Not everyone believes it is a good idea to allow Michigan and Florida to vote again in the 2008 democratic primary. While I understand the frustration among most Democrats with Florida and Michigan's decision not to obey party rules, it would be a huge political mistake to either not count delegate votes from Florida or Michigan or allow party leaders to appoint them at a divided Democratic Convention this summer.
Let's face it, right now millions of people are voting in democratic primaries that have never voted before. The reason for this big increase in voter participation is Barack Obama's campaign for change. While some people believe that Obama will win the general election in a cake walk, I do not think it will be that easy for him to win because first - there are still racist in the US that will never vote for an African-American candidate and second Barack Obama's positions on most issues are very liberal.
For Barack Obama to win in the general election this November, he will need every democratic vote he can get while at the same time appealing to Independents and moderate Republicans. Both Florida and Michigan will be in play this November and the democratic party will need Democrats to turn out in large numbers in both of these state in order to win. To somehow snub voters in Michigan and Florida would be a fatal mistake by Howard Dean and other leaders in the Democratic Party.
It is not uncommon for Democrats to make huge mistakes that cost themselves elections. The very makeup of the modern Democratic Party is dysfunctional at it's core with competing constituencies that want different things. The biggest constituency in the democratic party are loyal African-American voters that turn out in high numbers during most elections. Howard Dean and others at the DNC should consider this fact when they make decisions that will effect voters in Michigan and Florida which in turn will effect the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama.
Read more about 2008 Elections:
Vote For President Confidential/Online
Democrat Self Destruction Possible Before November
Obama/Clinton Ticket Likely As Race Continues
Rain/Wind/Cold Could Effect Texas Voter Turnout
Democrats Do The 'Texas Two Step' Tuesday
March 12, 2008 Archives
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Florida/Michigan Revote, Questions Remain
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1 comments:
A. I live in Florida and voted in the January primary to express my preference as did millions of others. I did so with the knowledge that the DNC made a ridiculously punitive choice not to award the delegates to the winner (but we were led to believe that the delegates would eventually be seated at the convention because surely people remembered what happened in Florida in 2000 and that could not be allowed to happen again).
B. No campaigning was allowed in Florida. So what! That's irrelevant. I've never seen a presidential candidate in person anyway, but I still had enough information to make a choice. This is 2008, not 1908 and the whole world is at our fingertips. There were plenty of debates and TV news coverage of the candidates to let people make an informed decision.
C. Let's give up the petty bickering and focus on the country's real issues before the election is lost again.
D. Revote? Spending the money would be ridiculously extravagant. Voters expressed their opinions on the candidates, but they didn't have any say in when the primary was held. That was determined by the morons who sit in the legislature. Let's give the voters some respect and credit. Let Florida and Michigan go the convention, stand up at the end and decide the winner!
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