Clinton: "I Would Not Accept A Caucus"

US News:

The day after her victories in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island, Sen. Hillary Clinton was scheduled to take some time off, but she went ahead and gave interviews to four major early-morning TV shows. She started the following day at her Washington, D.C., home with conference calls to plan the next phase of her presidential campaign. Then she hopped into a car and headed for a 1:30 p.m. meeting with retired military officers who have endorsed her candidacy. On the way, she spent nearly a half-hour on the phone with U.S. News and talked about politics, policy, and charisma. Excerpts:...

...On a "do-over" in Florida and Michigan, which held nominating contests that broke Democratic Party rules:
I would not accept a caucus. I think that would be a great disservice to the 2 million people who turned out and voted. I think that they want their votes counted. And you know a lot of people would be disenfranchised because of the timing and whatever the particular rules were. This is really going to be a serious challenge for the Democratic Party because the voters in Michigan and Florida are the ones being hurt, and certainly with respect to Florida the Democrats were dragged into doing what they did by a Republican governor and a Republican Legislature. They didn't have any choice whatsoever. And I don't think that there should be any do-over or any kind of a second run in Florida. I think Florida should be seated.

Read the whole story: US News

Comments

[mix2007]

09:30 AM on 03/09/2008

Scorched earth traitor Hillary always cherry picks processes, states and rules. She changes the rules midgame, and cheats, lies and steals.

HRC is a 15-state LOSER. McCain wins 35 and we have President McBush for 4 more years.

[victordirnfeld]

11:27 AM on 03/09/2008

Unfortunately, in the general election wherein electoral votes count, the vast majority of the states in which Obama prevailed in the primaries, will not count for too much unless he can pull in the larger states, which is problematical.

[musselmanm]

08:49 AM on 03/09/2008

The only possible way to seat the delegates of the two states is to give Obama all votes that did not go to our MONSTER. This would come out with Monster picking up not much more than 50% og the delegates in both states. She would end up losing to Barack Obama for the nomination of the Democrats.
The obvious solution for the close race is for the super delegates to back up the will of the American voters.That would result in the MONSTER McClinton to lose the Democrats nominatrion for President to Barack Obama.
If the MONSTER McClinton wants a vote instead of a caucus, this is fine but you gotta pay to play. The additional costs of having primaries over caucus' will be paid for by the MONSTER McClinton. Obama or the DNC should pay the portion the caucus' would cost.
There are many fair ways to do this. MONSTER MCClinton would never allow these fair methods to be used. She has every right to dictate the rules, just as she would our country. Why John Bush/McCain has passed some unkown test that Senator Obama has not so even he would be a better President by MONSTER McClintons' logic.
After adding in all of the renewed smear which Hillary would go through, do you reall, really think she is worth it? I DO NOT!

[victordirnfeld]

09:54 AM on 03/09/2008

One thing you fail to acknowledge in your scenario. In the event Clinton wins both Michigan and Florida, she will have won two more major states---something Obama has failed to do, except for Illinois.If you think the southern and small western states standing on their own are going to give the presidency to Obama and the Democratic party, you have greatly overestimated your candidate's strength.

[musselmanm]

10:14 AM on 03/09/2008

I will gladly let you have your thoughts and they may be close to right. Your supposition will be that because she won large states by small margins, which are mostly blue states and would go to Jimmy Carter if he was our nominee.
Re votes are fine and if Hillary wins 51% of the delegates then she will be a few delegates closer. Still no brass ring. The only way she can win now is by stealing the nomination. We all know she is attempting this, ala Geo. W. Bush in the very same state. I am talking having the re vote but Hillary, since she will not allow a caucus, will pay the lions share due to her insistance on paying giant sums compared to a caucus.
That way she will will as the low blow fighter she is.

[jedley]

08:34 AM on 03/09/2008

Let's get this straight - Hillary did NOT win Texas. She won the primary by a meager 4%, Obama won the caucuses, making his delegate count higher than hers, meaning that OBAMA WON TEXAS.

Journalists, please stop writing otherwise!

[victordirnfeld]

09:38 AM on 03/09/2008

Again the caucuses--we might as well have caucuses for the general election.

[nachtengel]

06:53 AM on 03/09/2008

Who ever wants it the most should foot the bill. Hillary wants it, let her and Bill buy it. They have the money from Bills Yucaipa deal...

Amidst Hillary's campaign trouble, Former President Clinton agrees to end his business relationship with the investment firm Yucaipa Cos, and will sever a politically sensitive partnership tie to Dubai. Mr. Clinton will likely reap roughly $20 million for this, but is hoping to remove a potentially tricky problem for Mrs. Clinton, as giant pools of money controlled by foreign governments have become a campaign issue.

[newshawk14]

06:26 AM on 03/09/2008

Hillary can go suck an egg. Whatever process is chosen will be up to the state and national democratic
committees, and possibly the states voters.

[schoolmaster]

08:58 PM on 03/08/2008

Considering that millions of dollars will be required to redo the primaries in Michigan and Florida, and that neither DNC, the campaigns of the individual candidates nor the respective state governments can afford it, the obvious solution is to make the best use of the primaries already conducted in those states. In both the states there are votes committed to Hillary Clinton, while the uncommitted votes were not cast to any candidate in particular. It is fair to keep Hillary's count in tact, while the rest can be considered in favor of Obama assuming that there will be no objection by John Edward etc. Delegates can thus be distributed between Hillary and Obama. This proposal may advantage Obama for which Hillary should not have objection.

[victordirnfeld]

07:21 AM on 03/09/2008

Schoolmaster--This is the perfect solution to the Michigan problem. Florida should remain as is because all the candidates' names were on the ballot.

[schoolmaster]

07:51 AM on 03/09/2008

I agree

[RISEUPAMERICA]

08:30 PM on 03/08/2008

nobody but obama and his bots want a caucus.........it's all he can win is caucuses

yep.........he's transparent alright!! *wink

[victordirnfeld]

09:40 AM on 03/09/2008

I agree.

[txshldm0007]

07:15 PM on 03/08/2008

Queen Clinton has NO Clothes ON !!!

No white-house experience

No international experience

Flipped Flopped on Iraq

Flipped Flopped on Iran

Flipped Flopped on Immigration

Flipped Flopped on NAFTA

Voted for Patriot Act twice

Voted for Nuclear Weapons for Pakistan and India

She opposes to ban Land Mines !!!!

Queen Clinton has NO clothes On

[JSquercia]

08:18 PM on 03/08/2008

Oh my GAWD the visual . I think I'm BLIND
You have to wonder if she would be so concerned about the voters in Florida IF she had LOST . I think it is incredible Chutzpah to say SHE won't accept caucasus . I would probably prefer a revote

[victordirnfeld]

07:32 AM on 03/09/2008

What is so incredible about not wanting to enter into or submit to rigged caucuses.

[RISEUPAMERICA]

08:31 PM on 03/08/2008

your spamming.............copy n paste...........how original !!

[Manitonka]

05:49 PM on 03/08/2008

I am a resident of Michigan. The rules were laid out clearly by the DNC what would happen if the primary dates were moved forward. All candidates agreed that the delegates would not be counted. The Govenors and Clinton camp should have expressed their concerns before the dates were moved forward. Once again the citizens pay for the bad decisions our elected officials make. I think Govenor Granholm has bigger problems to focus on and that does not include spending our tax money on a re-do. Her number one concern should be the economy in Michigan. I believe that both of these Govenors have motives for speaking up now and not before the primary. Crist is a Republican and Granholm supports Hillary. Need I say more!! Also, if the governors wanted to settle this the democratic way they would take up a poll on their states web site and ask the people if they wanted a re-do. After all its the voters money that would have to pay for it. My suggestion would be to leave it alone. the rules shouldn't change in the middle of the game. To change now would be unfair and undemocratic. Alot of people here in MIchigan feel the way I do.

[teamster4obama]

04:42 PM on 03/08/2008

Carville just mentioned the Clinton camp will buck up 15 million toward a re-vote in MI. and FLA. ........whose money would they be using? Do the candidates supporters really want them to use their donated funds to hold primaries in other states?

[PuddyKatz]

04:22 PM on 03/08/2008

"I think Florida should be seated", all I can say is that this woman is a MONSTER!

[victordirnfeld]

10:04 AM on 03/09/2008

"This woman" monster is about to become Obama's nightmare.

[roncraw]

04:07 PM on 03/08/2008

Here's how Hillary should except a caucus. Pipe in one of Obama's speeches you will all faint and be unable to vote.

[Tejano1]

10:15 PM on 03/08/2008

that's really very funny. how about we pipe in mcclinton's lying screeches instead?

[RButler]

12:09 AM on 03/09/2008

That's really not very funny. But, what can one expect from an Obama kid. They're never funny.

[Rendon76]

03:58 PM on 03/08/2008

Four more years of Bush f*#@ it. I'd rather have four more years of Bush than this f*#@!%# political monster.

[carollt]

03:36 PM on 03/08/2008

I don't care what the Senator wants; she is obsessed with power and I will not vote for her should she steal the nomination from Senator Obama.

[marykins123]

03:13 PM on 03/08/2008

Hillary is a hoot ;-) LOL The woman wants everything under 'her' terms. The problem is - she is such a poor manager and leader that she couldn't even get her delegates in PA registered properly (Even after Gov. Rendell's attempt at a rescue with a one day filing extension).
"It appears Clinton came up 10 or 11 candidates short across a number of congressional districts, including two in Philadelphia.
That's close to 10 percent of the 103 delegates to be decided by voters.
It appears the shortage would've been double that if Rendell hadn't extended last week's candidate filing deadline by a day and a half, ostensibly due to bad weather.
This at a time when Clinton's campaign, like Barack Obama's - which did file a full slate in the state - hoards delegates like diamonds.
Pennsylvania voters will go to the polls to select delegates for the national convention. If there's no Clinton delegate on the slate, she won't get that delegate even if the vote would've given her one. You can't win what's not on the slate.
Rendell changed the rules mid-game to try and help out his candidate, and Clinton's campaign still couldn't pull of the simple task. Maybe she thought those districts didn't matter like 2/3rds of the rest of the country?...."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/19/12534/2925/1008/459687

[victordirnfeld]

06:05 PM on 03/08/2008

How does Hillary's inability to register 10 delegates compare with the Obama campaign's failure to ensure that their candidate was on the Michigan ballot? Even the most naive politician would have realized that this issue was going to come to a head. Where were the great planners for Obama when this decision to abstain from the Michigan primary was decided? Where was the great leader? All he had to do was place his name on the ballot. Did Obama really believe that over 1 million voters in Michigan would be ignored? It certainly appears that his planning faux pas was much more severe than Clinton's.

[Tejano1]

10:18 PM on 03/08/2008

obama dropped his name from the ballot, genius. just as the other democrats w/ a shred of integrity did. but mcclinton left hers on so that she could claim a hollow victory. but now she wants to count it! the audacity of hope vs. the audacity of audacity. mcclinton has no principles she will spit on to win this thing. but guess what? we won't let her steal this election. this is still a democracy and the people won't close their eyes as the mcclinton machine tries to steamroll us.