No Seats for Florida, but Plenty of Delegates
June Kronholz reports on the presidential campaign.
Florida doesn’t have any seats at the Democratic National Convention in August, but that hasn’t stopped the party from choosing the people who would fill those seats…if there are any seats to be filled.
Washington Wire readers well know that the Democratic National Committee stripped Florida of its 210 delegates as punishment for holding its primary out of turn in January. The national and state parties, the Obama and Clinton campaigns and the Florida congressional delegation have sparred ever since about how and whether to seat the Florida delegation.
Never mind–the state party has been moving ahead on delegate selection even while that argument has been going on. The state’s 24 pledged party-leader and elected-official delegates will be chosen at a party executive-committee meeting in Orlando on April 5. Sen. Hillary Clinton will be awarded 14 of those seats to Sen. Barack Obama’s 10.
The committee will select Florida’s three unpledged add-on delegates the same day.
The 41 pledged at-large delegates will be chosen at a party executive-committee meeting in Tampa on May 17. Clinton will get 24 seats to Obama’s 16 and one for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.
And the 120 Congressional-district level delegates were chosen on March 1, with Clinton receiving 67delegates to 41 for Obama and 12 for Edwards.
Karen Aronowitz, president of the Dade County teachers’ union and a Clinton delegate, says state Democrats never thought of not going ahead with the delegate-selection process. “We’re from Florida; we’re used to a revote turning into a street brawl,” she says.
She adds that she’s convinced she will be seated, but opposes any compromise that would “divyy the pie evenly” by giving half the state’s delegates to each candidate. “That’s not how the vote went.”
When the party stripped Florida of its seats in Denver, it also stripped it of its beds—or rather, its hotel reservations. Some of the state’s superdelegates, who also lost their seats, say they’re making their own hotel bookings in the event no deal is reached.
Aronowitz hasn’t gone that far. “I’m a camper,” she says, and “not too much scares me” about the Colorado woods.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reaffirmed her position that super-delegates should not “overturn the will of the voters” despite criticism from top donors to Senator Clinton (D-N.Y.). Of course, Obama joins Pelosi in attempting to effectuate the will of Democratic voters….except those from Michigan and Florida (where it hurts his candidacy).
They’ll finally relent and let FL and MI seat their delegates, but only after it is a done deal that Obama has the nomination. Funny how the Democratic party which has super-delegates, is advocating that they aren’t necessary. I guess they’ll end the super-delegate system right?!….yeah right!!
And America claims to be a democracy? I never saw so much corruption in any election in my lifetime!!!
Iraq should have been left alone if this is the model for democracy that the USA wants other countries to follow.
Methinks there is something rotten in this political system
As a Floridian I am unhappy! I feel the Political Powers of Florida have SCREWED us over again…..The Democratic Chairman, Howey Dean, is and has let them get away with it again!! Mr.Dean knew at the time the rules were being established for the date, Florida state was under a strict Republican control. He knew the DNC would not have to answer for it, Because as the date was settled the Previous Florida Politicians were exiting Office, (Jeb Bush) as a New Group was coming in and being established….with Floridians and Mr. Dean KNOWING this, you would think Mr. Dean would want to do the right thing…..I Think he is working for the Republican’s under the guise of a Democrat . Does this Man have any kind of moral Conscious? …. The way the DNC is acting you would think they moved the date up a MONTH !!…. If the actual Florida citizens Knew about the Date Setting at the time it was taking place, they would have put their foot down and Not have tolerated the republicans being sneaky and the moving the Date. Crap , they only Moved it up about 6 days !!
I think everyone knew Hillary, would win Mi And FL, this whole election has been about out with the old in with the new at all costs. The media, Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, have been against Hillary from the start, now they want to decide the race with super delegates, I think the people need to “ALL” speak before they have a say.
I am an African-American, and before we put in a liberal left wing nut like Obama and the move-on crowd let’s look for some real content. I see everytime Hillary comes up with a plan the next day Obama, has the same plan, I guess he is still copying someones work. America better wake-up, we don’t need a cabinet of Obamamaniacs and the Wright crowd.
No thanks, to Wright in the White House I will vote for McCain, atleast there I will know what I am getting, more of the same.
Nancy Pelosi, come out of the closet and tell everyone you want to hand the election to Obama! I am glad Hillary,is doing her best to unite and not disenfranchise voters.
It’s really a sad day when the super delegates will come before the American People!
I see so much political posturing Richardson, what a joke probably the worst dressed person, is now telling Hillary, to drop out, what did Obama promise you!!
What a sad day for our people,we go to other countries to promote fair elections, what about America??
Please don’t drink the Obama Kool-Aid, it distorts your judgement!!
I think the Florida state democratic party leadership should take the blame on this one. They knew about the date change when it was first discussed in the state house and they actually negotiated it during committee sessions with the republican control. It was even a democrat that co-sponsored the bill. Karen Thurman needs to step up and take responsibility for her part in all of this and she needs to quit trying to lay the blame elsewhere. Kind of like either lead or follow but just get out of the way.
Karen Thurman has been on the Obama “hell no we won’t revote” bus from the beginning. She draaaaged her feet as much as the O! Bama campaign and is as much at fault as Mr. Dean in trying to throw this hot potato around. No one really wants to make a decision here. Except the voters.
Its not fair to give obama any delegates that he did not eran. its like saying that some of the people that their vote will only count if it is for obama.of course if there was a redo he would lose alot more than he did before because of the recent info obtained on him. no the vots should count and they should be split accordingly. he is not entitled to her votes. also, stop changing the rules and wanting the SuperD’s to make u their mind by 7/1. if this is how you are going to make it be then the news media better hurry up and dig up more of the dirty laundry on obama. no one is going to like it if the dnc says obama is the winner without every single vote being counted. should hillary bring a lawsuit i wouldnt blame her and then the race will continue till denver. the repubs need to be voted out of office next time around in florida and michigan. how can the people of these two great states standby and let the repubs tell the dems WHEN they will vote. disgusting!!!!!!!!!
I hope the American people begin to recognize the state of US media. After years of misinforming people they are now exaggerating the negative words and phrases that come up in order to tilt the scales toward Mccain in the end.
The PR news networks pick up these “big stories” and convey them to all of the major TV and radio networks including NPR which should be ashamed for broadcasting the he said she said, in fairness, the she said he said, instead of helping voters know more about the reality of the candidates, their platforms, and what they would do if elected.
The REAL elitist? McCain of course who is holding big campaign fundraisers within gated communities where press and the public CAN’T even get in let alone covertly tape.
Mccain, Mr. campaign finance reform, is also charged with violating the rules, and the FEC, commission, can’t seem to get a board set up to investigate him. I say reject the garbage coverage in favor of doing your own research on the net. And stay away from those who are clearly politicizing rather than sharing important facts. The creeps who exaggerate are likely working for ultra wealthy RNC or DNC supporters who have a vested interest in the race one way or another.
America now faces crisis at home and abroad. Time to get serious, and drop the idiotic debating in favor of some reality. Oh, and disreality happens to be the hallmark of the Bush campaign strategy overall. Remember their big lies that got us into the war in Iraq? Well that’s what we are still seeing from our shock and awe promoting $ interested big time TV network broadcasters, you know, the ones that failed during Katrina too until they were forced into providing more news by the struggling community radio and others who went to do a story and wound up saving lives.

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