Newt Gingrich's Advice

In today's Wall Street Journal, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich offers some new and unneeded advice to the Democratic Party. He says our presidential nominee, whichever is selected, will be "tainted" following a "divisive and delegitimatized" contest. Newt doesn't want delegates elected by voters in Florida and Michigan to be seated at the convention this coming August. And he doesn't like superdelegates either, suggesting that these long-time Democrats who work day in and day out for the party and working people are somehow illegitimate.

Newt says that "Democrats are caught in a double-bind: Disenfranchising the voters in Michigan and Florida while allowing party insiders to pick the party's nominee has all the makings of a Democratic civil war."

It's not surprising that Newt is interested in the Democratic presidential race, considering how most of the nation has more interest in the Clinton-Obama contest than in John McCain's eager but unconsummated embrace on the Republican side of the extreme right. But unlike most of us, who think the two Democratic finalists are engaged in one of the most memorable and dynamic campaigns in history, Newt thinks we've descended into "a slog."

Some slog. Democrats are proud of the campaign. We want a competition, not a coronation. Our leading candidates are offering clear choices and strong leadership to reverse the disastrous course that George W. Bush and his Republicans allies in Congress have set for our country.

There is more than a little irony in reading Newt Gingrich discussing concepts such as integrity, unity and legitimacy. They are not qualities he has championed in the past. Instead, his modus operandi has always been fostering division, sowing discontent and undermining the will of the people. His "Contract on America," which led to the Republican Party's on-going economic war against the middle class, should have defined him for all time.

So, of all the people in this world, I think the last one Democrats will listen to is Newt Gingrich.

Even on the merits, he's got it wrong. He suggests that the solution "for the integrity of the process, is a do-over. Hold the Michigan and Florida Democratic Primaries again." There is another solution, one that makes far more sense in terms of producing a legitimate outcome at the Democratic convention: Seat the delegates Florida and Michigan selected on primary day.

Senators Clinton and Obama, as well as former Senator Edwards -- complied with the rules and refrained from active campaigning in both states. Democrats in both states turned out and voted in huge numbers. They want a new direction for this country. We should make sure their vote is counted and that it counts for something.

I certainly hope Newt Gingrich doesn't take his advice seriously, because Democrats don't. If I were offering advice to Newt, it would be to spend more time rebuilding his own tattered party, rather than telling us how to run ours. He should try to get Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter to make peace with John McCain. Now that's a civil war.

Comments

[lanesharon]

Passage of Florida legislative bill HB 537 has caused 2.6 million voters to become disenfranchised. Close to 1.7 million of those voters were Democrats. In case Newt forgot, the rest were Republicans. Unless the RNC & DNC policies are changed, this could happen to you some day; regardless of your state or party affiliation. The contents of this website will discuss this bill, what happened; and what you can do to try to reverse this situation and prevent it from recurring. Please help us reinstate the voting rights of Florida Democrats. How you can help:

1. Pass this information on to others.
2. Visit the website - http://florida-delegates.com
3. Visit the What To Do Page and follow the action suggestions
4. Sign the petition - http://florida-delegates.com/petition/

[Thatcher]

It would be my hope that my party in my state wouldn't become so full of itself and follow the rules. Florida Democrats had 10 months to create a solution that would have made all their delegates viable. They decided not to do so.

And the Florida Dems who voted on this bill - all but 1 voted for it - were trying to get around the system to make Florida "more relevant" in the process. If every one of the Democratic reps had voted against the bill (or a majority of the reps) then perhaps there would be a viable argument. But only 1 voted against the bill.

[ozamerican]

The voters of Michigan and Florida are in a sad situation.

It's sad not so much because those states have been stripped of their delegates, but because those huge democratic constituencies, along with many others, have been used like pawns in a game that was designed to coronate Hillary Clinton on February 5th.

"Terrence McAuliffe, the multimillionaire wheeler-dealer imposed by the Clintons on the Democratic National Committee as its chairman after the 2000 election, quickly paid back his benefactors. He designed a front-loaded primary system intended to confirm Sen. Hillary Clinton as presidential nominee by Feb. 5..."

--National Ledger, http://tinyurl.com/3x64vf

It appears this was the result of (a) firm conviction that she would be leading the pack of candidates early on and (b) a desire to declare her the nominee as soon as possible so that she then could devote time and resources to campaigning for the general election.

As for Florida and Michigan (especially Michigan, where Hillary was the only candidate on the ballot), I think there needs to be a do-over. I can't find any logic that compells that delegates from those states be seated based on existing results because those results are unfairly skewed in Clinton's favor. What's democratic about that?

[DemandTruth]

Um, I can sorta understand seating Florida's delegates. At least all the names were on the ballots. But how can anyone in good conscience just say seat the delegates Michigan chose in the primary? Clinton's was the ONLY name on the ballot. Please tell me how that's democracy at work. The only other choice was "uncommitted", and I don't think Hillary will be competing with Uncommitted at the convention. If they are to be seated at all, they should get a re-vote. I'd like one myself, as I'm from Florida.

[EngineerBill]

Boy do I hate to say this but Newt is right. (yech) Michigan and Florida should have a do-over. It was especially ridiculous in Michigan. First there was the terrible mid-January weather. Second the only two candidates on the ballot were Clinton and Kucinich. Finally, and this was true also of Florida, voters were told that their vote wouldn't count. The only circumstance where it would be okay to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates as is would be if that no longer affected the outcome (e.g. one candidate drops out or concedes).

[Senzasord]

So you hardliners are content to disenfranchise two states and not allow them to participate in the convention. This sounds mighty republican to me. After all it is the republicans who are notorious for keeping vote totals low and disenfranchising people. If Florida and Michigan are not extended some way to be represented, then it is clear that both states will be handed summarily to the republicans and along with them, maybe the election. Get over your snit and put your minds towards working out some way to avert this debacle. Then restructure the candidate selction process so that it is fair and we don't have to face such idiocy again.

[freedomforamerica]

I have to agree with Newt on one point: if those delegates get seated from MI and FL the party will be over. Another 8 years of a Republican White House.

I'm as Liberal as they come and I consider the Clintons criminals. Seating those delegates is further proof that they haven't changed one iota since the last time they had the White House. Shame Shame

[Melissa]

If they do not seat the MI and FL delegates I can guarantee there will be many voters who will either not vote or vote for McCain.

[Liberal2]

Your assertion of being a "liberal" may or may not be accurate, but says nothing about your intelligence. If you're intelligent, then you're a lying troll; if stupid, then you're a liberal who thinks the Mena story Jerry Falwell was hawking ten years ago was god's truth.

IOW, what criminal acts were the Clintons, individually and collectively, guilty of?

As seating or not seating those delegates isn't controlled by state or federal law, there's no crime either way. It a political tactic only. Live with it.

In my opinion, they should be seated. Why? Because while no candidate compaigned in those state, Clinton was smart enough to get her name on the ballot; Obama, otoh, bought "national TV airtime" which just happened to air in Florida...oh my! Of course, the real issue is which candidate was smarter? People like you must realize all activities between people AND NATIONS! are political. A national leader must be a better politican than anyone he or she deals with. Obama's personal charm will not melt the hearts of Iranian, Russian, and Chinese leaders. They'll chew him up and spit him out. He'll be like Bush who "looked into [Putin's] eyes and saw a kindred spirit." Nope, I want the best politican available. That isn't Obama, McCain, Huckabee, or Paul.

The US system is weighted against the pure politican....leaving Clinton as the only available choice.

Don't worry, I don't expect you to have either the IQ or integrity to agree.

[Nommo]

IQ or integrity?
And just what are the Iranian, Russian and Chinese leaders going to do with the Cuckoo Cuckold? Are you serious?

Integrity? What about the rules?

[freedomforamerica]

Brilliant logic, Liberal2. I'm either stupid or lying.

The Clintons are both legally criminal (lying under oath maybe? ) and morally criminal (last days in office pardons for money? NAFTA? Hillary's vote for Iraq and then the lies to pretend she didn't?) Just a few memories of those good old days with the Clintons...
As for the seating of these delegates --the only reason we would seat them is to cave to the politcal pressure of the Clinton machine. Fact is, you don't change the rules mid-game. That's not politics, that's cheating and if you're not liked enough by your own party to get elected legitimately you have no shot at beating McCain--the most liberal Republican candidate we may ever see.

[mommadona]

Newt's jealous.

Newt has no more marbles to play with.

Nobody asks Newt anything any more.

Newt needs to go play with his dinosaurs.

Newt's de nada.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=skv-wWCvGyw

[MyThought]

Newt? He still around? Had to remind people he still exists?

Newt - go home.

[SShaw490]

I feel much better knowing Newt is out there trying to make sure Democrats are doing all the right things. But he needn't worry - whichever candidate wins the most delegates in primaries will win the nomination. If Hillary wins the most, the superdelegates will vote for her because they don't want to alienate women. If Obama wins the most, the superdelegates will vote for him because they don't want to alienate the black, independent, and youth communities. And Florida and Michigan aren't going to count - they didn't count when they voted and they're not going to re-do the contests; Democrats have enough on their plates without that.

After Texas and Ohio, it's going to be clear that Hillary can't win the most delegates, and the party is going to broker a deal. Then, Newt can sleep easier - until his party gets its ass kicked in November.

[jstock]

It most certainly would not be fair to seat the Fl and MI delegates, not when Obama wasn't even on the Michigan ballots. You'll remember, the ones Hillary said beforehand that she understood wouldn't be counted. Nice try. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and Newt was correct that the Florida and Michigan delegates should not be counted and the so-called superdelegates should not vote counter to what the pledged delegates are voting. If it could be managed - and it's a big if - a re-vote in both Michigan and Florida would be the best option for maintaining some sense of fairness in all of this. We Democrats sure make it difficult sometimes, don't we?

[Sceptic42]

Okay, we get it. You are president of an organization that has endorsed Clinton. You want her to win. I understand doing what you can to help her, but this is ridiculous. Whatever the Democrats decide to do, it will (hopefully) be because we've decided that it's the fairest solution under the circumstances. That may involve not seating the MI and FL delegates, it may involve repeating the primaries, it may even involve letting them be seated according to the primaries already held. But whatever option is chosen, it won't be because a Clinton supporter tried to tie a particular idea to Gingrich.

[irishamerican]

OK, A reality check for Bill and Hill the rest of you people.
The DNC set up a primary schedule.
The Delegates from Michigan and Florida voted to ratify it. When the votes were counted, the schedule was agreed on.
Then.......
The talk started last summer about Michigan and Florida moving their Primary Elections up BEFORE the date that all 50 states had voted on and agreed to.
Michigan and Florida were warned that if they DID move their Elections up before the agreed date that they would lose their delegates to the convention.
The media said, "nah, they'll seat them anyway".
Michigan and Florida were warned AGAIN that if they move their Primary Elections up BEFORE the agreed schedule, that their Delegates would NOT BE SEATED.
Michigan and Florida moved ANYWAY and said screw you to the other 48 states that agreed to the schedule.
Clinton and Obama along with all of the other candidates agreed to follow the rules of the DNC.
Now that Clinton has won Florida and Michigan, and she is on her way to losing the nomination, all of a sudden there is a "controversy" as to whether those elections should count.
Sorry, that Shizz won't fly.
The rules are the rules.
In this case, like everything else, there are THE RULES that everybody has to follow, and then there are CLINTON'S RULES which they make up as they go along if it benefits them.
The Clinton's need to shut the hell up.
The Democrats in Florida and Michigan need to get off of they're asses and elect better State Representatives so they can't get screwed like this anymore.
Personaly, I am sick and friggin tired of Florida screwing up every election in one way or another. That state is gonna go Republican anyway since the Dems in Florida are too lazy and disinterested to fix their corrupted election system.
People need to realize that they HAVE to get involved in they're own government.
No Florida
No Michigan at the Convention.
Maybe now they will learn to follow the rules like the other 48 States.

[redtorm]

clap-clap-clap-

BRAVO!

Florida and Michigan only have their state reps to blame!

[Ides]

Caucus, primary, whatever. But don't reward Michigan and Florida DNCs for breaking the rules because, guess what ... next Democratic Primary you'll get the same nonsense ALL OVER AGAIN.

It has to stop and it has to stop here and now.

[argent1]

Newt has no peel on his banana and it's been sitting out there with no takers. It's gone beyond ripe.

[Desiderata]

Fl and MI made their own beds. Now they will have to sleep in them.