What About Florida and Michigan?

By sinde on March 9th, 2008

John Dean says, “We will follow the rules voted on by all 50 states over a year ago.” (Face the Nation)

There is a mail-in process is in the talking to allow Florida and Michigan to have a voice. Dean said he thought it is a good process. Every voter gets a ballot in the mail, the elderly in nursing homes, the military overseas, everyone.

Alternatively, the states can appeal to the credentials committee. In the end… at the convention… the delegates will be seated. Dean predicted that it would be settled before the convention without a “knock down drag out” event.

Of course, there was talk about who was going to pay for a “do over”. Michigan’s economic woes are prohibitive of the state paying the bill. Florida’s Republican governor and legislature just refuses. So, that leaves it up to whom?

Bob Schieffer concluded that we simply don’t know what is going to happen. Although, Dean told him it would be worked out before the convention.

It sounded like a Laurel and Hardy skit, “What a mess you’ve got us into now.”

Bill Nelson (D-FL) and John Kerry (D-MA) entered a discussion following Dean’s interview. Both had ideas and neither seemed to have solutions. I felt as if I have fallen into a pot of pea soup. There was no clear vision presented. But, the truth is that for all the positioning and pondering, no one in America expects that Florida and Michigan won’t be given the opportunity to seat their delegates, however, they are selected. We can only hope that fairness comes into play somewhere in the equation, more for the voters than for anyone else.

What brought about this mess? Well, it seems that there was some behind the scenes scheming in Florida to void the Democratic primary vote in that state. And, to date, they have been successful. When the DNC laid down the rules, Florida, mostly Republican, said screw you and moved up the primary dates against the rules put down by the DNC. Now, the Democrats in Florida want their votes to count.

It’s an unfortunate situation that the Democratic voters in Florida fell victim to the Repulican alligators. But it must be said that it isn’t a first. Even with short memories, we all remember the last time Florida became an issue. Now, with talk about mail-in ballots I am reminded of what one pundit said. “The last thing we want to see is Florida getting creative.”

Florida and Michigan chose to disobey the rules. If the states were children, they would be sent to time out until the convention is over. But, the truth is that this isn’t about the states, per se. It is about the voters, who had no option but to vote when they had the chance. Isn’t it time that we stopped saying “mine is bigger than yours” and just let the people have a say, whether it’s a “do-over” at the polling booth or mail-in ballots. While the states are flexing their muscles and behaving like bully children, the voters are the ones suffering… perhaps, more than the candidates. And, in the long run we all will suffer.