Florida primary -- the Democrats

Since Florida decided it wanted to jump ahead early in the primary process, and since the Democratic party decided it wanted control of the process, the party decided to strip the state of its delegates, and the candidates pledged not to campaign there: a pledge which seems mainly to have been honoured, although it seems that there may have been airdrops of Clinton signs at her victory party last night.

And now, having won Florida (and also the similar situation in Michigan, where she was the only seriously viable candidate on the ballot) Clinton is pledging to seat the Florida delegates.

My problem with this is three-fold:
i. it takes away the disincentive for other states to attempt similar power-grabs next cycle
b. the outcomes don't reflect (especially in Michigan) what would have happened had all candidates campaigned
3. to allow it to happen would be handing Clinton a huge advantage outside the regular process: sort of a Deus Ex Machina hanging chad.

Comments on other sites, notably Talk Left, have made the case that the voters in Florida have voted, made a statement, and it should not be disregarded. And I agree with this: when I last checked, Clinton got more votes in Florida than McCain did. Probably what the party should have done is a harsher version of what the Republicans did: strip most, but not all of the delegates, in a "the earlier you want your voice to count, the fewer delegates you are going to get" approach. Probably what they should do now is to offer the Florida party the option of a caucus or another primary late in the process. And only a half-delegation, as punishment for trying to jump ahead of the game. As long as we have a a primary process (and it is not something that I am hugely in favour of!) it needs certain national guidelines to make it work.

Michigan's delegates certainly should not be seated: the fact that Clinton managed to wait to drop out until after the other candidates had done so, and then was able to say "Oh, I won't campaign, but I'm going to stay on the ballot anyway" was disgusting. I could see sitting all the uncommitted delegates, but none of hers, or in preference, letting them have a caucus or another primary later in the process, and as in Florida, seating a half-delegation.


For now, I'm disgusted with Clinton's approach. As I've said all along, I'll support her over whichever Republican bubbles up through the sludge (and this morning the pundits are all saying McCain is a lock, so it will probably be someone other than him): but this makes me much more likely to donate to Obama in the interim, and to work to keep her from getting the nomination.

Yours, in disgust,
N.