Apparently there is no local branch of the Democratic Party in Puerto Rico.

[hedgehog]

Puerto Rico has no vote in the general election. Why in the world did we hold a presidential primary in Puerto Rico and who voted in it? The best part is that if you look at this link;

http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/delegates/index.html

you'll see Puerto Rico actually has more delegates than a lot of states!

[jody]

1. Good point. PR has 63 total delegates versus WY with 18 total. n/t

[Growler]

2. The Democratic Primary is to decide the best candidate

...someone that represents ALL Dems. PR should have a say in the primary simply because the future President will represent them, and we want all Dems to have input in this process. Just because they can't vote in the GE doesn't mean we aren't looking out for them.

I don't think they should have that many delegates though....

[WA98070]

3. This really is unrelated, I'm not equated them to anyone but....

ALL AMERICANS would include inmates. Should Non-violent inmates be allowed to vote?

[Aloha Spirit]

5. I think so. Just a gut feeling. Maybe if the justice system had a better "affirmative action"

admission policy, I'd feel different. I guess that would be privative action?

[jody]

8. Inmates in ME and VT can vote unless disfranchisement is meted out as a separate punishment. See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disenfranchisement

[jody]

7. Agree "represents ALL Dems" but Repugs and Independents were allowed to vote. n/t

[Growler]

11. well, some things need to get fixed for 2012

:)

[jody]

12. If you mean limit state primaries to registered Dems then I agree. I would also eliminate caucuses

because they can be stacked with participants from outside a district.

[Growler]

13. I caucused...

..and I agree with you. It's too exclusionary.

How about a 3 month primary season, no caucuses, mail-in ballots open to Registered Dems only, including non-violent felons.

That's my idea.

[jody]

14. I'll drink to that. n/t

[WeDidIt]

4. IF Puerto Rico ever enters the United States as a state

It will be as blue as can be.

The reaching out to Puerto Rico for participation is the Democratic PArty reaching out to the commonwealth in an effort to insure a strong support for the democratic Party should Puerto Rico ever become a state.

In fact, it's almost a guarantee that the only way Puerto ricoi could ever become a state would be to have a strong Democratic Majority in the congress and a Democratic president.

so, in effect, it's up to the people of Puerto Rico. If they decided they wanted to become a state, they could do so after January 2009.

[billyoc]

6. Oh, they have more delegates than MOST states(27).

But there is no Democratic Party in PR. None.

[jody]

9. PR has 63 total delegates but D.C. has only 39 total delegates. See states at

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/

[rug]

10. Sure it does.

http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/07/become_a_delega_42.php

The local parties are more popular though.

[hedgehog]

16. This is the info that has me scratching my head. I could understand

giving delegates to Puerto Rico IF there was an active local Democratic Party. I always assumed that there was a local party there and in Guam and the Virgin Islands. But to give Puerto Rico more delegates than 27 states? What's up with that? Is this something new? Is it something that never mattered or was noticed before? What gives?

On edit: Wiki indicates that there are local branches of the Democratic Party in Guam and the Virgin Islands, but not in American Samoa.

[jody]

15. Total delegates: American Samoa 12, Guam 9, Virgin Islands 13. n/t