Howard Dean meets with the Florida delegation in DC

[madfloridian]

Run time: 04:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtcHX8uRc0o   Posted on YouTube: April 03, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: April 03, 2008 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 519

 
More on the meeting.

Dean and the Florida delegation

DEAN: I would very much like to have Florida and Michigan seated. Because of the circumstances under which they held their elections, essentially which were not valid elections, they aren't going to be seated the same way that everybody else is.

They can be seated in one of two ways. ]One, they can be seated by agreement between the two campaigns if there is no clear winner, or, two, they will be seated I suspect by whoever does win the nomination. Whoever wins the nomination will control the credentials committee, which will control the seating. And I strongly believe our nominee is going to want Florida and Michigan in the hall. Under which rules, that will depend. The nominee will set the rules.

[gateley]

1. Thanks for keeping us apprised

on all things Florida, madfloridian!

What do you think of his statement? And, how would you like to see it done? I trust your judgment on this. :hi:

[psychmommy]

2. now they want the input from the rank and file dems.

all you dems who have been whining on du about disenfranchisement get on the phone, email and fax your ideas of how to fix this mess your reps got you in. if you do nothing to help fix it you have disenfranchised yourself. this is not directed at you mad but, i am sure you have already given them an earful.

[eagertolearn]

3. Why not take the percentages they each got in Florida...

and each delegate gets a half vote. Then because only HC was on the Michigan ballot why don't they just split that and then give each delegate a half vote. Nothing will be completely fair but the good thing about doing it this way is they each will get enough delegates to push one of them closer to the needed total by June and this will all be over!

[MindMatter]

4. Don't be absurd

You can't count an election when the candidates were not allowed to campaign. That obviously has an overwhelming bias towards the candidate that was best known at the time of that ballot.

In practically every state, we have seen that as the voters get a chance to know Obama, he gains considerably -- often by 30 percentage points.

That isn't just absurd. It is disingenuous. It insults our intelligence.

Here's an idea. Let's take the average change in the polls from all the other states, as measured from the point before campaigning started in earnest to election day. Adjust the Florida numbers by that average change. That's the best guess of what the outcome would have been had campaigning been allowed.

[eagertolearn]

5. I agree with you but we need to offer a palm...

I see this as being a big problem in many ways (loss of the voters from Michigan and Florida for the GE, and as a tool for Hillary to blame Obama for her loss (i know he doesn't have anything to do with it)....) I'm convinced that if the election were held in both of those states today that Obama would either win them or get very close to a tie(same with CA). But come on now a new election will not happen. If you look at the numbers splitting it as is in Florida will not give Clinton the election and we can move on. I will be voting for Obama and he will win.

[MindMatter]

6. I DID offer a plan.

Simply take the average change in the polls for Obama vs. Clinton during the main campaigning time in each state, and apply that factor to the Florida numbers. To keep it simple, take the average of polls 30 days before each election compared to the actual results in the same elections. That shows us the impact of campaigning, which is, after all, the essence of democracy. Apply that Factor to the Florida numbers and you will have a good, fair result.

It is a bit more of a problem in Michigan because Obama wasn't even on the ballot. However, I bet Obama would agree to my formula if you counted the "Undecided" as Obama votes.

[eagertolearn]

7. I think that sounds very fair but Hillary's counting on

how people were voting when Florida and Michigan had their primaries.

[MindMatter]

8. If the good people of Florida and Michigan want to be part of the process,

then they need to agree to a sensible plan.

Actually, with all the superdelegate movement happening as well as Obama's momentum in the PA and IN polls, it is becoming a moot point. If Hillary would read the writing on the wall and bow out gracefully, that would open the door for seating the MI and FL delegations without a controversy. That is good for everyone.

Well, everyone but Hillary.

I wonder if Bill can keep making $10,000,000 a year in "speaking fees" if people think his wife will never be President.