CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
April 30, 2008 – 7:55 p.m.
Kucinich Floats Plan to Resolve Florida, Michigan Delegate Disputes
By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff
Former Democratic presidential candidate Dennis J. Kucinich has proposed a plan to seat delegations from Florida and Michigan at the Democratic National Convention based on the results of a fresh round of polling in the two states.
The Democratic Party stripped the states of their delegates as punishment for holding primaries in January in violation of rules designed to preserve the role of early primary states, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, in the nominating process.
Kucinich’s proposal, a copy of which was obtained by CQ Politics Wednesday, has been circulating among Democratic members of the House for nearly a week.
The plan would base the distribution of delegates on polling conducted by three firms, one selected by each campaign and a third chosen by the other two companies. Delegates would be apportioned based on the composite findings of the three polls. None of the firms could have previously been employed by either campaign.
“The Democratic Party faces the intolerable prospect of disenfranchising Florida and Michigan’s voters from choosing our presidential nominee in this closely contested primary election,” Kucinich, who represents a Cleveland-based district, wrote to his colleagues in a letter dated April 24. “This makes finding a remedy a political requirement and a democratic necessity.”
On Tuesday, four leading Michigan Democrats sent a plan to the state party chairman suggesting a delegate allocation for the state that would give New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 69 delegates and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama 59 delegates. Clinton won 55 percent of the vote in Michigan’s unsanctioned January primary, but Obama and most of the other Democratic candidates were not on the ballot, having withdrawn their names to comply with the national party’s wishes. Most Obama voters cast ballots for “uncommitted.”
The Michigan proposal, written by Sen. Carl Levin , Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick , United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger and DNC member Debbie Dingell, “splits the difference between the 73/55 position of the Clinton campaign and the 64/64 position of the Obama campaign,” according to its authors.
In his letter to colleagues, Kucinich noted that his is a less-than-perfect plan for rectifying a less-than-ideal situation.
“Simple, accurate and cost effective, this solution is nevertheless no substitute for actual voting,” he wrote. “But it is better than any other solution proposed thus far.”
Comments
Oops, I meant to say it is on my blog at TPM. A reprint is below. link is as follows http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/bubbalewy/ From: Cafe Florida Michigan Redux March 30, 2008, 11:26AM Simple solution to a difficult problem. Whereas Clinton wishes to not disenfranchise her voters whilst totally disenfranchising Obama's voters. We need to fix this for the voters sake. Sounds fair and balanced, right? Let's play fair....(sorry Hillzilla). OK. Listen close. Both campaigns pay for a targeted poll of all Florida and Michigan Democratic primary voters. You then include newly registered Dem voters, and any Dem voters from previous primaries. Sorry about leaving out republican voters from previous primaries. All of the address's and phone numbers can be very easily had. Since Survey USA seems to have the best track record of correct polling, Let's put them in charge of a poll driven re vote or any number of variations of polling. At the very least, we will find the will of the people and then can divide the delegates accordingly. Not exactly perfection, but a fair solution to a problem that seems to defy solution. It has a bonus of being cheaper and more logistically sound. And it carries a bonus. No Druggy Limbo crossover spoilers.
The best so far and though it seems to have no sanction for violating the rules, the economic and prestige losses as a result of the absence of primaries may be enough to ensure future compliance with rules that are rational and reasonable.
Yeah right, that makes a lot of sense. Piss off two of the largest states the DEMS need to win the election: Michigan and Florida. Are you a GOP strategist Dave? Also, why should Iowa always get to decide first? This is wrong.. and the moment the results came out the entire MSM was saying Hillary is going to lose. Whatever happened to COUNT EVERY VOTE?
Who do we poll? All dems? What about the legitimate cross over republicans and the independents that have been an important component in Obama's counts. Certainly not just the ones who already voted. That was the trick the Clinton camp tried in Michigan that got the re-vote tossed.
p.s. Iowa is still first because when the Democratic parties from all fifty states got together and voted, that's the way they decided to leave it. That's democracy.
this is the stupidest idea I have heard. A Poll?? This confirms that Kucunich is a wackjob. The only way to solve this is to send all uncommitted delegates from FL & MI. Not perfect, but what are you gonna do? Afterall, the two primaries were not sactioned and therefore cannot be given any weight. Does that mean that the Dem primary voters in the two states are disenfranchised, yes, but they have no one to blame but their own state party organizations.
The sooner HRC is eliminated from this race, the better! Her lies, evasions, mispoken moments have done serious damage to the Democratic Party. There will never be another Clinton looting and disrespecting the White House!.
Sorry Jim, but it looks more and more likely each day that HRC is staying :D Obama's facade is slowly being removed... exposing him for who he really is: a weak, inexperienced politician who runs instead of confronting challenges. Hillary is strong, capable, a lot more intelligent, and has no controversies like Obama does. Plus in polls, she's better-suited to defeat McCain in November. Bye Bye Obama!
Why do Obama supporters feel free to insult, denigrate & call Senator Clinton sarcastic names? Are you real Democrats, or Republicans trying to spoil a Democratic primary? Why do you feel that only your candidate deserves respect? Are you going to vote republican (or not vote) if Senator Obama doesn't win the nomination? If you are really Democrats, then please think to the future. Your candidate may win this time, but will you have the same adoration for the next candidate? If not, what will you do? Form a 3rd party? Leave the US for another country? You are "painting yourselves into a corner". Blinded by your fully indulged negative feelings it will be difficult for you to compromise and accomplish all the great changes which you profess to desire.
Joan, I think Obama supporters find it difficult to compromise with corpoate cronyism. That being the main identifiable cause of America's current freefall. In otherwords unmitigated, deregulated corporate interests (greed at the expense of our nation, our people our earth) have been increasingly running our government...with "their" politicians. The perception (right or wrong-it is up to each of us to see who is funding who) is that both Clinton & McCain take BIG $$ from FED. CORPORATE LOBBYISTS.
This idea of Mr. Kucinichs' is, I believe, the best one proposed to date. Neg. opines seem mostly to come from partisans. Comparitively, it is fair, cheap, and expedient. We're makin' sausage here, and the most we can hope for is an accurate reflection of the wishes of Fla. & Mich. Democrats. Discl.- Yes, I'm a partisan, but I hope it isn't obvious.
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