If, as it seems, this nomination is headed toward deadlock, the votes of Superdelegates and the fate of Michigan and Florida delegates will be decisive.
Superdelegates should hear, loud and clear, that changing the outcome determined by the elected delegates around the country is unthinkable. If Obama loses to Hillary, I would be personally disappointed because I believe he has so much more to offer the country, not because Hillary would not pursue many of the policies he would(See, "Obama Gives Us Everything HIllary Could -- And Much More", January 30, 2008), and I would unite behind her for that reason and because the alternative is so unpalatable.
But, if Barack, who has in one year assembled a team hat could go toe-to-toe with the Clinton machine, 16 years in the making, and not only outraise it, but also wins the majority of delegates, and then the Clintons deny that victory -- the man from Hope crushing hope -- it ought to cause an uprising in this country, an uprising in the party, the likes of which have not been seen before. The same should be true if Hillary wins the elected delegates, but the Superdelegates change that to anoint Barack.
That leaves the vexing question of Michigan and Florida. The current situation provides an answer both states should like, if people of good will on all sides wish to take it. The two states moved up their primaries in defiance of the party rules in order to be "relevant." It turns out that, in this cycle, relevant is later not earlier.
While no one ought to want representatives of any state to go unrepresented, it is also obnoxious to seat delegates from uncontested elections. What if the DNC said this: let us have another election in each state. They could become the MOST RELEVANT states in the country. Let us have them at the end of all the currently scheduled primaries, with at least two weeks after the last currently scheduled contests. Whether they should be on the same day or not, I leave to others. And, yes, it is worth the money... it's called democracy.
When Michigan and Florida voters have then spoken, after the candidates have campaigned there, and delegates of the candidates who have dropped out are freed to vote for Obama or Clinton, there should be a tally of all the elected delegates.
The Convention should then nominate whomever is ahead, the superdelegates should not determine a different outcome. If they do, taking to the streets is the only answer.
Both candidates should support this proposal because each claims to want the people to speak and be heard. For either to say that the Superdelegates, i.e., the Democratic politicial establishment, should issue a judgment notwithstanding the verdict of the people, ought to be denounced as unconscionable now, while the final outcome is unknown.
This is a test of integrity, whether either REALLY means it when they talk about people being invisible to Bush, but not to them. This is the time to show us whether they will govern as they claim.
If either disagrees, vote in large numbers against the dissembler.
I think it would settle all arguments if it was just left they way it is and the way the DNC said it should be.
But I would like to see the super delegates do what they are supposed to do and honor the will of the majority of democrats respectively in each state.
The whole superdelegate system is simply a corrupt insider effort to deny to the citizens the right to pick their candidate. Each superdelegate should be told to not vote. Period. No votes from the party insiders who only got the right to vote through corruption in the first place. A conspiracy to steal the election. Who came up with this idea? KKKKarl Rove?
I've got a really crazy idea about how to solve this problem. Count the votes of the citizens. Excluding the states which (for whatever bizarre reasons) were prohibited from participating. Whoever's got the most citizen votes wins. Anything else is unacceptable.
I did not appreciate, I must say, Barack saying that he would get Clinton's voters, while she would not get his. Whether it be true or not, it sounds like an ultimatum.
The very idea of so-called "superdelegates" is an afront to all and they should be required to vote with the majority of their states' legitimate delegates. Again, there will be hell to pay if they swing this election against the expressed will of the "UNsuper" democratic voters.
Sheesh--how could this party let itself get into this stupid predicament, anyway? The Republican authoritarian neofascists are laughing all over themselves.
If Florida and Michigan delegates are seated, this will also make Clinton look bad. Everyone will say she cheated and it would be a fair accusation. Michigan and Florida were rightly penalized for defying party rules. Obama and Edwards did the right thing pulling their names from the ballot. But I'm not surprised Clinton didn't. She's shown that all she cares about is winning. Howard Dean and the DNC will lose all credibility if they seat the delegates from both of those states. I say keep both states out. They broke the rules. There should be consequences. Letting them have a do-over will give too much importance to two states. Why give so much power to two states, especially when those states broke the rules?
I think all the elected supper delegates should vote with the people they are representing. The unelected party hacks should abstain from the vote. That way they go with the voters.
As for Florida and Michigan, you cannot disenfranchise voters; on the other hand, you cannot ignore the rules. Holding another vote in these states is the only option.
The Dems in this state set it up to hand Hill the win, they even fiddled with the ballots (at least two versions, clinton in alph order first, the other Kucinich in the top spot, then alph order) not to mention the Pre programmed Scam trons that read all the first line votes as Clinton.
Terry Lynn Land has committed election fraud! No doubt FL was corrupted too.
the only reason they will allow these states delegates to count is IF HILLARY NEEDS THEM TO WIN! They stacked the deck and pocketed some aces for HER.
They have been indoctrianted into the Corp Vision for our Country.
they have handed over the rights and freedoms granted to US to the Corp'ists.
Freedom of speech- only if you say what they like,
right to privacy- only if your Inc'ed
Right to a Defense- only if you pay them as the highest bidder for their services
Ya think Hill's gonna take away any of the new found priviledges for herself or her Pimps? NO
No one made Obama and Edwards take their names off the Michigan ballot. The campaign in Florida was a level playing field.
Michigan and Florida voters have spoken. Seat the delegates as is.
I've been thinking about this issue for a week or so too. I'd think that the votes may have to be caucuses instead of normal primaries..since an "election" was already held. (But a primary would be better.)