Dem Delegate Fight Pits Sharpton Vs. NAACP

Many commentators here seem to miss the point. To cast an intelligent vote, you must have the opportunity to hear detailed plans from all contenders. You cannot decide in such an important election based on one TV ad or by just going for a familiar name. Voters in both states were unfortunately disenfranchised because of the bad decisions made by the state party leaders. Those persons who went out and cast their votes knowing that they would mean nothing, well that is fine for you. However, many of us in Michigan simply did not participate because we knew the rules - the votes would not count. We felt marginalized and upset ad we have envied our neighbors Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio etc. To go back now and say we SHOULD have voted because the votes suddenly count is just plain wrong. Most people in MI as elsewhere did not know anything much about Mr. Obama's policies in January and his name was not even on the ballot. In fact, we were being asked to go out and vote for Mitt Romney in order to mess up the Republican slate! So the only solution now is a do over. Julian Bond knows this. These old civil rights leaders are really acting up simply because they owe so much to Bill Clinton. Mr. Bond now can join Andrew Young and Charlie Rangel in competing to see who has said the suupidest things in this campaign as they fall over one another to prove their loyalty to the Clintons. LOL if it was not such a mess.

Is Florida a 'winner take all" state?
Obama looks like the clear choice of our party so lets back him and move on.

The Clintons are a sorry old pair building a bridge to their retirement. We don't need more divisive figures like bush and Clinton right now.

Obama ran a national ad that was seen in every state, he could not exclude Florida. These were the rules they all agreed upon, she campaigned there she just side stepped the rules by making it a fundraising event. You Hillary supporters are sounding more and more bitter, I swear you complain that young people are not involved in politics, then piss and moan when we do get involved.

Will Hilary lose the popular vote and steal the election with a grab for unelected delegates? Will she try to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida, in spite of agreeing to the rules up front that those delegates would not be seated? Hilary Clinton as the great uniter? Oh,good grief. She is already splitting the Democratic Party. How much better will she fare in the general election against Republicans who already don't like her? Hilary does have experience. She has a lot of experience stirring people up. She did it in the past, she's doing it now, and she'll be doing it on Day One. After eight years of Republican misery, it looks like we might be in for at least four more years of Democratic misery. When does it end?

jo

Timing is everything, I agree with Al Sharpton. Had either Hillary Clinton or Julian Bond taken a firm stance against the DNC's decision to "disenfranchise" the voters of Michigan and Florida BEFORE it was deemed politically expedient for Sen. Clinton to lobby for their representation at the Convention?

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Early in this race, Democratic candidates Clinton, Obama, and Edwards agreed to support the DNC's position to penalize both states for setting early primary dates. Ultimately, Democrats agreed that there would be no campaigning in either state. Therefore, no delegates would be awarded.

However, consider this, if you will.... If Hillary makes a public commitment to support her party's position on this issue, and then blatantly attempts to defy these very same rules in the interest of self-preservation, will she truly be regarded as a woman of conviction?? If elected, will she turn on the American people on "Day One" as handily as she appears to have turned on her own party?? Will she say one thing, then do another??

Trust is a critical factor in casting my vote. Can someone help me out here????

I can't beleive I agree with Sharpton. The only reason people and crying out and crying foul on behalf of Florida & Michigan, is because the way the race has shaped up. The correct time to protest was at the time of the decision. To do so now, is literally changing the rules in the midst of the game. If you know the rules before hand you can plan accordingly. It would be just shy of cheating & it wouldn't past the smell test to many people.

I hope the Michigan and Fla dlegates and the citizens of these states, take this matter to the supreme court.

This is a completely unfair to the voters of these states.

It's the right of american people to have every vote counted as stated in the Constitution.

I don't think Dean and the DNC should disenfranchise these voters that are needed in a national election.

And for Obama pulled his name off the ballot in Michigan and ran ads in FLA. Why did he not get critisim for running ads and fundraisers in the state. Personally I think they need to suspend some of his delegates then for this tactic.

The same rules that said no state other than the first four can schedule a primary or caucus before February 5th also said that Iowa was scheduled for no earlier than January 14, Nevada January 19, New Hampshire January 22, and South Carolina January 29. Of those four, only Nevada followed the schedule set by the DNC. Yet no one's calling for IA, NH and SC to be stripped of delegates for breaking rule 11A. Also, the sanction for violating that rule was supposed to a 50% reduction in delegates and alternates, not the 100% loss Michigan received. So it seems to me that the DNC has had no problem changing the rules mid-stream in the months leading up to this disaster. Why should they have any qualms about changing their minds again?

Sharpton is correct. As someone else said, this is like deciding to go back and count pre-season baseball games towards the championship.

The Florida vote should count. Both Clinton and Obama were on the ballot there.

Florida voters should not be denied because of some silly bickering with the DNC.

Michigan should not count because Obama was not on the ballot.

Michigan should have another primary.

Al Sharpton doesn't know diddley.

I don't care what he has to say.

Not only did Obama not campaign there, he had no offices or volunteers working there. In Michigan his name wasnt even on the ballot. This is a shameless move by the Clintons. In my opinion the people have spoken. He won 80 to 20 in Idaho, he won 75 to 25 in DC. White states, black states he's winning by big margins. If the DNC tries to find ways to override the will of the people in favor of the establishment candidate the Democratic party will fail. Its strange because with Obama the dems have a very rare opportunity to expand the party and win in November. With Hillary they will only destroy the party and ensure Republican victory.

As a Michigan voter my anger was toward the Michigan Democratic leaders, who decided without the input of voters to change the primary date, knowing what the consequences were. If Julian Bond, Hilary Clinton or anyone else disagreed with the DNC,the time to complain was 3 or 4 months ago, not now. You can't change the rules mid game to benefit either candidate.

Chmn. Dean's decision to disenfranchise the Michigan and Florida Dems is going to return to bite him in the back of his lap, especially if the delegate count between Sens. Clinton and Obama is this/close. It won't be pretty, either!

You all are willfully disregarding the facts. The agreement was NOT let's not campaign in Florida and then see how it all turns out and then decide whether or not to apportion delegates. the agreement was let's not campaign in Florida BECAUSE the DNC has decided that by virtue of breaking the rules they WILL NOT GET DELEGATES.
You want to change the rules moving forward? Fine.
You think Florida should hold another primary? Fine.
Do some research and figure out the financial differences in running a primary and a caucus.
This is why the idea of caucus re do's are being floated, because there is no way Florida will pony up for another primary.
Please face the facts.

Who cares what Al Sharpton has to say, he is an idiot.

The republican controlled congress of Florida changed the state's primary to Jan. Then the Democratic Committee stripped the state of it's delegates. That doesn't seem fair to me.

1 million people voted.
All candidates were on the ballots.
It was 6 days before Super-Tuesday.

They should be counted - not punished.

Michigan is another story. They should re-do their primary if they want to be counted as Obama removed his name.

Brandon - when since is the DNC God? The DNC has made BAD decisions in the past and that's why we got stuck with "W". Their decision to not count Florida's votes is another BAD decision. And we'll end up with President John McCain come January. And who's the one cheating? The candidates? Please. Again, everyones name was on the Florida primary ballot and it was a FAIR vot. Hillary won, without campaigning, Obama lost without campaigning. ENOUGH already!

Brandon, what about the voters' voices in these states? Do they not count? I mean, in FLA, they knew it didn't count, yet, they voted anyway. Is this a democracy or not? Do we count the votes of the people, or not?
It's a mess, I grant you, the DNC, and the legislatures in these states screwed up.. but should the voters pay for their mistakes? Just so you can get the outcome you want? In such a close election? And if these votes could put Clinton over the top and they are silenced.. do you think Obama has a prayer in the general in these states? Isn't that an issue you are worried about?
I hope it doesn't come to this, and one of them wins regardless of these votes, but I think the possiblity that FLA and MI could be the tiebreakers, is increasingly possible.