended her campaign and threw her support to her first-term Senate colleague.

Obama had opposed full votes for those delegates until now, with the party's national convention less than a month distant and his nomination as its presidential candidate all but certain.

"We must be and will be united in our determination to change the course of our nation. To that end, Democrats in Florida and Michigan must know that they are full partners and colleagues in our historic mission to reshape Washington and lead our country in a new direction," Obama said in a letter to the party credentials committee that was distributed to reporters Sunday by his campaign.

-snip-

More at the link.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

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[LisaL]

2. Oh jeez, how noble of him.

What freaking difference is it going to make now?

[Cha]

12. It's going to make a difference for the General..

It's the primaries that the officials in Florida and Michigan broke the rules.

And, yeah, you better believe our candidate is noble.

[LisaL]

13. You really think people are that stupid?

That they are gonna be all happy now to participate in the convention, when it doesn't matter anymore?

[Name removed]

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[Cha]

30. I think people are excited about our Democratic Convention..

yeah..but, I don't know what the hell you're on about, lizzy.

[Beregond2]

3. This is a mistake on Obama's part.

How are the rules different now than they were three months ago? This just makes it look as though his former position was personally motivated, instead of a principled stance. And what about the arguement that if some states are allowed to break the rules, pretty soon there will be no rules at all, and thus chaos? And the fact that he wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan? None of that has changed.

This just a manipulation of the rules to give the impression of unanimity. It's dishonest, cheap and unnecessary.

[highplainsdem]

15. We'll have to see what the reaction is. I'd like to know the reasoning behind Obama doing this now.

I wonder what's going on behind the scenes, between the Obama campaign and Clinton and her people.

[joshcryer]

28. Erm, "what's going on" is that Pelosi, Dean, and even Obama said they'd do this.

Back when, you know, hundreds of people here on these very forums were claiming it shouldn't be done, and that people sould be disenfranchised. Obama's position here *has not changed much.* He never explicitly stated that they had to be completely stripped of votes but that the outcome must be fair.

[spag68]

4. All this back and forth crap is funny.

What will it matter if you keep rehashing old crap like this, it's yesterdays news. We have to get on with the task of electing a dem. Pres. and if you are all going to go off on some 11 post newby, you will end up stressed out for sure. This backbiting has the effect of not uniting us to get more congresspeople and senators elected too. WE as a party need all the energy and brain power we can muster to defeat the rethug slime machine that is only now starting to gear up. Instead of this goofiness, try to come up with real questions and real answers that will be needed in the fall. This is after a progressive site and energy wasted om infighting is energy lost forever. Grow up

[nc4bo]

5. that's the point, get ya riled up, chewing on each others appendages,

gnashing teeth and raising your blood pressure while the instigating fucktard(s) sit back and LTFAO and maybe even invite a few of their shithead friends to watch.

fudge 'em. We've an GE to win.

Edited to pluralize fucktard to suit the conditions on the ground bwahahaha .

[jesus_of_suburbia]

6. WHY? We are beyond this. Let's stop talking about it.

[Buddy Tess]

8. Nothing wrong with talking about it, is there?

[jesus_of_suburbia]

9. I don't want to talk about it, because it will just piss off past Hillary supporters.

It doesn't need to be talked about any more.


PERIOD.

BARACK IS OUR CANDIDATE. We don't need to bring up the wounds.

Let's leave the Primary behind.

I have a hard time with those who still bash Clinton now that she's lost.

Let's not bring this up anymore.

[Hoof Hearted]

23. Hey. OBAMA brought this up, not the OP.

[highplainsdem]

10. "We are beyond this"??? This is a news story about Obama. What's your problem with it?

It turned up when I refreshed the Google News page, and I posted it, as I've posted a lot of news stories about him.

I don't understand the objections to seeing this posted. It's news, and it's about the convention, and I thought DUers would be interested.

[AtomicKitten]

7. More false hope to keep the dream of a coup alive.

and they chant with fingers crossed:

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DENVER

1. Senator Clinton has only suspended her campaign. She has not conceded and never offered a statement of concession which is traditional when someone is no longer a candidate. She did not officially end her candidacy which she could have chosen to do. She is still technically a candidate.

2. Senator Clinton has not released her delegates. Releasing or asking her delegates to support Senator Obama is also something she could have done. She has not. All of Senator Clinton's delegates won during the primary season are still committed to her and can cast their votes for her at the convention as long as her name is on the ballot.

3. Super delegates public declarations do not count. They can change their minds ( as some did during the primary). They are not committed to any of their public declarations. Nothing counts until they cast their votes in Denver on August 27th.

The Denver Group

[PatGund]

17. And if the Denver Group actually succeeded???

http://www.yestodemocracy.com/yes_to_democracy_no_to_pu/2008/07/so-the-primarie.html

In a nutshell, you could count the Democratic Party's chances as none and hell no.

[Karen O]

11. I thought the mantra was rules are rules?

What the heck changed?

[GarbagemanLB]

14. What changed is the fact that the primary is over.

[SwampG8r]

16. everywhere on earth but DU

here at DU we still have fucktards blowing smoke about this irrelevant former candidate
and their shattered dreams of her heroic comeback
i cannot wait for the day he DOES name a VP and we can FINALLY be done with her here

[Name removed]

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[SwampG8r]

19. i am just sick of the constant drama about this subject

its never going to ever happen

[Beacool]

24. He now needs their votes................

:eyes:

[Hoof Hearted]

21. why now?

[bunnies]

22. This is bullshit.

Total bullshit. They fuck up the whole primary and he wants to let them off the hook? What a joke.

[earth mom]

25. I agree with your post. This is TOTAL BULLSHIT.

:grr:

[joshcryer]

27. Aww, Obama doesn't *really* want to disenfranchise a record turnout of voters.

Who would've thought!

[bunnies]

29. riiight.

The best thing to do with a tantrum throwing toddler is give him exactly what he wants. :eyes: Next election will be a clusterfuck thanks to this. Such a genius move.

[joshcryer]

26. You'll note that the naysayers and drama and hateful garbage during the primaries...

...is still here.

Of course I said this all along but I was constantly insulted.