Early this morning the pro-Obama diary on top of the recommended list at Daily Kos was celebrating the disenfranchisement of Michigan and Florida at the Democratic National Convention. "Delegations from those states should get to attend the convention, but not vote."
"Sounds good to me," says the diarist, Hope08.
2,313,746 Michigan voters voted Democratic in 2004, and now they get no vote at the Democratic Convention.
"Sounds good to me."
3,964,522 Florida voters voted Democratic in 2004, and now they have no voice in choosing the Democratic nominee.
"Sounds good to me."
It sounds good to Obama and his friends because both those states were likely to vote for Hillary Clinton.
So Obama's campaign has been opposing re-votes in Michigan and Florida, on the principle that...
Actually, on no principle whatsoever.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand why Florida delegates should have a vote at the Democratic National Convention: It's not the Florida Democrats' fault that the GOP governor and legislature scheduled an early primary.
Now the Democratic nomination for President of the United States may be decided by 186 people who serve on the Credentials Committee of the Democratic National Convention.
186 people decide the nomination!
"Sounds good to me."
186 people, instead of the 6,278,268 Democratic voters in Michigan and Florida! That's really a change we can believe in, as Obama endlessly repeats.
If Florida or Michigan Democrats file a challenge to the DNC's decision to strip them of their delegates (a near certainty), the challenge will be heard by the Credentials Committee. The committee probably will meet in July and consider the challenge at that time. The committee would have great leeway to settle the dispute.
Even then, it's not over.
On the first day of the convention, Aug. 25, the Credentials Committee presents its report to the seated convention delegates. The report, which will contain the decision on Florida and Michigan, must be approved by the delegates — including all the superdelegates.
"Sounds good to me."
It sounds so good that Obama's campaign blocked the re-vote in Florida and insulted 3,964,522 Democratic voters in a state that has been crucial for the Democrats in every recent Presidential election.
But it wasn't really about disenfranchising voters in Florida who might choose Clinton, if you believe Obama. Obama had "legal concerns about a mail-in do-over," even though the mail-in option was the only way around the obstructionism of Florida's Republican governor and legislature.
Unfortunately, this smokescreen of "legal concerns" doesn't change the fact that refusing to seat the delegation at all will anger so many Floridians as to put the state out of play in November.
But disenfranchising 6,278,268 Democratic voters still "sounds good" to Obama and his friends, even if it loses Florida in the general election and puts John McCain in the White House.
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