Even if Romney wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, it will soon be reported that he won't get hardly any delegates for his efforts.
Then when the California primary comes around ... poof ...
Posted on 10/22/2007 4:20:33 PM PDT by jmyrlefuller
Republican Party leaders on Monday recommended punishing five states for shifting their nomination contests earlier, moving to strip New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming of half their delegates. ADVERTISEMENT
At least one state, South Carolina, is considering legal action in an effort to keep its delegates to next year's Republican National Convention.
Iowa, which plans to hold Republican caucuses on Jan. 3, would not be penalized because, technically, the caucuses are not binding on convention delegates. Nevada, which plans to hold its caucuses on Jan. 19, would not be penalized for the same reason.
"It's very important that our party uphold and enforce the rules that we unanimously voted into place at the Republican National Convention in 2004," said Mike Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee.
The rules ban holding votes before Feb. 5.
Wyoming is scheduled to hold its nominating conventions on Jan. 5. Michigan will hold its Republican primary on Jan. 15, South Carolina on Jan. 19 and Florida on Jan. 29.
New Hampshire has not yet set a primary date, though it is required by state law to hold its primary at least seven days before any other, raising the possibility of a December vote.
The Republican National Committee's executive committee voted unanimously — with two members abstaining — to recommend the punishments, Duncan said.
The proposal now goes to the full RNC, which will vote on a recommendation to Duncan following state elections in November. Duncan has the final say.
The Republican nominee for president will have to win a majority of the 2,379 delegates to the convention, a number that could change slightly, depending on the outcome of five state elections in November.
Under the RNC's action Monday, Florida would lose 57 delegates, Michigan 30, South Carolina 23, Wyoming 14 and New Hampshire 12.
However, some states are banking that whoever wins the GOP nomination will eventually restore the delegates.
Both parties have struggled to control their primary calendars. The Democrats have voted to strip Florida of all its convention delegates for scheduling its primary on Jan. 29, and the party could do the same to Michigan if it goes ahead with a Jan. 15 vote.
Florida Democrats have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the punishment.
Democratic rules allow four states to hold votes before Feb. 5: Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Republican rules, adopted at the 2004 national convention, do not allow any exceptions.
South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson said he will consider legal action if the state is penalized delegates.
"I don't think we will have any problem going to fight for our delegates. Will we get them all? I don't know, but we are certainly going to put up a fight," Dawson said in a telephone interview.
Duncan said there is plenty of legal precedent granting political parties the authority to set their own rules.
"I'm very confident of our legal footing," he said.
New Hampshire GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen said his state's delegates are being punished, even though they have no say on the date of their primary. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner has the sole authority to set the state's primary date.
Cullen, however, said he is willing to accept the punishment to "protect and preserve" New Hampshire's status of having the first primary in the nation.
"The RNC has made it clear that they intend to enforce the rules against any state that goes before Feb. 5," Cullen said Monday. "We hope it doesn't come to that. We feel that we have something special that takes place in New Hampshire, a process here that's serves the nation well."
GOP chairmen in Florida and Michigan said they are hopeful that their entire delegations will be admitted to the convention, though neither threatened legal action.
"While we disagree with the Republican National Committee's recommendation to sanction the state of Florida, at the end of the day this is a disagreement among friends and we recognize that we are all working towards a common goal — re-electing a Republican president in 2008," Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer said in a statement.
Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis said, "Michigan Republicans remain committed to holding its presidential primary on Jan. 15, 2008."
Florida and Michigan (and to a lesser extent South Carolina) have a lot to lose from this. Wyoming is the smallest state in the union; the loss of delegates won't impact them much anyway and I think they're just angling for the fact of being first regardless of how much influence they actually have is what's important to them.
New Hampshire will cry like a stuck pig but the fact remains that their special status as first in the nation is going to end soon.
Nope. Not a thing.
Not a freaking thing my good man. Not a thing.
Now what does have something to lose and lose BIG, is the GOP.
Go do without the good wishes of the Florida GOP voters, to name just one, and kiss your party goodbye.
Think I’m kidding?
Then go ahead, piss us off, and see how we vote in the National election.
After you are all sitting at home wondering what the Hell happened to the Grand Old Party, that is.
Why not use some common sense and piss on the uber liberal blue states that have about 12 delagates and three GOP voters between them?
Yeah, thats the ticket. Pick on the huge states that deliver your candidate to the WH. Yep.
The good result will eventually be a call for something like a lottery, or something novel like having multiple primary dates for different counties (I know, too way out). New Hampshire and Iowa just no longer can have a lock on the first vote.
This reminds me of the RIAA threatening and sic their lawyers on downloaders
Wyoming has something along those lines-- the county delegates and a statewide system. Each are held on different dates, and it'll be interesting to see how the national GOP handles it, whether or not they'll just take away half of the 12 county delegates that are chosen on 1/5 or half of all 28 votes, even though the statewide picks aren't made until March.
Sir, with all due respect, states like Florida and Ohio already get tons of attention from both parties due to their swing state status. You will not lose any influence.
However, reread my post. I am stating exactly what you stated.
It is the GOP that will lose influence with us, not the reverse.
The rules were agreed upon by all the states, now a few want to break them. Punishment is the order of the day. Or do we enforce some contracts and not others?
Threats?
Oh, now THAT is helpful.
IMO, the Republican Party should back off, let the Democrats fall on their Party Inc. sword and deal with the states that move their primaries forward AFTER the voting has happened.
If a few states wish to go rogue and cost the candidates tens of millions of dollars that they don’t need to spend, then by all means, let them.
When Hillary is running negative ads that our nominee cannot respond to because they are broke from spending during primaries, our Fla GOP members can blubber to themselves about “Why isn’t -—————— Responding, he is getting creamed”.
There are consequences to actions Sir.
Curious isn’t it, that we here see that in reverse?
We are the ones being threatened sir, and there simply will be negative fallout from those actions that are taken against Florida voters.
And that is simple common sense that would apply to any number of things.
It is the National GOP that needs to get it’s act together, not the conservative, overwhelmingly republican Floridian political machine.
Look up how many dem lawmakers there are here in this rapidly growing state that has delivered the last 2 elections for the GOP.
Think.
They are informal agreements that may be, and are being, changed.
The states have the right to choose the manner in which their electors are chosen, come Hell, high water, or the national parties.
At least the last time that I read the Constitution.
The GOP is making a bad move here. DNC did it first so lets use it against them rather than emulate them!
It was thought that the Arizona Governor would move the Arizona Presidential Preference election to a date before the deadline. Our GOP State Chairman had worked with the executive committee to set up a special meeting after the deadline to choose delegates, so Arizona wouldn't lose any delegates, everything was in place for that to occur, when the Governor announced that the election would be held on Feb. 5.
Even if Romney wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, it will soon be reported that he won't get hardly any delegates for his efforts.
Then when the California primary comes around ... poof ...
We want the opportunity to see and hear th candidates speak about the issues, not have a horserace to see who can burn up the most miles traveling.
# January 21, 2008 - Iowa
# January 28, 2008 - New Hampshire
# February 5, 2008 - Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia (which will nominate a candidate at a state nominating convention)
# February 5, 2008 (unofficial date) - Florida, Michigan
# February 12, 2008 - Tennessee
# February 9 or February 16, 2008 (date to be determined) - Louisiana
Assuming the above is still the correct GOP calendar. At what point do you think the candidates will fall off?
I could see if Thompson can finish a strong 2nd in Iowa, he would have a lot of momentum going into states he would play very well in. Carolinas, W.VA, Bama, Oklahoma, Missouri. New Hampshire is basically a non factor because the candidates can spin Romney’s Mass following. Thompson will obviously take Tenn. and probably La. Giuliani is in MUST WIN mode for Florida, PA, MICH.
In my opinion this looks to be a Thompson Giuliani slugfest unless Romney breaks out at the end. A lot can change though, obviously.
And the National GOP will get it’s act together by growing broke campaigning in FL?
FL is a bear of a place to campaign with it’s long distances, then the media market is so scattered that it costs even more money to run ads, money BTW, that we don’t have as of yet.
Be playing cowboy and stroking your egos you may curse us all with Hillary.
‘Nuff said.
Then when the California primary comes around ... poof ...
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