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Howard Dean Lays Down the Law, Protects NH in the Process

by: Dean Barker

Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 18:50:08 PM EST
The DNC Doctor is in (from an linkless email, sorry), and he's got no intention of messing with the pre-existing rules regarding Michigan and Florida (boldface mine):
"We're glad to hear that the Governors of Michigan and Florida are willing to lend their weight to help resolve this issue.  As we've said all along, we strongly encourage the Michigan and Florida state parties to follow the rules, so today's public overtures are good news. The rules, which were agreed to by the full DNC including representatives from Florida and Michigan over 18 months ago, allow for two options.  First, either state can choose to resubmit a plan and run a party process to select delegates to the convention; second, they can wait until this summer and appeal to the Convention Credentials Committee, which determines and resolves any outstanding questions about the seating of delegates.  We look forward to receiving their proposals should they decide to submit new delegate selection plans and will review those plans at that time.  The Democratic Nominee will be determined in accordance with party rules, and out of respect for the presidential campaigns and the states that did not violate party rules, we are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game.
Hard to read the tea leaves on it, but my guess is that he'd be happy if they each resubmitted plans for a new primary.
Dean Barker :: Howard Dean Lays Down the Law, Protects NH in the Process
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Howard Dean Lays Down the Law, Protects NH in the Process | 4 comments
If they have caucuses... (0.00 / 0)
Do people think it would favor Hillary because she won* before or does it favor Obama because it's a caucus?
It's hard to say. (0.00 / 0)
I'd think the CT/NY/NJ metropolitan area retiree demographic in the southern part of FL would favor Clinton, but since there was no real campaigning, and not even Obama on the ballot in MI, it's something of a mystery.

There's no question Obama performs better in caucuses - he's got the money, the organization, the committed activists.

[ Parent ]
The real key is the delegate totals (4.00 / 1)
It's partially the absence of those delegates that puts us in a situation where neither candidate is likely to win pre-convention at this point.

As far as I know, when the delegates were stripped, the total required for nomination was not altered.

With those delegates back in, they can stay in a near tie, and someone will win definitively. SOmeone will cross the line.

Obama, who is likely to come closest to the line w/o these states, might actually be able to lose Florida but have it pop him over the line -- so it's a really interesting proposition for him.

I support it -- I think its our hope to stay out of the horrible brokered convention scenario.


The Required Total for Nomination HAS Changed (4.00 / 1)
The Michigan/Florida problem lowered the number of delegates required for nomination.

The call to the 2008 national convention - the rules of the game - says, "A majority vote of the Convention's delegates shall be required to nominate the presidential candidate."

The current total of 4,048 delegate votes includes no delegates from either state.

Of course, the states can go to the DNC with an acceptable delegate selection plan or the states can go to the convention's credentials committee and appeal to be seated using the results of their earlier primaries. And any credentials committee decision is subject to approval of the full convention - excluding those potential delegates whose validity is under challenge.

The fine print is available at the DNC Web site.

[ Parent ]
Howard Dean Lays Down the Law, Protects NH in the Process | 4 comments
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