MIAMI-- Despite Democratic National Committee chief Howard Dean and Congressional representatives' pledge that a Sunshine State delegation will be seated at the Denver convention in August, there is still whimpering that no specific details are forthcoming from Washington or Tallahassee, no hotel space designated, and no verdict as to whether results of the Jan. 29 primary will be used to ratify the delegates.
"If the DNC is waiting until June -- when all the primaries end -- to announce what happens to Florida, it will put the party in a decrepit state for November," said a delegate who asked that his name be confidential.
The controversy -- which has been boiling for months -- is all about the DNC's threat not to count Florida's primary vote in January which set a record 1.7 million votes cast, with Sen. Hillary Clinton 17 percentage points ahead of Sen, Barack Obama. Clinton obviously wants the entire 211 delegates seated, while Obama has said -- because Florida violated party rules with an early primary -- it should be punished.
In late March, however, Dean and Florida's Congressional leadership held a highly visible press briefing about the delegate hullabaloo -- with TV cameras whirling on the Capitol's steps -- announcing that there would be seats for the state in Denver Aug. 25-28; that, indeed, a hotel had been "set aside" for the Floridians, and that "everything" would be settled.
To this date, though and with primaries in Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina and other states still on the horizon, there has been no public statement on if and how the situation has been resolved nor which hotel space has been reserved. Some delegate-elects are annoyed they cannot even make a hotel reservation and/or whether they should even make flight plans to the Mile High City.
"This is more frustrating every day that passes," said Dean Trantalis of Fort Lauderdale, already elected as an alternate delegate and eying full delegate status in the final round of selection on May 17.
The DNC is getting the bulk of the blame, but state Democratic officials led by party chair Karen Thurman are coming under fire, as well.
"I just don't think our state party officials get it," said Monroe County State Committeeman George Maurer of Key West, who put most of the blame on the "deficient" action of the Democratic headquarters in Tallahassee for having such an early primary in defiance of party rules.
Despite the criticism, party activists are still wending their way to choose all the delegates to send to Denver. In addition to the Superdelegates and those chosen March 1 in Congressional districts, the party chose 24 more delegates in Orlando in April (14 for Clinton and 10 for Obama). A final round of caucusing takes place in Tampa on May 17, which will ensure all groups are represented -- including women, men, seniors, minorities, gays, disabled -- and round out the full 211-body delegation and alternates. All of the potential delegates selected are based proportionately on results of the disputed January primary.
"We should have a full delegation at the convention," said Ann Zucker, President of the Democratic clubs of Broward County and a delegate-elect. Zucker said she won't book a flight to Denver until the delegate status and hotel designation are confirmed. Zucker, a teacher, called the current stalemate "this childish situation."
Party leadership is reported still to be nervous about what is being called the "Florida Boondoggle" and want to find a solution to seating the State's delegates -- a powerhouse number as the primary season dwindles down. The widely circulated communiqué on April 2nd, in which Dean and Congressional leaders meant to allay fears that Florida would be shut out, put the delegate seating status on the shoulders of Obama and Clinton. The party, at that time, said that " whatever the solution, it must have the support of both campaigns."
Since then, local party leaders say they have had no further communication as to the delegate strength, recognition of the elected delegates, nor where they will be staying in Denver.
"They are even refusing to give us the name of a hotel where we can stay. How juvenile is this?" said one potential delegate.
In fairness, not everyone is frustrated. Percy Lee Johnson, of Fort Lauderdale, a committed delegate, says the fuss is much to do about nothing. "There's too much rushing to judgment. Let things take their course."
State party leaders and the DNC, however, have been under tremendous pressure to solve the problem now or face the reality that it is playing into the hands of the Republicans and possibly paving the way for a GOP victory in November. Disappointed voters may become disaffected and stay away from the polls in droves. Florida -- the fourth largest state in the nation -- has 27 electoral votes and is considered a swing state.
"We know we will be seated," said Democratic National Committeewoman and superdelegate
Diane Glasser, of Tamarac. "But people want to know the details and are anxious."
There is still some face-saving speculation -- authorized under party rules -- which would withhold one half of the delegates when a state (like Florida or Michigan) holds a primary earlier than allowed by the party. Florida superdelegate John Ausman of Tallahassee, a DNC member, has suggested seating all 211 Florida delegates and giving each one-half vote (instead of a full vote). However, that proposal also is getting a thumbs-down by both Obama and Clinton supporters.
Supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton -- who handily won the Florida primary in January -- have been asking that all delegates be given their rightful full vote. Supporters of Sen. Obama have said "no" -- that Florida broke party rules, leading the campaign to not fully run in the state and so the vote should not count.
Republican strategists have been saying quietly (for now) that the delegate controversy has been a blessing for their nominee-in-waiting Sen. John McCain and would likely be a campaign issue for the GOP in November. "Vote the GOP. We care about your votes!"
There have been several rallies and a petition drive in Southeast Florida to validate the January primary. At the same time, some delegates say they will take the situation all the way to a convention "for a floor fight, if necessary, to get us our fair representation."
Justin Flippen, a city commission candidate and president of the Dolphin Democrats,
headquartered in Broward (Wilton Manors) , the states' most Democratic county, has said a decision to ignore Florida's electorate would be "unthinkable."
Michigan has a similar problem (it, too, had an earlier than mandated primary), but the Florida controversy seems to be getting most of the headlines, fueled by angry constituents.
If the candidates would agree to the half-vote per delegate proposal, insiders say Clinton would get an edge of about 19 first-ballot committed delegates, based on her lopsided victory in the January primary. There are also 25 Florida superdelegates, though, out of some 800 party insiders nationally, and most believe Clinton has an edge there. Consensus is that the half-vote solution would have little effect on the delegate count nationally (even if accepted by Obama and Clinton, an unlikely scenario).
If Florida's vote was counted, party leaders, pundits and news people would find themselves doing "new math." With Florida's delegates, there would be 2,235 primary- or caucus-won votes on the first ballot in Denver (not the famous 2,024 currently being touted). And, that doesn't even include Michigan. And what about those 25 superdelegate party leaders?
It may be frustrating. It may be anger-inciting. But, it certainly is interesting!
Posted April 13, 2008 | 10:46 PM (EST)