Al Sharpton calls on the DNC to *NOT* seat MI and FL delegates

[NHPolitico]

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[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Those states were warned their delegates wouldn't be seated so F them.

[NHPolitico]

Those states were warned their delegates wouldn't be seated so F them.

The DNC really screwed up by going with the death penalty for FL and MI, which the RNC didn't do.

[TheresNoMoney]

Hillary is being an incredible scumbag about this. Obama and Edwards took their names off the ballot in Michigan (like they were supposed to) and now she wants the DNC to seat their delegates? Really disgusting.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Hillary is being an incredible scumbag about this. Obama and Edwards took their names off the ballot in Michigan (like they were supposed to) and now she wants the DNC to seat their delegates? Really disgusting.

But not surprising in the slightest.

[Wakie]

I agree that the delegates should not be seated.  I also feel that Superdelegates should have the right to vote however they want.  Rules are rules no matter how undemocratic they may be.

[Speed of Sound]

I just dont see the DNC being dumb enough to overturn these. Doing so destroys them in the general more than not seating them by a long shot. Yes, lets give the Reps MORE material to use against Hillary.

[perdedor]

As well he should be, Florida and Michigan violated the rules. If the people of either state have a problem, let them take it up with their state Democratic party.

[minionofmidas]

As well he should be, Florida and Michigan violated the rules. If the people of either state have a problem, let them take it up with their state Democratic party.

Absolutely.

[MODU]

I just dont see the DNC being dumb enough to overturn these. Doing so destroys them in the general more than not seating them by a long shot. Yes, lets give the Reps MORE material to use against Hillary.

^^^^

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Is there a hope of the entire vile edifice that is the way the Democrats* pick their nominee being burned down to the ground and replaced with something more democratic and, at the very least, that is actually sane and practical?

The delegate system is a sham. Worse than that, it's a sham that doesn't even work. If the Democrats manage to lose in November, it'll be, to a great extent, the fault of this stupid system.

*There is obviously no hope of the even viler Republican setup being replaced.

[Jake]

Situations like this are what makes politics so hilarious, just because of the sheer hypocrisy involved.

[J. J.]

First, mark your calendar, this is the first time I've ever agreed with Al Sharpton.

Second, the seating issuer will depend entirely on if Clinton has enough delegates win, including the SD.

This is a no win situation for Obama, unless he has a majority of the delegates, pledged and unpledged included.

[Mr. Morden]

This is a no win situation for Obama, unless he has a majority of the delegates, pledged and unpledged included.

We've gone round and round on this, but I still don't see why it's so unlikely that Obama will in fact get "a majority of the delegates, pledged and unpledged included".  I expect that the superdelegates will just go with whoever they see as the "winner" of the primaries.  If the superdelegates largely don't see FL/MI delegates as legit (and Obama's won most of the other pledged delegates, which he probably will), then they could easily side with Obama, and he would win.  Why is that such an unlikely scenario?

[Democratic Hawk]

Hillary is being an incredible scumbag about this. Obama and Edwards took their names off the ballot in Michigan (like they were supposed to) and now she wants the DNC to seat their delegates? Really disgusting.

I call it retrospective opportunism . Clinton would be singing from a very different song book had she lost

All candidates should have stood-up and told the DNC that this was unacceptable. No way should Florida and Michigan Democrats have been disenfranchised . It's opportunism at its worst for Clinton to speak out now

Dave

[Mr. Morden]

All candidates should have stood-up and told the DNC that this was unacceptable. No way should Florida and Michigan Democrats have been disenfranchised

As I've pointed out before, it wasn't the DNC that they were worried about offending.  It was the Dems in the other early states (IA/NH/NV/SC).  The DNC stripped FL & MI of their delegates, and then the Dems in those four states demanded that the candidates boycott FL & MI, so that IA/NH/NV/SC would get the exclusive attention of the candidates in January.  The candidates all agreed, because they didn't want to risk their position in those four states, where they were hoping to get some early victories that would give them momentum going into Super Tuesday.

Now that those four states have already voted, the candidates no longer have to pander to IA/NH/NV/SC, which is why Clinton now feels free to retroactively demand that FL & MI delegates are seated.

[Mr. Morden]

Well, I'm not really arguing with you.  I'm just laying out what the candidates' thinking (presumably) was at the time.  They were more concerned with the short term (this will help me avoid offending those in IA and NH who don't want to sacrifice their priveleged status) than the long term (this could hurt me in FL & MI in the fall, if I make it that far).

[Democratic Hawk]

Well, I'm not really arguing with you.  I'm just laying out what the candidates' thinking (presumably) was at the time.  They were more concerned with the short term (this will help me avoid offending those in IA and NH who don't want to sacrifice their priveleged status) than the long term (this could hurt me in FL & MI in the fall, if I make it that far).

Perhaps the time has come for state government not to fund primaries, well those pertaining to federal elections, and, thereby, have no control over the timing. States wouldn't be able to play God; while sanctions would not need to be imposed that deny the rights of voters to have their say. It is this, after all, what I find most objectionable

Couldn't primaries be federally funded with federal law determining the schedule? After full consultation with both the DNC and the RNC, of course

Dave

[TomC]

Couldn't they find someone a little more stately to lead this charge?

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Sharpton gets it right.

[Angel of Death]

By stirring this up, Hillary is willing to risk upsetting the voters in Michigan and Florida and hurting the Democrats' chances in November as a result.

[J. J.]

I agree that the delegates should not be seated.  I also feel that Superdelegates should have the right to vote however they want.  Rules are rules no matter how undemocratic they may be.

I think you have it right, but that creates a problem for Obama.

[Hash]

This letter must already be in Howard Dean's garbage.

[Lief 🗽]

Al, what do you recommend instead of the delegate/primary system? A national popular vote?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Al, what you recommend instead of the delegate/primary system? A national popular vote?

Ideally, yes.