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Disenfranchised Florida Voters To Confront DNC Leaders
Buoyed by the results in Pennsylvania, bus loads of Floridians -- mostly backers of Sen. Hillary Clinton -- will head to Washington for an April 30th rally before the Democratic National Committee's headquarters. The group is looking to confront party leaders and argue that the Sunshine State's disqualified January primary results should be counted. They are asking that all 2ll Florida delegates be seated at the August convention in Denver, a decision that would help in the delegate-numbers-game for the New York senator.
'How dare they not count our 1,749,000 votes, says Linda Bird, a Fort Lauderdale
realtor and Democratic activist, who adds, " Do they want a fight for our rights at the
convention in Denver?"
Bird is one of dozens of Floridians organizing rallies across the state to be held
Saturday (April 26), a warm-up to the departing caravan of buses scheduled to leave Tuesday
from several Florida locations, carrying some 700 protesters determined to "make our point." The protesters -- a broad mix of independents, Republicans and Democrats being organized by a new non-partisan group called Florida Demanding Representation (FDR) -- are expecting to meet with several Congressional leaders on Wednesday for the 10 a.m. rally.
Lyn Carpenter of Clearwater Beach, a business development executive and Democratic volunteer, said that voters from several locations -- Jacksonville, Tallahassee, South Florida, Orlando, the Tampa Bay area -- would be aboard the buses.
The Florida bus convoy is the latest in a series of activities which has evolved from wrath at the DNC's action in punishing Florida because it held its primary voting a week ahead of Super Tuesday -- even though the date was really set by the Republican-dominated legislature.
FDR founder Jim Hannigan, a marketing executive from Palm Harbor who is not affiliated with the
Democratic party but who is angry that his vote is not being counted, called a meeting of some
dozen citizens six weeks ago and launched a webpage for the fledging organization behind the Washington caravan. FDR is dedicated "to protect the voting rights of Florida citizens."
Hannnigan says FDR is not campaigning for any one candidate, only to get Florida's Jan. 29 primary vote validated and accepted by the DNC -- although most participants admit that the majority members lean to Clinton. The group's webpage is being credited with spurring several rallies and protests -- all targeting the DNC's "unfair punishment."
Hannigan said he had a difficult time getting information from the DNC and had to threaten to go to the American Civil Liberties Union to get data from the national party, including a membership list of the party's Credentials Committee, which he said should be available to the public, "not shrouded in secrecy."
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), headquartered in Washington, a widely respected Hispanic civil rights organization, has announced that it was so impressed with the effort by FDR to recognize Florida's vote, it volunteered to fund the buses, food and hotels for the protest in D.C.
State Coordinator for LULAC Jose Fernandez, of Orlando, said that independents as well as adherents of both parties -- "anyone who believes that their voting is being violated" -- are welcome on the bus trip.
In addition to this weekend's protest rallies in several Florida counties and the bus caravan to Washington, FDR is also organizing five State-wide rallies for May 31, just in case the Florida delegate situation is still unresolved.
"Any voter regardless of political affiliation should be concerned," the FDR webpage declares.
Despite the unfulfilled promise of National Party Chairman Howard Dean to recognize the Florida vote; despite the fact that no one knows how the delegates will eventually be allocated; and despite the fact that the DNC refuses to designate a hotel for Florida delegates in Denver for the convention, Aug, 25-28 -- Florida's party bosses still are proceeding with the final phase of selecting delegates and alternates based on the January results.
The final delegate selection will be in Tampa on May 17. That caucus will be held to fill the remaining seats (based on January results) so that a representative group of men, women, seniors, minorities, veterans are chosen. Earlier, delegates were selected from Congressional districts, but many say they are in a quandary as to whether to make air travel and hotel plans for Denver. There have been constant complaints that the DNC won't even release the name of a Denver hotel supposedly assigned to the Floridians
Dean has said Florida would be seated once the two candidates are in agreement, but
there is general feeling that he is just waiting until all the primaries are over on June 3 "or until there is an eventual nominee," which remains only a probability at the moment. Clinton favors seating all of the Florida delegation while Sen. Barack Obama has said "no" because the state thwarted the party rules and, as a result, not all of the candidates campaigned there, believing the voting wouldn't be counted toward the nomination.
"That could backfire," one unaffiliated Superdelegate explained. "The DNC's action is playing right into the hands of the Republicans." He said that voters are angry and may stay away from the polls in November. Florida--the fourth largest state in the nation and the most sought after "swing state" -- has 27 electoral votes. Republican strategists have been saying quietly 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!"
Because the superdelegates -- the powerful clique of Democratic party insiders -- will probably select the nominee, Florida media have been paying special attention to that select group. Florida has 25 superdelegates. They were identified by name and photo on a full page editorial in the April 20 edition of The Miami Herald under the title "Power Brokers." Of the 25, seven were identified as pro-Clinton, four for Obama and 14 as uncommitted.
Chairman Dean, meanwhile, has made televised remarks urging superdelegates to make their choice public now. But several say they won't be pushed into a decision. Terrie Brady of Jacksonville was quoted in the Miami Herald as saying, " I don't care what Howard Dean says," asserting that he will take his time to come to a decision.
Local party leaders, meantime, say they have had no communication from the DNC regarding the recognition of the elected delegates and constantly remind the DNC that all Democratic candidates were on the Florida ballot, despite the fact that the election was held seven days early. Supporters of Sen. Clinton -- who handily won the Florida primary in January by 17 percentage points -- says Florida deserves its full recognition.
With Florida's delegates and vote count, Sen Clinton would be ahead in the national popular vote and pick up much-needed delegates.
Michigan was similarly penalized by the Democratic Party. But it is the Florida controversy that continues to get most of the headlines, fueled by angry constituents such as FDR members, who are intent on getting public attention.
Should holding a primary a week early disenfranchise so many voters? asks one of the protesters. "I want my vote to count."
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FL voters do make a good case, since both candidates were on the ballot and neither campaigned there. MI would have to be a re-do or simply split the delegates 50/50. IMO
I agree the Florida voters have a good case, but so do the Michigan voters. Barack was not on the ballot there because he pulled his name off the ballot as a tactical move. Hillary was surging there since last summer, breaking out into a 20 point lead. see the polling right here: http://www.pollster.com/08-MI-Dem-Pres-Primary.php
Obama was not on the ballot because he did not want to be embarassed by a loss!
In this close election where the two contenders have split the vote, the sensible thing to do is to count all the democrat's votes – including Florida and Michigan. They voted and their votes should count! They didn't take the time to vote to have some Washington z%#∞ DISENFRANCHISE them!
calex posting the same crap numerous times doesn't make it true.
Since Hillary was the better known candidate (as former First Lady, she is one of the most famous women in the world) in January, it's not a level playing field when neither candidate got to campaign there. Obama has to campaign harder to get the same name recognition as Hillary. Btw, Hillary DID campaign in FL, despite agreeing that she wouldn't. Obama has offered to split the delegates with her 50/50 with her, and she said no. Sounds like she doesn't really want to compromise to me.
Hillary did not campaign in Florida but Obama did. He ran a TV ad there.
The Clinton campaign also rejected a caucus which was the only viable redo option under the Florida State Constitution - & the fact that the State was in the process of turning over all the existing voting machines--
They did not want a redo--
They want the anger --
And Barack can also say that he was 30 points down in PA, but he campaigned and spent money there and he came within 9.3423222322 or whatever points
So if he woulda campaigned there, he may have come close or even won
So in essence, its really not fair. Neither candidate even got to hold town halls and address the issues of the citizens of Fl.
But y'all Hillary supporters dont care about that
She is not entitled to FL or Mi for that matter. I say Give her nothing.
if thats the case and Obama is in the general election he will lose those states---NOW you are thinking....
Oh, cowgirl's got herself a crystal ball. Too bad she doesn't have a grasp on reality. Kind of makes her forecasting a bit sketchy.
I say give her Florida just to shut her the hell up. But I am one of those disenfranchised Michigan voters that had to vote for "uncommitted" and I know a lot of democrats who either didn't vote because it didn't count or voted for McCain because they were more afraid of Romney. They can't give her Michigan, I will march on Washington if they try to give it to her without a fair vote where people are actually on the ballot. But give her Florida, she still is losing and will lose but the whining is just too much.
gosh i thought you obama people had taken WHINING to a whole nother plane
You're the one that wants to toss out the rules and the pledge the candidates all signed because it hasn't turned out the way you wanted. You'r enot just whining, you're crying like a baby. Waaaaaaaaaaaah waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Hillary deserves to be the nominee, wwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, we should change the rules just to suit her. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
get over yourself.
"Truth In Politics"
Accountability in government begins with holding democratic party officials in Florida and Michigan responsible for this debacle. The state of Florida should be penalized for the general election for their incompetence and penchant for not following the rules. The number of their electoral votes should be reduced by 1/2. The country should not have to repeatedly suffer for their inability to do what every other state manages to do.
It is time to set a new precedent in American politics, and sanctioning both Florida and Michigan so that every state adheres to the rules. Perhaps they (local politicians) will get their act together once they know that there are dire consequences for their state. The citizens of these states have to look no further than their own state officials.
In Florida, it was not the Democrats that caused the problem. It was the Republicans. The Republican legislature and the Republican governor set the date for the primaries. The Democrats loudly protested because the date went against DNC rules. The Republicans refused to change it, saying only that the Democrats could hold, and pay for, a primary on a different day if they didn't like it. They could not afford it so went ahead on the early date hoping the DNC would give them a break.
Everything you said was false, you know. I live in Florida, and the vote to move the primary was supported by Republican and Democrat alike. And the legislature was given plenty of warning about the consequences. They chose to break the rules, and now have to pay the penalty (no superdelegates as well as no elected delegates). I can't say I'm happy about how it turned out, but I'm waiting for November, when I'll cast a ballot for my choice of presidential candidates, and against any stupid Florida congressman who caused this mess who's up for reelection.
And we are to believe the Democratic Party is so helpless and weak it could nothing. As a life long Democrat, I'm tired of the whining coming from my party. If the Florida Demcoratic Party was too chicken sh t to do anything then they got what they deserved.
Smart move on the part of the Republicans - they probably knew exactly what would happen. Someone as professional as Karl Rove probably dreamed this whole thing up
and it worked like a charm. It's called "divide and conquer."
Yes lets take politics to a whole new level, lets slap those voters around a little and show them how Obama is going to CHANGE america......G#D D#MN AMERICA anyway...
Yeah, and "Screw the white working class Bill"
I mean, gosh, Hillary has no shame. The biggest problem that I have with this is that Hillary is acting as if she is really concerned for those Florida voters, but she did not care about them in the beginning. She is being very disingenuous, because she only cares about those votes, because she needs them. Whatever they do about these votes, it had better be fair. Hillary is always behind a lot of confusion. And don't be surprised, Hillary is going to come out with another disgusting negative ad at the last moment, because she is desperate. Those ads are insulting to the voters.
Have you seen the recent reports that Hillary has far fewer negative ads than Obama does? It's all perception.
No, I haven't.
I think they should get rid of their state party leaders who stupidly allowed this mess to happen. They are more to blame than the DNC!
The vote is tainted because the public knew before hand the it would not be counted and this effected turn out. A revote would have been a solution, but it did not happen. The DNC needs to play by the rules it established.
Revote's most fair but Hillary said no to that. DNC told FL party leaders to come up with a solution/plan for revote but they didn't meet the deadline. Obama offered to split delegates 50/50 with Clinton. She said no.
Aren't Floridians tired of being involved in presidential election drama? I wish they would use their protest energy to vote Dem state party leaders OUT OF OFFICE.
Bet me the first democratic official out of office is dean-complete failure as dnc chairman
I say The Dems should just write Florida off. Their Republican Govenor did this crap on purpose and Hillary supporters knew it. Frack Florida...the party will make up the difference in other states that weren't in play before. With the crooked machines and politicians down there ...we'll NEVER get a true count anyway. Why are we even having a conversation about a state that will be foul no matter what. This is all about Hillary Clinton trying to STEAL the election.
If people want their vote to count, it is fine by me. But the real question is why NOW ? Why not do it when the party slapped them with sanctions ? Why not do it when both candidates agreed to not campain in these states and agreed that FL or MI would not matter ?
What about the people who did not come out vote because they fully knew that their votes won't count ? Do they not matter now ?
The democratic party winner is all about delegates, not about the popular vote. Is having 21 delegates going to change the TIDE in Clinton's favor ? NO... So then why is there such a big fuss about these delegates being seated. I love how republicans are also on this bus, because they care soooo much about the democrats.
It's not the delegates the Clinton supporters are after. It is the popular vote argument.
There is no legitimate way for her to catch up in state delegates or states won. The only way she can possibly catch Obama now is by convincing the Super Delegates that she has the popular vote and should therefore be the nominee.
We all know about the popular vote argument from Al Gore. It didn't pan out for him (sadly enough) and it won't pan out for her (happily enough).
I can bet my life on this that HRC has something to do with this renewed fervor that FL votes needs to be counted and more so before the last state votes in june.....she cannot win by fair means so she will break the rules and do anything to get the nomination that she somehow thinks is an entitlement .....I do not know when voters will wake up and see them for who they really are...power grabbing, egotistical people that do notcae about the party....these are the same folks that say they are fighting for their party to be the nominee...if its not self interest then you should not care about who the nominee is and support them....I live in Fl and believe in rules....we teach our children that..some values the Clintons have....last year it did not matter when she thought she will wrap the nomination up but now she really cares about us...PLEASE!!! If she gets this nomination by stealing it at all costs then she will be just as illegitimate as BUSH was in 2000....she is no better than him when he did not play by the rules but won the nomination by another process ....IT IS CALLED STEALING AN ELECTION>>>>THE WORLD IS LOOKING ON!!!!!!! IS THIS hOW WE WILL GET THE WORLD TO SHOW US RESPECT AGAIN AND LOOK TO US FOR LEADERSHIP!!!!!
Steal the election? Nearly 1.8 million people voted in florida,and the obama band tells them all to get lost ! The Florida vote should count or there should be a revote--which Hillary would win, by the way. She has won nearly every big primary state--and yet the bama crowd thinks she should be a good sport and quit! Please. Why should she: because the Huffington Post and most of its readers don't like her?Obama has had multiple chances to show he's the man--in Texas, in Ohio, in Pa, all bellwhether states--and he has failed. Swing voters or potential swing voters in all of those states favored Hillary. Many of them will not vote for Obama in the general. An incovenient truth?
You must be a republician knowing Hillary is the easy one to BEAT - ROTFLMAO
Told them to get lost? Really? Really? Please provide some proof to that claim.
He supports a revote or at least getting them seated in some form.
If Hillary steals the Dem nomination, she will effectively cause Pres. McCain to take office on Jan. 20, 2009. I hope the DNC doesn't think Obama supporters will vote for her. She'll lose the general by a landslide.
No one is "stealing" an election. Unless those millions of votes get tossed out. That would be stealing an election.
so allowing voters votes to count is stealing an election???what political science school did you go to, someone needs their DNA tested-this isn't china or russia yet buddy
Counting votes in a bogus 'election' is stealing an election, don't you know? Oh, yes, you do know that, but you're pretending somehow that you don't.
Counting votes in an election in which it was announced beforehand that the votes were not going to count, therefore some people did not bother to vote...
uh, yes, that is some kind of cheating.
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