There is only one viable and appropriate option for Florida:

[Perky]

Here is the fundamental problem with Florida. The culprit here is the FDP and not the voters or the candidates. But any penalty you mete out hurts the candidates and the voters more than the party.

There is only one viable option:

A re-voting of one sort or another which while the most equitable and enfranchising still has the potential of altering the results and thus potentially penalizing or benefitting one candidate or the other and at the considerable cost of a campaign in the state to both candidates.
On this I come back to the issue of the people should have a reasonable expectation that the vote they cast either will on will not count. The people were informed that the vote would not count and were told to vote anyway by the FPL. Shame on the FPL for telling the people of the state that ultimately it would the results would be binding even when the candidates had not campaigned. People did not vote because it was being called a beauty contest. There may well have been a record turnout, but there were many potential voters who did not vote because they understood it was a waste of time in the eyes of the DNC.

The DNC did not recognize that election, nor should they now. It would be disenfranchising to voters who did not vote and unfair to candidates who did not campaign. There for the only logical option if you are going to revote. It has to be a full primary. It will be far more expensive, but there ultimately little difference between $10M and $25 Million given the amount of money that is available from fat cats.

The problem I have with this is that it effectively imposes no actual penalty on the FDP If they are seeking outside financing for the event.

The Only way to effectively penalize the FDP is to strip the state of its super delegates and reapportion them according to the popular vote in the new Primary. This empowers the voters, gives them more power at the convention and only penalized the party hacks who created this mess in the first place.

[saracat]

1. I agree with part of this. I believe the FDP should suffer the consequences not the voters.

I do not think their should be a revote . I think the delegation should be seated but the FDP should be stripped of its super delegates and they should be reassigned according to the populat vote. I also think a fine might be in ordee for the FDP.But the voters should not be disenfranchised.I think Michigan could revote but Florida has voted.

[pbca]

2. Florida is now saying that they don't have time

for a re-vote and their convention rooms have been cancelled. It's sad for the voters of FL and MI but I think this is over. FL and MI are out for 2008

[leftofcool]

4. And both states will go to McCain

which is of course exactly what the repukes want

[Perky]

8. MIchigan will not go for McCain. He basicallt told them to suck up job losses and is pro-NAFTA

[GeorgeGist]

3. Nonsense ...

the DNC doesn't govern the State of Florida or Michigan.

[Perky]

6. They do not goven the FDP but they do govern the DNC and it is their rulemaking body that determine

the allocation of delgates to the stae and the standards by the election should be held. The DNC sets the calendar. and the FDP agreedto that calendar.

They also dertmine amd approve delegates to the national convention/ They are wholly within their rights to penalize the FDP in the maner they did.

The FDP has has three months to make other arrangement for an election and isted they have been passive agressive whiners playing chicken with the DNC and and filing frivolous lawsauits.

[Birthmark]

5. I generally agree

Other possible acceptable options, in addition to stripping super-delegates (that MUST be done):

- Seating half of FL's delegates
- Open mail-in voting to those who didn't vote in January. I don't expect that that would be many, but if there are some, let 'em have their say, too. But this should only be done if ALL of FL's delegates are seated, minus the super-delegates.

[Perky]

7. klck

[HeraldSquare212]

9. Why do we want fatcats involved in selecting our nominee?

That's going in the wrong direction, big time. Even with them, it's just too much money - presumably some of that would have ended up in the Dem's GE warchest. I don't see why we should give the nominee a handicap to undo what Florida and Michigan party leaders have done - it could truly end up being a pyrrhic victory. The Rep party has already outraised the Dems for the GE, so far. Why get further in the hole?

[Perky]

10. they would just be giving moiney fo th FDP to run a do over.