NYTimes Politics Blog: Florida’s Democratic Delegate Mess

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"What a strange situation we’re facing here in Florida today.

No Democratic delegates (there would be 210) will come out of this primary — at least not as long as the Democratic National Committee adheres to its penalty rules because the state moved its contest up so early. And only half (57) of the state’s Republican delegates will be counted, conforming to the national G.O.P.’s decision for the same reason.

And while the Republican candidates have criss-crossed this vast, populous state intensively for the last 10 days since the party’s South Carolina primary, no Democratic candidate has been able to campaign here for months because they signed a pledge to only campaign in the four early states. (Aside from fund-raising and an Obama cable TV ad in the last week.)

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is due to descend on Davie, Fla., tonight. She has been leading in the state’s polls here. And having lost the South Carolina primary, coming out ahead here may perhaps give her a boost, however ephemeral given the nature of the absentee campaigns on the Democratic side.

The Clinton campaign, in a conference call billed as "Why Florida Matters" just a short while ago, wants it known that it now believes Florida’s delegates should be seated at the convention. (She released a statement to this effect just last week.) Asked why the campaign hadn’t urged for such a move before, Howard Wolfson, one of the senator’s top advisers, said, "I think there was a widespread expectation when the D.N.C. made its decision that voters in Florida would not participate."

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[YDogg]

1. I feel disenfranchised. Thanks, DNC asshats.

[MaineDem]

2. Please, the DNC did what its members voted for (including the FL members)

To place blame properly, look to Karen Thurman and the Florida Democratic Party.

[YDogg]

4. My take on it is that the DNC will do anything it can to swing the race the way it wants.

I could be wrong. I may well be. But that's my best guess. So I'll be pleased to continue to blame the DNC. For whatever reason, they were not interested in FL Dems having as much influence as FL Dems thought they ought. I didn't have any say in the matter. I feel screwed.

[sfam]

5. Couldn't it just be sheer incompetence on all sides?

I mean seriously, the Fla Dems haven't shown extreme competence in the past, neither has the DNC. If I were to look at a democratic fuckup, my first, second and third guess would be that it was based purely on incompetence of all parties.

Truly, the conspiracy theory should be SOOOOO far in second place to incredible incompetence...

[MaineDem]

6. The rules were adopted over a year ago

As someone in a state that may not have any say because we followed the rules, I'd be very upset if a state which broke the rules wasn't penalized in some way.

My personal opinion would be for Florida to lose its superdelegates and allow the state to elect the pledged delegates but I didn't have a vote in the decision.

But, the DNC tried to work with Florida to have a separate delegate allocation "contest" (be it a caucus or party-run primary) later in the calendar. They even offered financial assistance to help the Florida party. They said no.

I still think the delegation will be seated at the convention.

[stillcool]

7. Why should Florida

be able to break the rules? Oh...I forgot...Florida.

[Thrill]

3. Why not say this in in early January? Why now? Because she is ahead in the polls

This is why I will never vote for Hillary.