The News Out of Tonight: One big messy tie. Dr. Dean's Operation Develops Complications.

[smalll]

3.2 million to 3.2 million so far for Barack and Hillary. Our side's delegate apportionment system is maddeningly proportional. No one's coming out with anything near a big lead in delegates. Real chances now exist that it may come down to the end, to the Convention, and to the awful questions of Michigan and Florida.

Howard Dean a while ago decided to go invasive, and did a complete delegate stripping operation. Complications, very severe and serious ones, may be about to emerge. The Super-Ds in the end may have to decide it as a body in the interests of the Party one way or the other.

[madfloridian]

1. Florida vote was 115 to 1, and then they attacked him.

They were to blame then, and they are to blame now.

Gelber admits they did not fight the GOP about the primary.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1468

[smalll]

5. I'm not saying it wasn't the fault of the Florida party organization, I'm saying Dean's reaction -

the total stripping order -- took the risk of planting a landmine in the road that we would come to, if the forks in the road took us to Even-Stevensland. We may not have to go that way, but we're getting closer to that territory by the minute tonight.

[sharp_stick]

2. So what's wrong with what's happening

I guess if you're from Iowa or New Hampshire and are used to selecting the nominee it kind of sucks to see the rest of country getting a say but hell, I think it's great.

[smalll]

4. Sure it'll be nice for late states to count, but if it keeps being close,

we COULD get to the convention with no certain nominee. Then the Questions of Florida and Michigan will arise inevitably. Will they really be shut out? Will they be seated? It could end up, in a worst case scenario, looking like Florida 2000 as an intramural event, with wierd overtones from the 1964 Mississipi Freedom Democrats / Regular Democrats seating fight.

[ecstatic]

3. He said we won't know for another 3.5 weeks :(

I want to know now dammit

[KnaveRupe]

6. Apart from the FL & MI screwup, how is that bad?

I live in Pennsylvania.

I have never had an opportunity to cast a meaningful vote in a presidential primary, as every race has been decided LOOOONG before it ever got to us.

Having a genuine contest still going on by the time our primary rolls around actually makes me want to bother to go out and vote in the primary.

Me likey.

I will certainly agree with you that the MI & FL situation are majorly FUBARed - although if the DNC hadn't done SOMETHING to put a stop to the leapfrogging, we would have had this super-duper Tuesday sometime last October.

[smalll]

7. Look! I posted this way back at 10:40 pm EST tonight!

Two Long Hours Ago, Plus!