The "uncommitted" fly in the ointment for Hillary in MI

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Unlike some of the others here I'm not surprised to see the statement from Harold Ickes regarding MI and the uncommitted primary voters.

This has been along time coming and I was expecting something such as this when the MI delegates came to the forefront.

If you look back you'll see where the problem began to form itself for the Hillary campaign.

Blacks, youngest voters choose 'uncommitted' over Clinton Wed January 16, 2008

(CNN) -- While Sen. Hillary Clinton won a majority of Michigan Democratic primary votes Tuesday, blacks and the youngest voters favored the "uncommitted" choice.

According to CNN exit polling, 68 percent of blacks chose uncommitted, compared with 30 percent for the Democratic front-runner.

Forty-eight percent of all voters ages 18-29 voted uncommitted, compared with 43 percent for Clinton. The former first lady took more votes than uncommitted in all other age groups; the older the voters, the wider the margin was.

The racial disparity could be a bad sign for Clinton going into the South Carolina primary, where half of all Democratic voters are black.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/15/michigan.uncommitted/index.html

Are you wondering why the very demographics Obama is strongest with might have voted uncommitted?

Here's a possible reason:

Voters Face Confusion in Michigan Dem Race

CHICAGO -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is the only top-tier Democrat on the Jan. 15 Michigan primary ballot, but followers of her chief rivals are hoping to wound her all the same.

A fresh poll suggests that running nearly unopposed will not mean winning nearly 100 percent of the vote.

The campaigns of Sen. Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards are urging their supporters to cast ballots for "uncommitted," according to state Democratic party chairman Mark Brewer. The Obama campaign says there may be "grass-roots efforts," but that the Chicago-based campaign is not involved. (*Damn those pesky grassroots people!)

In an effort to signal that Clinton cannot stroll away with the state's delegates, even in a largely uncontested race, Michigan Rep. John Conyers and his wife, Detroit city council member Monica Conyers, taped a radio advertisement Wednesday afternoon. In it, they called on Obama backers not to surrender their vote.

They say on the radio spot that they intend to vote "uncommitted" and give Obama a chance to compete for those delegates in Denver.

An "uncommitted" vote would take the place of a write-in, which is not permitted.

"People are already frustrated here in Detroit because they can't cast a ballot for Obama. Many on their absentee ballots many have tried to write in Obama, but they have spoiled the ballots," said Sam Riddle, Monica Conyers's chief of staff. "We know we've got to educate the voters in a hurry."

Following Michigan law, local clerks are allowing voters a chance to redo their ballots.

This is the script of the John and Monica Conyers radio ad, which will be broadcast on Detroit-area stations. Monica Conyers is president pro-tem of the Detroit City Council.

MALE: THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS CONFUSING. I WANT TO VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA BUT OBAMA'S NAME IS NOT ON THE BALLOT.

FEMALE: THERE IS NO ONE ON THAT BALLOT I WANT TO BE PRESIDENT.

MALE: WELL, THESE FOLKS CAN HELP US. EXCUSE ME, CONGRESSMAN CONYERS AND COUNCILWOMAN CONYERS, WE NEED YOUR HELP.

FEMALE: HOW CAN WE VOTE FOR OBAMA ON TUESDAY?

Rep. Conyers: YOU CAN'T. YOU CANNOT EVEN WRITE IN OBAMA'S NAME. IF YOU DO YOUR VOTE WILL NOT COUNT BECAUSE OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN CHOSE NOT TO PLACE HIS NAME ON THE MICHIGAN BALLOT SO AS NOT TO VIOLATE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY RULES. BUT YOU CAN VOTE UNCOMMITTED

Councilwoman Conyers: IF AT LEAST 15% OF THE PEOPLE VOTE UNCOMMITTED, THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY MUST SEND THAT PERCENTAGE OF DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION UNCOMMITTED.

Rep. Conyers: MY WIFE AND I ARE VOTING UNCOMMITTED. WE WILL WORK WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO MAKE SURE THAT UNCOMMITTED DELEGATES GO TO THAT CONVENTION TRULY UNCOMMITTED SO THAT OBAMA CAN COMPETE FOR THEIR VOTE.

MALE: THANK YOU CONGRESSMAN CONYERS AND COUNCILWOMAN CONYERS. I WILL JOIN YOU AND VOTE UNCOMMITTED ON TUESDAY.

FEMALE: ME TOO - AT LEAST MY VOTE WON'T BE WASTED

More at link: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/09/voters_face_confusion_in_michi.html

It's my understanding that under Michigan election law, if at least 15 percent of votes in any district or statewide are for "uncommitted," the corresponding percentage of delegates may back any candidate in Denver.

I don't know how all this will work out in the end. But I really don't think that it's going to make Hillary a beloved icon in MI. Many of the Democrats there already know about this and those who don't will be sure to hear of it now that Ickes has made his statement.

Oh, well. She still has Florida in her pocket.

[LisaM]

1. That "script" is borderline close to an Obama ad

at least IMO, though I'm sure Obama supporters won't see it that way.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. Conyers is an Obama supporter and a citizen of MI

As such he, and his wife, had the right to speak out in favor of their candidate. Even if he wasn't on the ballet in their state.

He's also been in politics for a very long time and believe he knew all too well the direction this was going to take in the end. For him to want to see the people he represents actually having their will upheld is a wise political move on his part.

[LisaM]

4. My family are citizens of Michigan and voted uncommitted

even though they are Hillary supporters.

I think Michigan is a mess and I think they should have done something to make the votes count well ahead of time (which I stated here).

Among other things, this extended primary season has shown that our current patchwork system is an unmitigated mess.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. Hopefully if nothing else comes out of this

The voters in MI will at least have gotten attention drawn to their dilemma. They're not alone in wanting to be relevant in the primaries. I still lean toward rotating lead states and shorter primary period. We'll see if anything gets changed though.

Out of curiosity, and you don't need to feel compelled to answer if you'd rather not. Why did your family vote uncommitted rather than for the candidate of their choice? I'm not doubting you have a good reason. As I said, I'm just curious.

[LisaM]

6. Because the theory was that there was a possibility "uncommitted" would get seated

and then could cast a vote at the convention (vs. voting for a particular candidate and, as has been stated, write ins were not allowed).

Among all the other unfortunate things, it really seems sometimes that the eventual order of primaries, along with excluding Michigan and Florida, made the odds stacked in Obama's favor. When you see states like Nevada and Texas, where Clinton got more votes but Obama more delegates, you can see how it would add to the resentment.

The DNC sends fundraising requests to my mother which she sends back with a pointed note telling them that if they don't want her vote, they can't really expect her money.

[Bluerthanblue]

2. The Mi Democratic voting guide - (generic- not Obama or Clinton or anyone else)

tells voters who intended to vote for any of the candidates who honored the pledge to vote uncommitted, because they could NOT write in the name of the candidate of their choice as you correctly point out.

here is a link to the guide-


http://michigandems.com/Guide.pdf

peace~