"Your fellow socialists don't love you anymore!"
Posted on 08/25/2007 11:34:08 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
The Democratic Party has taken a swipe at the nation's fourth biggest state, stripping Florida of all of its '08 delegates as punishment for jumping the gun with its primary, which is forcing other states to crowd Christmas in the quest to be first.
Under a vote taken moments ago by a powerful committee of the Democratic National Committee, if things don’t change, Florida’s primary on Jan. 29 will be a "beauty contest" — the delegates won’t count toward the party’s presidential nomination.
Florida officials complained they were being "disenfranchised," but the DNC strongly pushes back against that contention, since it has rules that Florida decided not to follow.
This is the party’s way of trying to stop the crazy domino effect of states moving their nominating contests earlier and earlier, which causes OTHER states to go earlier and earlier.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted nearly unanimously that Florida’s plan is noncompliant with party rules, and gave the state 30 days to fix it. Otherwise, the state will lose 100 percent of its delegates.
“The ayes clearly have it,” RBC co-chair James Roosevelt Jr. (FDR's grandson) said, when only one clear voice on the 30-member committee said “no.”
UPDATE: During the debate, Donna Brazile, a DNC member from D.C. who was campaign manager for Gore-Lieberman in 2000, said: “I understand how states crave to be first. I understand that they’re envious of the role that Iowa and New Hampshire have traditionally played. And I understand that they would like to see if they can get the candidates to come down and … spend all of their time and the resources and fill their bars — oh, sorry, not the bars! — fill their farms and their barns up with people. But the truth is is that we had a process. … That vote will stand … and send a signal to the people of Florida – which includes my sister, who had to show not one, not two, but three forms of ID in 2000.”
As the meeting broke up and all the cameras and reporters (and there are a bunch of both) lunged for the Florida folks, I walked up to the dais and asked Mr. Roosevelt and his co-chair, Alexis M. Herman, the practical consequences for Florida if the sanctions remain in place.
Roosevelt: “The event on Jan. 29 would be purely a beauty contest — equivalent, as somebody said, to the Iowa straw poll.”
Herman: “But voters WOULD get to register their preference. I think that’s important to point out.”
Roosevelt: “There would be a state-run poll or beauty contest, as has happened before. But there would NOT be a selection of delegates for the national convention in that process.”
What will happen at the national convention? Will Florida have a section with a "Sunshine State" sign and the funny hats?
Herman: “This would then come under the purview of the credentials committee of the convention. And the convention credentials committee would then have to make a determination as to how they would interpret whatever activities would have occurred in Florida — be it the 29th process, or any subsequent activities, if it were not party approved.”
What are the consequences for the campaigns — Clinton, Obama and the others? Would there be penalties for campaigning in Florida?
Roosevelt: “This resolution that was voted here, because it takes away 100 percent of the delegates if the rules are violated, means that there are no particular sanctions on the campaigns if they were to campaign in Florida.”
Herman: “Because there’s no apportionment of delegates in that process.”
Roosevelt: “If we were only taking away 50 percent, those campaigns that participated would be penalized.”
Do you think the candidates will campaign in Florida?
Roosevelt: “My impression is that, just as a political judgment, some intend to and some don’t.”
I’m typing this in the lounge of the Capital Hilton, which is closed but people are using the comfy chairs anyway. There’s a big Scottish Rite event here — a two-day joint session of several of the group’s “Supreme Councils.” In the gift shop, they too, were talking about "compliance." Everyone has their bureaucracies.
Who would Florida’s dem delegates cast heir vote for?
The whole process is pretty much for show anyway if you ask me. I think most people know that the hildabeest is going to get the nomination.
Reminds me, when is the AARP branch of the government, Senators, going to come back to work.
With any luck the RATS will strip all the states of their RAT delegates and the Republican nominee will win by default.
The Dems have a long history of disenfranchising Florida voters.
I hope there is lots of backlash against the democrat party for this; most florida democrat voters should just decided to sit out the whole process in 08, as payback to Dean. :-)
I seem to remember democrats suing in Florida before don’t I?
The national dems reaction to the voters of a state wanting to have control over their own primary is emblematic of the fascist underpinnings of their beliefs. Dissent from the central planning is met with a swift and ruthless response. If Howard Dean and the other commissars of the DNC could have their way, I’m sure they would be sending the Florida dems to the gulag or Siberia for some re-education.
I heard on FoxNews that the GOP is also going to “punish” Florida for moving its primary up. Since NH will almost assuredly vote Dem this time, it seems pretty foolish to do that.
"Your fellow socialists don't love you anymore!"
The NH and Iowa must be first scam has to be put down for good.
I hope that FoxNews report you heard was mistaken.
You are confused, and need to rethink this.
It doesn’t work that way.
What happens among Democrats during their primaries and their convention is not going to allow Republicans to win the general election for President in 08 “by default”.
Hey I think if they don’t allow the delegates in the primary they should not allow them in the electoral college.
Wrong. It is the other states who are putting their egos ahead of tradition.
Either have regional primaries or just leave the system alone.
I don’t think I’m confused. Not every post should need a “sarc.” tag.
The RATS want to choose the order of their primaries so they can be sure of getting the nominee they want.
They want more liberal states to thin out the field before more moderate states vote. Another reason is they want more liberal states to pick first to assure Republicans wind up with a RINO that is easier to beat.
The RATS would be overjoyed if only Iowa, NH, Mass, NY, and Calif could pick the nominee on both sides.
Michigan will be interesting because most want the early Jan 15 primary, even the Canadian Communist RAT Governor, but the RAT house leader wants Edwards as do the unions.
They want a caucus because they think that favors Edwards. They also don’t like the semi closed primary on the same date because they want to crossover and pick a moron like McCain or Rooty for our side like they did in 2000.
Hildabeast is behind in Fla polls but ahead in Michigan so it will be telling what they do here.
Good. This was getting ridiculous.
Isn’t that how democrats operate everywhere?
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