Should the DNC have been as concerned about the date of the last primaries

[Ravy]

as they were about the first?

If the DNC had said they wouldn't count any contests after May 1st, this thing would have been over with, the supers could have committed, and we would know who we were going to nominate in August.

Why do they allow these "late" primaries if it is so important that the race be decided early on?

[flor de jasmim]

1. Yes, they needed to be at least as careful getting OUT of the primaries,

as they were precipitious getting in....

[hokies4ever]

2. Primaries select local offices too you know

It's not like Puerto Rico is going to swing this nomination. The real importance is the state and local offices.

[Ravy]

7. Some of them do, not all of them.

Most of the elections for local offices are yet to be held, even in states that had primaries.

[hokies4ever]

23. Then how do they determine who gets on the ticket for local/state office in November

for each Party?

[Ravy]

26. They hold additional primaries in August.

Florida's is August 26th.

I think most states will be holding primaries around then to determine congressional representatives and nominees for state and local offices.

[hokies4ever]

29. I would think that Florida is different than most states

since they know that they're one of the 'important' states.

[Ravy]

31. In case you are interested, Virginia will vote for their other Democratic nominees on June 10th.

Just going by your screen name. If you don't live in Virginia, then look on Google to find out the date for voting for your US Representatives and other offices that may be up for grabs.

I am not saying that there aren't any states that combine the two primaries, but I am sure none of the caucus states caucus for US Representative. I think it would be rare to find a state that does not have another primary between now and the general election.

[hokies4ever]

33. I guess I was looking at it from a caucus perspective

answering a question I've heard many times, as to why states caucus early and then hold primaries later. :patriot:

[susankh4]

14. Yeah. Florida was electing locals as well.

But... it wasn't OK for them?

Hmmm. Strange double standard.

[Ravy]

15. Florida did not elect locals. At least, not on my ballot.

We have another primary coming up for that.

My ballot had the presidential choices and a constitutional amendment or two.


On edit: The August 26th primary is when we decide the Democratic nominees for the general election (had to look it up).

[Honeycombe8]

3. It's the state's decision...and it has NEVER mattered before how late some were.

Despite Clinton saying that her husband didn't win until June, don't believe it. He really won in April, after a fairly short primary season. He was referred to as the nominee, he acted as if he were the nominee. He was the nominee de facto, altho he didn't rack up the final delegates until June. It was merely the official count that happened in June. It didn't matter WHEN the official count came in; it was decided by April already.

[Ravy]

12. If it matters so much, then they should have made that provision,

that is all I am saying.

I, for one, hope they junk this system for the next time around. I do not believe that the Democratic voters were well served by the system this year.

[suston96]

4. Oh, gee. Maybe the DNC took the trouble to read the Democratic Party Charter......

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:i1Dy8...

Section 4.

The National Convention shall be composed of delegates equally divided between men and
women. The delegates shall be chosen through processes which:

(a) assure ALL Democratic voters full, timely and equal opportunity to participate .......

(b) assure that delegations fairly reflect the division of preferences expressed by those who
participate in the Presidential nominating process

The DNC cannot violate the Democratic Party Charter.

What is it about: (a) assure ALL Democratic voters full, timely and equal opportunity to participate ....... that people cannot understand?

[Ravy]

8. I believe "timely" is the key word,

If you are in the camp that thinks it really needed to be over long before now.

[DrDan]

9. thank you thank you thank you

I have been saying that for weeks and weeks.

The only response I get is "rules is rules - rules is rules"

The DNC action is a direct violation of the charter!!!!!

[midnight]

5. I for one would love to hear a simple explanation.

[sandnsea]

6. The losers usually CONCEDE n/t

[DrDan]

10. guess I missed something - the required numbers of delegates are in-hand?????

[sandnsea]

16. Right, "something might happen"

and the country might turn against Obama, or something.

[DrDan]

18. does he have the numbers yet?

I am not a supporter of either - the best candidate got away.

So insults miss.

[sandnsea]

21. Yep, he does

If the vote of the people matters so much, like Hillary keeps saying it does.

[DrDan]

24. uh huh - thought so

[sandnsea]

27. That's an answer? n/t

[DrDan]

44. yes

[susankh4]

17. No. They don't.

There was WJC who wrapped up his nomination in June.

And we all remember the June in which RFK was shot.....

(Go ahead a burn me at the stake now. For mentioning a couple of little historical facts that the DNC doesn't want anyone to think about this year....)

[sandnsea]

19. WJC wrapped it up in April

although Jerry Brown did much like Hillary and wouldn't get out. In 1968, we chose our nominee at the convention, that's the way it was done then, has nothing to do with now at all, nothing. So why'd she bring it up again?

[underpants]

11. SD and MT were timed to finish in the all important Mountain West

and lead into the convention in Denver (Mountain West)

[prairierose]

42. The primary in SD has been the first tuesday...

in June for a very long time. In 1988, the legislature switched to an early date (March, I believe) but that only lasted for one election and they went back to the old June date. Occasionally, they try to change it but do not seem to get the job done.

[susankh4]

13. Excellent question!

Why?

[nichomachus]

20. Never make a threat you're not willing to follow through on

This was the blunder. Never threaten something you won't do, because if someone calls you on it, you have two choices -- follow through, no matter the consequences - OR - renege, and lose all future authority.

If the DNC doesn't seat FL and MI, then it will be accused of disenfranchising voters.

If the DNC does seat FL and MI, then its rules are just meaningless pieces of shit and the DNC has lost all power.

By pressing the issue, Hillary is directly attacking the DNC and trying to weaken it -- and we know how much that will pain the corporatists in the DLC.

[Ravy]

25. I don't understand why they didn't just let the penalty stand to where they would lose half

of their delegates. Why did they have to go after them all?

Believe me, in my area of Florida, this hurts the party. We were only a week early, but got the death penalty.

The republicans didn't go after additional sanctions against Florida for violating their rules, they let it stand at half, and you never heard squat about it.

[WeDidIt]

22. They were.

All primaries and/or caucuses had to be held no later than June 10.

It's in the rules.

That's why the window for scheduling re-votes in MI and FL closed at the end of April.

[Ravy]

28. Then why are many of them crying that it should have been

"over" so long before now?

If this has dragged out too long, then it is the DNC's fault for allowing a 5 month window for voting.

[WeDidIt]

30. Actually, the DNC is doing nothing of the sort

and the fact of the matter is, it was over in February. Hillary and her followers are just too dense to realize it.

[Ravy]

32. And all this talk of "moving the goalposts". nt.

[WeDidIt]

35. Not the DNC

The talk of moving goal posts is media and Hillary driven.

Hillary's campaign has been moving the goal posts since Super Tuesday which was the day Hillary said it would be over and she would be the nominee.

[Ravy]

36. You would have to move the goalposts pretty far to

come up with a metric that said Obama won in February.

To me, the Obama/media claim that a majority of the pledged delegates means the win is moving the goalposts just as much as Hillary ever did. Superdelegates, by the rules, can use whatever measure they want... and I don't fault Clinton for pointing that out.

[WeDidIt]

39. By all prior primary season metrics wher the Democrat went on to win the GE

Obama won in February.

Only by comparing this season to those electoral seasons where Democrats lost in the general election can you gain any form of justification for Hillary Clinton remaining in the race when she was woefully behind in pledged delegates and out of money.

[Ravy]

43. How can that be, when no Democratic nominee has won the GE

without winning West Virginia in almost 100 years?

You can pick and choose your metrics.

[hokies4ever]

34. They're testing out their 50-state strategy

I think that they do benefit from the increased media coverage of the Democrats and surges in voter registration. Also, I think that they just assumed that most candidates would drop out when they have no clear path to victory.

[Ravy]

37. Well, in true Democratic fashion,

it turned into a 48-state strategy, and the superdelegates left a clear path to victory for two candidates this time. Neither can win without the superdelegate's help.

I am sure they had the best intentions, they thought that Florida and Michigan would move their primaries into the window, and that the superdelegates wouldn't have to step in to put one of the candidates across the finish line. But we Democrats often find ourselves not thinking that far ahead.

[hokies4ever]

40. FL and MI will be seated

Howard Dean just wants to hold the legislators' feet to the fire a bit, especially that one guy from Florida who's a state senator, the one that filed the lawsuit. I saw the youtube clip of him sarcastically advocating in opposition against changing the primary date, obviously mocking Dean and the DNC. Dean will skewer this guy on national TV on 5/31, then he will seat the delegates.

[ClassWarrior]

38. Excellent point.

NGU.

[K Gardner]

41. This is an EXCELLENT thread w/ excellent responses. Let's get it rec'd. :-)