what happens if I vote Kucinich or Edwards

[Kashka-Kat]

Is it a wasted vote? Or would their delegates get some say in what the platform is or as tie breakers if Clinton/Obama were tied? Or some such deal?

Somewhere I read that policies vary by state as to what happens with the votes cast for withdrawn candidates.... some states dont allocate delegates unless they reach a certain percentage. What happens here in WIS?

I just want to vote for who I really want! Is that such a bad thing??? I'll hold my nose in November but don't think I should have to right now.

thnx

[sybylla]

1. Your candidate must get 15% of the vote to receive a share of delegates

Wisconsin Democratic delegates are apportioned by percentage of the vote received and only allotted to candidates getting more than 15% of the vote. Those candidate who have withdrawn but reached the 15% threshold would see their delegates divided proportionally between the remaining candidates.

The only question that remains is whether or not Edwards and Kucinich are considered officially withdrawn. I believe one of them has only put their campaign on "hold." Still, Edwards was having a hard time getting 15% when he was an active candidate so I doubt either one has a chance to get it now.

As for whether one candidate's handful of delegates will have some say in the convention - especially in the case of being a tie breaker - yes, they can. But there's no guarantee that those "pledged" delegates will stay and fight for their withdrawn candidates all the way to the convention floor in August (or is it July?). They can and may jump ship before their candidate has a say. If your candidate hits the target percentage of vote, you'll want to show up at the delegate caucuses in April and May to make sure your candidate's delegates are dedicated.

Only you can decide if a vote for a withdrawn candidate is a wasted vote. There's nothing wrong with your vote expressing disappointment in the remaining selection - especially if what's left constitutes a Hobson's choice for you.

edited for typo

[kelligesq]

2. No,theyre not.Theyre on the ballots, both paper & electronic-Edwards campaign isnt ended, Kuch's is

see the post above, but even though Kuch's campaign is ended, you could still '
vote for him in protest...

although I'd rather see you vote for Edwards as you'll see above.

[ThisIsMyCountry]

3. Also

I talked to someone at the state party today and was told that even though the others may have withdrawn, they can still win delegates to the convention if they get that 15%. As long as they are on the ballot, they can win a delegate.

[sybylla]

5. That's odd...

The "officially withdrawn" language I used came straight from the state party's own document on delegate distribution.

I guess it's just too hard to be straightforward about anything in politics.

[dragonlady]

6. Sybylla, can you point me to the page number for this?

I searched on my downloaded copy and couldn't find it. (I doubt it will matter, but just to keep it straight in my mind.)

Perhaps TIMC was using "withdrawn" as a synonym for suspended, but I believe there are legal differences.

[sybylla]

7. Oops

I found the citation but I see now that it refers only to the 20 at-large delegates and alternates. My mistake.

This delegate process is all so clear as mud. :crazy: It's no wonder we need a 37 page document to help us through it.

[dragonlady]

8. Thanks, and that raises another question

The language is "if a presidential candidate is no longer a candidate" when at-large delegates are chosen. It doesn't use either "withdrawn" or "suspended." I would argue that a candidate who "withdraws" is no longer a candidate, but one who "suspends" is. None of this changes my feeling that I want to vote for someone who is actually going to pick up delegates. However, if one of them undeniably has enough delegates by February 19, I might still vote for Edwards.

[sybylla]

9. I understand your thoughts exactly

I know several people trying to sort out very similar calculations to yours.

[dragonlady]

4. The key point is winning 15% of the votes

If Edwards doesn't win at least 15% of the votes in a congressional district, he gets no delegates from that district. Because he isn't campaigning here and running ads, and because all of the people who support Edwards across the state can never be contacted and convinced that they should vote for him anyway, he won't come close to that 15% anywhere. Meanwhile our votes could have gone to one of the two candidates who are going to win delegates.

I am totally disappointed that Edwards suspended his campaign. My sig line is going to stay just as it is, unless I replace it with another Edwards quote. But at this point Edwards is not going to have a role unless something unprecendented happens to make both the two frontrunners drop out. I think that I'd rather vote for Obama and help him because he is my second choice. It is looking like Obama and Clinton are going to be close in delegate totals for the duration, and I'd like to have my bit of effect on the outcome at the convention.

[Kashka-Kat]

10. Wonder if Madison could manage to do 15%?

I'll bet there are enough of us -- downtown/east side anyway if not entire district...???

[LiberalFighter]

11. Not likely to reach the 15% threshold. I was advocating that a while back

but after seeing results of later elections it was dismal. Therefore I don't recommend it. If you could be sure of getting the 15% in a congressional district that would be the best possibility. But you would have to organize to make it happen.

[bobthedrummer]

12. I'm voting for Dennis Kucinich. All this talk of "a wasted vote"

is absurd when we see vote caging, electronic vote "anomalies", the disenfranchisement perpetrated by Choice Point and other criminal Republican owned data-miners-and then there are the so-called "super-delegates"...

I don't feel I have any options-I'm voting for Dennis Kucinich, I'm very active in the demand for impeachment, accountability, the rule of law and a return to our Constitution and Bill of Rights-all that "crazy lunatic fringe radical" stuff that is nothing more than representative of basic democracy in a fascist dominated unelected criminal administration.

The BFEE was installed, let's not forget that fact-they were not "elected" in 2000--nor "re-elected" in 2004.