My Mom (FL) says Republicans Forced the Dems to move... Other say No. Real Story?

[Ioo]

My mother is all about how the Repigs forced them to move the date. I have had other say this is a myth.

Anyone able to point me to something with the truth.

[anonymous171]

1. They certainly didn't attempt to stop the republicans.

[hokies4ever]

7. Exactly. Show your mom this video also

http://youtube.com/watch?v=r25wUeMAwdE

It's the one of Geller mocking the DNC on the FL legislature floor. They didn't make a good faith effort to fight the vote in favor of moving the primary date.

[Occam Bandage]

2. The Republicans hold both houses. They voted to move the date. On the other hand, the Democrats

also voted to move the date unanimously, so it's not like the Republicans "forced them." The two parties were in agreement.

[SoonerPride]

3. Madfloridian blog has the answers you seek.

[DJ13]

4. All the Dems but 1 voted yes to move the primary

While it WAS a Republican ploy, the state Democratic party went along with it.

[madfloridian]

5. Here are a few.

Updated list of my journal postings about the Florida primary fiasco.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1906

Florida Democrats invade Georgia
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1905

Dean told not to plan a vacation in Florida.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1902

Court decision on March 17 could determine who Democratic nominee is.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1897

Florida Democrats thought they would only lose "half" the delegates.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1903

Dean says FL and MI would not negotiate with the DNC...took it public
instead.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1888

Florida, Michigan and the Jackasses That Over-reached
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1890

Tampa op ed: "Arrogance Cost Florida Chance To Influence Election"
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1875

Terry McAuliffe wants to change horses in the middle of the stream.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1882

From instigator to victim. It was a Dem who introduced the early primary
bill in Florida.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1829

How it began last August....how Florida Democrats began their propaganda war
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1819

Jeremy Ring (D-FL) said "relevance is more important than "partying" in
Denver.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1836

The worst part is that this very day FL Dems still shift blame....
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1870

Is Hillary's campaign being run as a "shadow DNC" for her benefit?
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1883

More Florida shenanigans and more insults to Dean from that state.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1858

Think I exaggerate about Florida's attitude? Here's a county chairperson's
rant against Dean.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1827

Enough of this. Florida Democrats now threaten Dean and the DNC with a
"voting rights probe".
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1453

The "appropriate legal official" to "investigate" Dean and the
DNC...is...Gonzales.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1452

Nelson: "I will lead the delegates to Denver whether or not the DNC plans to
let them in."
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1455

Two summaries of the DNC committee ruling about Florida.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1456

Florida sowed the seeds of a propaganda war against the DNC.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1458

Proof. Vindication. Both Florida parties did it for "relevance." From March.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1459

The latest Florida propaganda tactic here about attacking the DNC...local
email.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1460

Florida's Geller joked about his amendment: "sarcasm and audible laughter in
chamber"
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1461

One Florida county is saying there will be further bloodshed. Much argument
here today.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1462

Florida Democratic Party website building anger toward the DNC
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1465

Democratic activist sues over loss of Florida delegates
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1466

"Dean was conciliatory and offered DNC help for the state"..hour long phone
call
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1467

Gelber admits they did not fight the GOP about the primary.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1468

"Primary bully Florida ought to be ashamed"...four articles catch on to
Florida's primary ploy.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1469

Bill Nelson today will file a bill for regional primaries...but first he had
to get your attention
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1478

Bill Nelson today: "DNC penalties unacceptable, unacceptable, unacceptable"
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1479

Carl Levin and Terry McAuliffe made a deal about primaries in 2004.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1483

Email from Florida DEC chairs saying not to give to the DNC or candidates.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1481

Pelosi says it is not Florida's fault at all. So if the speaker says it I
must be wrong.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1567

"Florida Democrats are all for it"...March 2006. All for the early primary
that far ahead.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1564

Details on how Florida worked with the GOP to set the early primary date.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1617

Nobody sued Terry McAuliffe when he said Michigan's delegates would not get
near Boston.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1638

Nelson and Levin of Michigan file the bill today. It's getting deeper
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1741

My postings about the heartbreak of the Florida primary fiasco.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1607

Florida Dems at convention have button that says "Screw Dean"...very classy.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1608

Senate leader ponders suing 'rogue states' over primary
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1527

[Mz Pip]

6. The Dems went along with it.

It may have been sneaky way to screw up the Democratic primaries by the Republicans, though. THe GOP moved theirs up and my understanding is that there was some issue about the cost of FLorida having two primaries.

But they must have known the rules before they voted to go along with this. They could have said "no."

[mohc]

8. They were not forced, and it would not matter if they were

Only one Democrat bothered to vote against moving the date, and when they held a show vote on an amendment to bring the date into compliance, they laughed down their own amendment. Read madfloridian's journal for details.

But it does not matter. Even if the Republicans in the Florida Legislature forced the Democrats to move the date, and all the Democrats voted against it, they still could have had a valid contest. What states are supposed to do in this case is hold an alternate delegate selection contest. This could be a caucus, but it could also be a party run primary, like what New Mexico did. This is just like any other primary, only the state does not run it and instead the party does. This way the party could set the date to whatever they wanted to, with no way of being "forced" by Republicans. The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) alone has control of the Florida Democratic Delegate Selection Plan, the legislature including the Democrats in the legislature have no say. No one else can tell them what to do. The FDP decided to use the invalid state contest instead of setting up their own contest. They were not forced to do this, they openly chose to do this. I am so tired of hearing that they were forced, the FDP did this on their own.

[Orangepeel]

9. It is true that Rs control the legislature and that the Ds most likely couldn't have stopped them

but it is also true that the Democrats didn't try. They put up a half-hearted effort and joked about it. If they'd put up a real effort at the time, they might still have lost the fight, but the story in the press would be different (anti-R instead of anti-D).

The Florida Democratic party was on board with the move. People were tired of having primaries so late that they didn't matter and thought it would be the same this year. They thought the publicity of an early useless primary would be better than an official useless primary and that, since the nominee would be decided well before the convention like it had been for decades, the DNC would give in.

Once they realized how much they fucked up, they decided to pretend that they were forced to move the date in order to get paper ballots. That's revisionist, though.