Dem's preach Count Every Vote except Florida Voters :grr:

[wakeme2008]

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/28/State/Democrats__primary_ma.shtml

Democrats' primary may not count. So what, some say

Momentum of a Florida win may matter more.

By ADAM C. SMITH
Published May 28, 2007

Often lost amid the state-by-state presidential nominating scramble is the prize each state offers the candidates: delegates to the national nominating conventions.

Nobody gets the nomination without enough delegates, after all.

Which helps explain why Florida Democrats are in such a bind now that America's biggest swing state has decided to snub the rules of the national parties and hold one of the first presidential primaries of 2008.

Driving the Democrats' anxiety is the growing sense that this could be a longer-than-expected primary contest, where delegates really do matter.

The national parties intend to punish Florida for scheduling its presidential primary election too early by not counting the state's delegates to the national convention

..cut..

he "count every vote" party is seriously considering telling hundreds of thousands of Florida Democrats that if they show up to vote Jan. 29, their ballots will be officially meaningless. They're so worried about losing delegates, Florida Democrats may make Jan. 29 a nonbinding election and hold some sort of caucus to divvy up delegates later on.

..more at link...
:grr: in fact double :grr:

[NoodleBoy]

1. that's not it at all.

It used to be, if a state tried to move their primary or caucus date up, the national committee would reduce the number of delegates that state was allowed to send to the convention. However, since the number of delegates someone has doesn't matter as much as how many times they can get headlines for coming in first, however narrowly, the number of delegates doesn't matter as much.

Meanwhile, now that alot of states have decided to move their primary or caucus dates up to try to get more attention (and therefore, money for state parties), the DNC is reduced to threatening them with the only thing that in the past made states hold their dates back--recuding the number of delegates each state gets.

So Florida, by moving its primary date up, might not get as many delegates to the convention as it would have if it kept its primary date where it was last time around.

[MaineDem]

2. Is it fair to those states that abide by the rules?

If FL can move earlier with no penalty what does that say to those states that are working within the rules?

[seasat]

3. I've got a pet theory. It's the Hispanic vote.

If they tick off the Florida voters, it could suppress turnout in the general election. The Florida Hispanic vote on both sides of the aisle will go to someone supporting a more liberal immigration reform. I have long suspected that Repugs are going to use illegal immigration as their wedge issue in 2008.

The Hispanic vote went largely for the Democrats last election partly because of some of the Repug views on immigration. Florida has an about 20% Hispanic population. They're strongly in favor of an immigration reform that provides some path to citizenship for undocumented workers who've been here for a while. If the switch prevents Florida voters from picking a pro-citizenship candidate like McCain for the Repugs and we get a candidate with a more conservative view on immigration reform, then it'll suppress the Florida Hispanic vote for general election. That way they can demonize undocumented workers with less electoral reprocussions.

I'm in the Tampa Bay region and hope that the Florida Democratic Party can figure out some way to make this work.

[Orangepeel]

4. An early primary that doesn't count or a late primary that doesn't matter

six of one, half dozen of the other.

Through 2004, Florida's delegates counted, but they didn't matter because by the time Florida voted, there was only one candidate still in the race. Now, even if they don't count at the convention, at least the state will get some press out of it.

[William769]

5. I have said this once before and I will say it again.

The DNC will not follow through on this action, it will set the tone of the primary season and carry over into the general election.

[madfloridian]

6. The Republicans used this to set up the Democrats..

and their chairman who has vowed to go by the rules set by the committee. Also a whole lot of our Democrats in Florida are talking just like the Republicans....saying let's give in because we don't have a majority.

And soon the states will be playing hopscotch.

Nobody gave a damn in 04 that we had to wait until March 9 to vote. My vote did not count in the primary then, and the party here said so what.

This is a GOP move, and some Democrats are insulting our DNC about it.