DNC tells Florida Dems to change primary plan (or lose all of its delegates to the convention)

The Hill ^ | 8/25/07 | Sam Youngman

[Jean S]

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Saturday gave the Florida Democratic Party 30 days to submit a new plan for a primary or caucus or lose all of its delegates to the nominating convention.

Adopting a resolution offered by committeeman Ralph Dawson of New York, the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee all but ignored the pleas of the Florida party and voted almost unanimously to strip the state of all its delegates unless it offers a new plan that meets DNC rules.

The state ran afoul of the committee’s new primary rules when it decided to adhere to a new state law that moved the primary to Jan. 29, in violation of the DNC rule preventing unapproved states from holding a nominating contest before Feb. 5. The rules committee officially found the delegate selection plan Florida submitted to be in noncompliance Saturday when it adopted Dawson’s resolution.

Florida party representatives argued unsuccessfully that they should be given an exemption and not be punished because they had taken “provable, positive steps” to obey the rule, but they were unsuccessful because of the actions of a Republican controlled legislature and a Republican governor.

“We’re asking for mercy, not judgment,” Florida DNC member Jon Ausman told the committee.

The rules committee, however, was unmoved by the arguments of the Florida delegation and moved promptly to not only enforce its rules but to make them as harsh as possible.

Any state that moved its primary ahead of the Feb. 5 window automatically loses half of its delegates under the new rules.

Presidential candidates that campaign in a state in violation would lose any delegates they win in that state. But committee co-chairman Jim Roosevelt said after the vote that in this case, there would be “no sanction on the campaigns since there would be no delegates at stake.”

“It’s essentially a beauty contest or a straw poll,” committee co-chairwoman Alexis Herman told reporters.

Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman told reporters after the vote she would take the news back to the executive and central committees of the state party.

“I think it’s going to be a difficult discussion,” Thurman said.

Everyone involved said they are optimistic a solution can be found, and Thurman stated that the 30-day reprieve was the only thing to come out of the meeting that gives her hope.

In adopting the harsh penalties, the rules committee appeared to be sending a message to other state parties and legislatures such as Michigan, that any moves ahead of the Feb. 5 window would be met with stiff penalties and little to no leniency.

The Michigan legislature and state parties have in recent days appeared poised to move its primary to Jan. 15.

[Cinnamon]

see they’re only doing this because they think they’ve won already, the presidency is bagged and tagged... so they think.. in the world of politics 1 year is a long long time. they shouldn’t be counting their chicks before they hatch.

[Don Corleone]

How to win friends and influence people....Liberal/Socialist style.

[Joe Brower]

Florida Freeper

[The Bat Lady]

Here is the Hillary California playbook. Massive early absentee voting in Calif. on Jan 7-14 will overwhelm Iowa and then New Hampshire.

and how exactly is Hillary going to get the results of the early voting out?

you can early-vote but that box doesn't (or shouldn't) be counted till 7pm on election day. I always wondered how they could have lots of numbers at 7:05 and it is the early voting boxes.

Any election official worth their salt wouldn't allow the info out till after the polls close election day.

[pepsionice]

What the democrats in Florida will do...is simply run a party caucus deal at the “right” time, to make the national party happy. Out of every 100 democrats in the state...barely 8 will involve themselves in this meeting, and you might see some folks thinking long-shots rather than Hillary.

What the party could have done...gone with the original date and said that their votes would have been counted or they’d stall every procedure at the party convention. The national guys would have thought about this long and hard to have such a bad press showing.

But on the Republican side....they should come out this week with a 30 second ad. The ad should center on why Florida Republicans won’t be ordered around by a bunch of national dimwits. Florida Republicans are independent and are smart enough to make their own decisions. They don’t allow bully’s into their playground. Finally...a simple comment which allures to the fact that the Nazi party of 1932 attempted to stifle every region of Germany and allow only one voice at the national level. I could probably convert 300,000 votes over to the Republicans for next fall with such an ad.

[doug from upland]

The early voters are going to report that to pollsters and the Clinton team is going to get out news blasts of all the people voting early for Hillary. It would not surprise me to see their faces on the news.