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Friday, February 15, 2008
Obama Would Win 'Do Over' Florida And Michigan Primaries
Yes the primaries in FL and MI should be redone, its a matter of enfranchisement for the registered Democrats in those states.
I'm not affiliated with any party, so I come to this argument from the standpoint of what I feel is pragmatic-fairness.
Party Rules
The Democrat party leaders in Florida and Michigan knew they were breaking national party rules when they decided to hold primaries prior to Feb. 5. They just thought they were too big to get slapped upside their collective heads over it, well – SURPRISEEEE!
Your Right To Vote And Have It Counted
Your right, as American citizens, to vote for people to represent your interests in public government is a constitutional right; however, it has little to do with 'party' elections.
You have the freedom to join a political party and to remain a member at your pleasure. If you don't like how it operates, you are free to leave it.
With that said, each party has rules of governance; focusing on the Democrat situation, everyone knows the acts Florida and Michigan took to move up their respective primaries, to the extent that they did, was against the rules. They gambled on what the punishment would be. The punishment was no delegate representation at the convention, that's tough, perhaps even mean unless the party leaders didn't expect FL and MI to matter. But you know how FL do[es], FL finds ways to matter.
I feel Florida and Michigan did this in order to have their respective state votes count more than they have in the past; I also feel it was an effort to get a piece of the early primary ad revenue that early primary states often enjoy. When you gamble sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some; but this time they both lost everything -- not too bright.
Although constitutional voting rights don't necessarily extend to primaries I'm sure voters in those states felt left-out of the process on primary-election day, and will feel worse at the Democrat convention in Denver simply counting everyone elses' votes.
Court Costs & Probation
The punishment should really fit the crime, in this case it should be a fine equivalent to the cost of redoing the elections in those states. A 'do over', effectively forces FL and MI to obey the rules while allowing party members to voice their choice.
Clinton wants the delegates to be seated as the votes were casted, that is not fair; Obama wants the party leadership to abide by their initial decision to refuse to seat the respective delegation from said states, although that is more reasonable it too is unfair.
Both candidates are approcaching this from a matter of 'rule of law' instead of 'right and wrong'. The initial decision was wrong, the right thing to do is to have a 'do over'.
I'm not affiliated with any party, so I come to this argument from the standpoint of what I feel is pragmatic-fairness.
Party Rules
The Democrat party leaders in Florida and Michigan knew they were breaking national party rules when they decided to hold primaries prior to Feb. 5. They just thought they were too big to get slapped upside their collective heads over it, well – SURPRISEEEE!
Your Right To Vote And Have It Counted
Your right, as American citizens, to vote for people to represent your interests in public government is a constitutional right; however, it has little to do with 'party' elections.
You have the freedom to join a political party and to remain a member at your pleasure. If you don't like how it operates, you are free to leave it.
With that said, each party has rules of governance; focusing on the Democrat situation, everyone knows the acts Florida and Michigan took to move up their respective primaries, to the extent that they did, was against the rules. They gambled on what the punishment would be. The punishment was no delegate representation at the convention, that's tough, perhaps even mean unless the party leaders didn't expect FL and MI to matter. But you know how FL do[es], FL finds ways to matter.
I feel Florida and Michigan did this in order to have their respective state votes count more than they have in the past; I also feel it was an effort to get a piece of the early primary ad revenue that early primary states often enjoy. When you gamble sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some; but this time they both lost everything -- not too bright.
Although constitutional voting rights don't necessarily extend to primaries I'm sure voters in those states felt left-out of the process on primary-election day, and will feel worse at the Democrat convention in Denver simply counting everyone elses' votes.
Court Costs & Probation
The punishment should really fit the crime, in this case it should be a fine equivalent to the cost of redoing the elections in those states. A 'do over', effectively forces FL and MI to obey the rules while allowing party members to voice their choice.
Clinton wants the delegates to be seated as the votes were casted, that is not fair; Obama wants the party leadership to abide by their initial decision to refuse to seat the respective delegation from said states, although that is more reasonable it too is unfair.
Both candidates are approcaching this from a matter of 'rule of law' instead of 'right and wrong'. The initial decision was wrong, the right thing to do is to have a 'do over'.
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