Comments on: Michigan and Florida reap what they sow

By: Barbara Lee to help settle Michigan/Florida flap - Political Blotter - Politics in the Bay Area and beyond

Mon, 19 May 2008 22:52:23 +0000

[...] committee will help decide how to resolve the issue of the Michigan and Florida primary elections — votes that were held early in direct, knowing violation of party rules — including [...]

By: rosalea

rosalea — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:38:56 +0000

By way of background on how it came about that “In Florida, the Legislature passed a bill setting the early primary date with wide, bi-partisan margins”, I suggest listening to the audio clip in the report I wrote of the Florida Democratic Party state convention in October, 2007. (No need to read the whole thing; it’s now unbearably quaint!)

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00119.htm

In the audio clip, Bill Faulkner, Florida’s state rep for VerifiedVoting.org, explains how the political machinations leading to Florida’s banning of DREs (touch screen voting machines) led to Democrats in the state legislature having to agree with the Republicans’ wish to move the primary date forward.

Progressive Democrat activists in Florida are now opposing two bills that will allow mail-in only ballots–legislation that in effect would allow for a re-do of the Florida primary.

By: Josh Richman

Josh Richman — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:44:08 +0000

I hope your relative is better.

American history belies your argument, JH: Presidential primary elections are conducted by government on behalf of the parties, and are a relatively late development in our political system – Oregon was the first to hold one, in 1910. From 1832 until then, delegates to national conventions were selected at state conventions, and delegates to state conventions were chosen by district conventions – a process prone to cronyism and corruption. But even now that voters participate directly in selecting delegates, it’s still the parties’ right to set the rules. They’ve always had a say on who sits at their conventions, and they should continue to do so.

And please note that the GOP has been serious about enforcing its rules too. Republican National Committee rules say no state may hold its primary before Feb. 5, yet five states — Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida — moved their primaries ahead anyway. The RNC, with chairman Mike Duncan’s concurrence, voted 121-9 last Nov. 8 to strip one-half of the delegates from those five states.

By: jh

jh — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:32:46 +0000

Sorry it took awhile to get back to you but I have been dealing with a very ill family member.
I stand by what I said concerning Nancy and all you came up with is garbage because you buy into this notion that political parties should have a say as to when tax payer funded elections are held…I do not think either party has that right and that is a very elitist mindset…When the GOP or the DNC start paying for their primaries they can dictate when they are held..Votes were still counted and this is punishment for not doing as they were told when they have no damn right to say it in the first place.You can spin it all you like but many will simply recall in November that during the primaries the GOP store was open for business.