Fla. Dems to Keep Jan. 29 Primary

[Psephos]

Source: Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Democratic Party will stick with a Jan. 29 presidential primary even if it means losing all its nominating convention delegates, a party source said Saturday.

The Democratic National Committee gave the state party until Sept. 29 to come up with an alternative delegate selection plan to stay within party rules, such as caucuses or a vote-by-mail primary, but party leadership has rejected that idea.

State party Chairman Karen Thurman, members of the congressional delegation and state legislative leaders were scheduling a news conference Sunday to announce their position. State party staff has been polling executive committee members and determined at least 75 percent support for the early primary, the source said. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because executive committee members were still be notified.

The DNC Rules Committee voted last month to strip Florida of its 210 delegates if the state party held a primary before Feb. 5. Major Democratic presidential candidates have signed a pledge to restrict campaigning in Florida if it violates party rules.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5igrYLRrHG3P6lIbs2E7pSH0bxhvg

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This will not help Dean to sleep soundly.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. Dr. Dean has a challenge before him.

I must say I respect the delegates for taking the stand...Florida has been the testing ground for an unsuspecting populace and they are understandably furious.

There's also been manipulation by those wanting to destroy the DNC.

We shall see. MKJ

[kdmorris]

2. Bullshit!

Karen Thurman agreed to these rules. Then she decided to break them, together with the Republicans in the Florida State House.

This is NOT Dean's doing. This is HERS and Bill Nelson's and all the other "Democratic" leaders in Florida.

I'm going to figure out how we get rid of this woman. Class Action lawsuit or something.

SHE disenfranchised us, NOT Howard Dean.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

5. His challenge is managing this situation. It's clear there are agendas to destroy the DNC, and the

delegates are being used.

His challenge is to avoid disenfranchising the delegates and voters of Florida, while confronting those who are working to subvert the election process.
MKJ

[kdmorris]

7. I must have misunderstood

I thought you were saying you respecting the Florida Democratic Leadership ("the delegates").

I'm furious with the Democratic Leadership in Florida. This is ridiculous. So, I was a little "quick out of the gate".

Sorry about that. I'm sure I'll stop screaming sometime.. maybe in 2009.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

16. No problemo, we're all spring loaded these days.

:-) MKJ

[1monster]

13. At this point, it dosn't really matter WHO disenfranchised us. We are

disenfranchised.

There should be some other way of punishing those who broke the rules rather than the voters in Florida who have been royally screwed over in the last four elections.

How 'bout allowing us to vote, but barring Thurman, Nelson, et als from the Democratic Convention as delegates or guests?

I'm sure there are other ways to make them sorry for flouting rules they agreed to follow without taking away the rank and files voice.

[kdmorris]

15. Yeah, that's a good point

I'm trying to figure out if we are allowed to sue everyone involved. After all, we are the ones being punished.

[youngharry]

18. Democratic leadership in Florida

Floridians must understand that it has been a policy of the Republican Party since the late 60s and early 70s to re-register Republicans as Democrats to volunteer for Democrat candidate campaigns and then destroy them from inside.
Take a look at the re-count of votes in 2000 in Palm Beach County. The re-count was overseen by the three person election committee composed of an Independent, Republican and a Democrat. Theresa LePore, the Supervisor of Elections was the so-called "Independent", Mary McCarthy was the Republican (she was subsequently indicted for election violations), and a Judge who was registered as a Democrat. The problem is that the Judge was appointed to his Judgeship by Jeb Bush. He was not really a Democrat And, of course, the recount was never completed by 5:00 pm on the Sunday as dictated by Katherine Harris the Republican Secretary of State who was also George W. Bush's Campaign Manager for the State of Florida.

Sooooo...you Democrats, watch those in charge that say they are Democrats and are registered that way, but they are nothing more than Republicans on the Republican payroll placed to destroy the Democrat Party in Florida.

FIGURE IT OUT.

[kdmorris]

21. I live in Palm Beach County

I KNOW what happened here in 2000. And it's not QUITE what you say. The reason we were not finished counting by 5:00 PM was because there were Democratic and Republican monitors who were allowed to challenge what the counters said. And EVERY TIME a vote was determined to be for Gore, the Republican monitors would challenge it. I still have it on tape, as it was on our local television for HOURS straight. I've got 7 hours of footage of that recount.

As for Teresa LaPore, we've already figured that out and got rid of her, to replace her with a man who is working on replacing the damned touch screen voting machines.

As for the rest of what you say, how does that conflict with what I said? I SAID it was the Florida Democratic Party at fault (the leader of which, Karen Thurman, is a re-registered Republican). Look at Bill Nelson... he's barely a Democrat. And, in 2006, when everyone in the state was so anti-Republican, a LOT of Republicans slipped in anyway, with a (D) after their name.

So, I'm not really sure what it is you are trying to say or why you responded to me. *I* have already "FIGURED IT OUT", as have many people who participate on this board.

Welcome to DU :toast:

[riona]

25. I'm disgusted with Thurman

Would you happen to know her email addy?

[kdmorris]

26. The only one I've found is

Email:

[email protected]

[Ediacara]

3. This is more bullshit than Craig pleading unguilty

They agreed to the rules. They declined to be among the early primary group when it was offered to them and South Carolina was chosen instead. They changed their date as a big "fuck you" not only to Dean, but the entire Party despite knowing that this was something that would piss everyone off and would result in zero delagates.

They've been given more than enough time to come up with a solution and have instead grandstanded, promised to storm the convention, and then promised to change the date.

And now this.

Fuck the Florida Party if this is their damn solution.

[keopeli]

4. Sounds reasonable to me. Florida agrees that it is breaking the rule and yields all its votes

I don't get it. Why have an election if it doesn't count? But, that's what they are choosing.

So, let it be like that. My friends in Florida will be royally pissed if their vote doesn't count, but they know EXACTLY who is to blame. They know what Gov. Bush did all those years, and how he has messed with the Dems.

Floridian leaders know exactly what choice they are making and that's fine with me. Florida will have an election, but it won't count. Should be interesting, especially if the Floridian delegation were to be a pivotal vote.

I don't know why anyone thinks this has anything to do with Dean. He's just enforcing the rules everyone voted on, which is what he's expected to do.

[razzleberry]

14. c'mon, Florida's vote did not count before, now it will

Good for Florida.

Besides that, I predict nobody will have the balls to tell
Florida's delegates that they
don't receive credentials

[cobalt1999]

23. It's a better situation than we had in 2004

Last time I went to a presidential primary I had the choice of Kerry and ....well, Kerry.

Delegates aren't as important as influencing the race. Even if the delegates don't count (which I think they will in the long run), our results will be broadcast and we'll have some influence. That is infinitely better than the crap situation in 2004.

I'll take that deal.

[hedgehog]

6. This needs to be clarified on e way or another before the Jan 29

primary.

Imagine this: one candidate comes to the convention with enough votes to take the nomination on the first ballot IF the delegates from the Jan 29 primary are recognized.

[kdmorris]

8. Actually, we were only given 30 days to resolve it

The Florida Democratic Leadership's resolution was to flip the bird to Dean again.

Do you really think anyone is going to vote in the Democratic Primary if it doesn't count?

[hedgehog]

9. I thing the DNC needs to take some full page ads in Florida.

I'm betting most people in Florida aren't paying attention yet.

[kdmorris]

12. The ones that would normally vote in the Primary are

The newspapers already ran tons of articles (many were posted by madfloridian) about how Dean is the evil one. Your suggestion is a good one.

I'm also trying to figure out if the Democratic voters can sue the Democratic leadership and/or the government for doing this. I don't know if it's feasible, but I would sure as hell participate in a class action lawsuit if it is.

[angrycarpenter]

10. I live in florida

and I am sick of my democratic vote counting for nothing. I still cannot understand why anyone thought this would be a good idea. It was a big surprise to me to learn that republicans had any say as to when a democratic primary was held.

Floridas' constant attack against democrats by both parties can only be for the purpose of driving people away from the polls and the democratic party. By the absence of a major outcry I would say that it is working.

[Dj13Francis]

11. Dysfunctional to the core...

I think the years of being kicked around by Rethugs in Florida has left the Florida Democratic Party extremely disfunctional. They don't know how to win, and don't expect they will. The only leadership on any state level comes from the least progressive member of the Democratic party - the completely spineless, warrantless wiretapping enabling Bill Nelson. I am so disgusted with these people... What the fuck!?!?! You know - Florida has proven on several occasions that we don't deserve the vote. So fuck it. We'd probably do some stupid shit like give all our delegates to Hillary anyway, so fine. We just won't vote. Our inability to protect our elections from being stolen is proof enough that our state just doesn't give a fuck. Why bother.

[Colonel Bat Guano]

17. 49 state strategy

As long as this goes on, Florida is off the table as a Democratic state. Repubs don't have to even spend the money on vote caging and so on....we did it for them.

If this is a national strategy, draw an electoral map that does not include the possibility of a Florida win in 2008. Please. I want you to.

If you don't have that, then this bullshit is the reason we'll have President Rudy in 2009.

[Divine Discontent]

19. well..

1, even if we're going to be able to vote (barring a martial law enactment)
2, that the votes aren't going to switched by electronic hacking programs
3, that the disgust of b*sh doesn't get so strong that only 20% approval sinks the repubs

then,

I figure if our state will be decimated by this stupid mess, then that's double the money to spend in Ohio to secure a victory there, with a Democratic governor and people in charge of important positions counting the votes as they are truly cast.

President RUDY? only slightly better than President Mitt or Fred... I will leave this country if they get in again - there's no way in the world that this country wants another rethug. I talked to a moderate repub today that said they're voting democratic this time b/c of shrub. I cannot believe even them 'finding' osama next year changes that.

[riona]

28. Welcome to DU

I'm furious too. What is with this state?

[Nevernose]

20. Assholes.

W/ the electoral college, the primaries are the only way for little states to get attention, and for little candidates to maybe stand out.

Big states moving their primaries up reeks of self-important assholery (and if "assholery" wasn't a word before, it is now). Having the primaries earlier in the smaller states first, and letting candidates focus their attention on more populous states in the general election, was sort of like splitting the congress up between the senate and the house.

Way to go Florida, California, Michigan, and Et Cetera -- y'all have done something to make yourselves feel like you've got bigger penises, while simultaneously further effectively disenfranchising the already-apathetic public in the OTHER forty states.

[kdmorris]

22. Well, I agree with that

But, in this case, the Florida Democratic party got punished, so the voters in Florida got disenfranchised, NOT "he already-apathetic public in the OTHER forty states"

But the rest of what you said, I agree with. Our leadership in Florida is a bunch of assholes.

[cobalt1999]

24. Bullshit.

I don't give shit for the little states choosing our candidate for me. In 2004 all I had to choose from was Kerry. I wanted Dean but the little states torpedo'ed him long before I had my say.

Why shouldn't I have a say? As for the little candidates, if there is a choice between each person getting a fair say in the primaries vs. supporting small money candidates, I'd rather error on the side of a democracy. If people are so worried about the little money candidates, then pass a law publicly financing campaigns, don't take my vote away instead.

[Dj13Francis]

27. Well, you know...

Florida is "America's Wang"... Why shouldn't we have the largest penis?