It's Still the Florida Democratic Party's Fault
Gene Smith's Daily Kos diary is giving me a migrane headache. I like Gene, but why must Florida progressives continue to defend the idiocy of the Florida Democratic Party. Smith splits hairs by citing rule 3A of the DNC Delegate Selection Rules.
All official Party meetings and events related to the national convention delegate selection process, including caucuses, conventions, committee meetings, filing dates, and Party enrollment periods, shall be scheduled for dates, times and public places which would be most likely to encourage the participation of all Democrats, and must begin and end at reasonable hours.
Smith makes an argument that defies would get thrown out of court.
It goes on to provide the exemptions for the four "early states" of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
But here we are at the heart of the problem, at least here in Florida. We had two different rules of the DNC Delegate Selection Rules brought into direct conflict with each other by the actions of the Republican controlled state legislature. Those are the facts. There is nothing to be nipped in the bud here.
The rule is very clear. Only Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina were allowed by the Democratic National Committee to hold presidential elections in January. It took one hour for Judge Robert Hinkle threw out Bill Nelson's lawsuit against the DNC. The DNC found the Florida Democratic Party in violation of their rules. The argument that the FDP voted unanimously to move the primary up to Jan. 29th. The vote vote to move up the primary received huge bipartisan support.
Florida House 118 to 0
Florida Senate 37 to 2
I have followed this story and I never heard the reason Florida Democrats supported moving the primary up was because of rule 3A. Nelson and Thurman voted to move the primary up so they can court favor with presidential candidates. Republicans and Democrats wanted to national media spotlight that New Hampshire and Iowa received. These people were warned repeatly by DNC and RNC officials not to move up the primary. The FDP has refused to compromise with the DNC. Nelson and Thurman are responsible for disenfranchising voters and they need to be held accountable. Progressive bloggers sound like the lefty version of Instupundit when they become apologists for these incompetent Democrats. Florida deserves better than Bill Nelson and Karen Thurman.
My question to Gene is if it isn't the FDP's fault than who's is it?
Labels: fdp, florida democratic party, florida primary, gatordem
posted by Michael Hussey @ 6:07 PM
6 Comments
6 Comments:
is it more disenfranchising to allow 4.3 million people to vote (Jan. 29th Primary) or to only allow 120,000 people to vote (caucus solution)?
My point is the Florida Democratic Party took a destructive path. They bare responsibility. Instead, they have chose to pass the blame.
The Florida Democratic Party actually said all along that it wanted to hold a process that would have maximum participation and would be open and fair. If the Party leaders' intent was to get personal attention from the candidates, why would they have picked the one process that meant the candidates would pay no attention to them? Think about it. Also, there was no money for any other vote anyways.
I think it was all a hoax designed to do just what it did.
Marco and his oily friends. And, Bill Nelson is not really a Democrat. LOL.
Like others.
I didn't read the diary but all I've seen all along is more games being played.
Kinda like Puerto Rico picking the candidate?
Huh?
Someone said we find out more about the rules every day?
Hmmmm.
We just let them get away with more every day.
Funny how that works.
OH and I HEARTILY AGREE with your commentary on nelson and thurman.
Where else would frauds plant themselves but in a place where their voices can mingle with and then INTERFERE with solid progressive democrats?
Michael,
I hope your migraine is better.
You never heard the argument made for Rule 3A? That's only because you didn't recognize it as such, but that is, in fact, the root of the argument.
The FDP voted to use the January 29th primary as "the first determining step" in the delegate selection process precisely because a primary election would produce the greatest participation among Florida Democrats, just as Rule 3A required. I was actually at that meeting when the vote was taken. That was the selling point to the FDP state committee.
The primary date was set by the legislature. The legislature is controlled by Republicans. And you know full well that paper ballots were in the same bil that moved the primary up to January 29th. Of course the Dem legisloators were going to vote for a bill that contained one of their highest priorities.
If the FDP wanted to ensure the greatest possible participation by Democrats, the primary was the only way to go.
Don't feel too bad though. This whole situation has produced a lot of migraines.
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