It appears that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama will have the 2025 delegates required to secure the Democratic Nomination for President after the primary season is over. Howard Dean, the Democratic National Chairman, was quoted as saying that if that occurs, the two candidates would need to sit down and decide who the nominee would be. Dean also has repeatedly said that he does not want a brokered convention.
So what is fair for the candidates and the people who took time to express their support with their vote? If neither candidate reaches the magic number of required delegates, I have a suggestion. Let the delegates from Florida and Michigan be seated at the convention and cast their delegates in line with the outcome of their states primary election. The candidates did not campaign in these states, so neither had the advantage over the other. Let the winner of the state primary in each state get the super delegates of that state. If neither candidate reaches the 2025 delegates needed after all that, let the candidate with the largest popular vote of all the primary states be declared the Democratic nominee.
I think that will be the fairest way since the vote of the people will control the outcome. You can not get any more democratic than that. Any suggestions? I would like to hear some other thoughts, as I don't pretend to have all the answers.
8 comments :
Let the delegates from Florida and Michigan be seated at the convention and cast their delegates in line with the outcome of their states primary election. The candidates did not campaign in these states, so neither had the advantage over the other.
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Of course, Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan. That'd be real fair. A more fair way would be to seat uncommitted delegates from both states. That way you punish the states for breaking the party rules but you also allow the state to have a say in the vote. Either that or hold caucuses to allow the states to abide by the party rules AND have the people have a say in the outcome.
Allow me this. If you were coaching a football team and one of your starters broke team rules before a big game, would you play him or sit him out for breaking team rules and play a substitute?
Why was Obama not on the ballot in Michigan? He certainly had a right to be. You are comparing apples to oranges concerning breaking the rules. The state legislature in Florida may have broken the rules by pushing their primary up but the people still made their choice in a democratic election. The people have spoke and they have a right to be heard and have a say in the outcome. Some football teams only have 11 players and no subsitutes so I guess the coach would have to play the person who did not follow the rule. Seriously, we are not talking about a crime.
I do not know the primary rules but here is my comment. I don't see where it is fair to seat the uncommitted delegates and not the committed ones. Not all coaching rule violations require the player to sit the game out. Some rules penalize violations in different ways. If these primaries end up in a dead heat my choice would be let the popular vote rule. It seems the answer as to what seems to be happening was not thought out to well. As far as the super delegates go, I'm not sure what I would do with them.
Why was Obama not on the ballot in Michigan? He certainly had a right to be.
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Neither he nor John Edwards were on the ballot in Michigan, perhaps out of respect of the democratic rules against having a primary that early. Of course, now the one candidate who is willing to flaunt the rule and basically run unopposed is supposed to prosper by that flaunting of the rules. Won't that set well with the Obama supporters if she were to win the nomination by the democratic party reversing what they told Michigan and Florida BEFORE their primaries? It may win her the battle but it'll cost her the war... guaranteed!! So keep on pushing to have those ill-gotten delegates decide this nomination.
Perhaps Edwards and Obama were not on the ballot in Michigan because of their own choice. In the end politics and compromise by those involved will decide the nominee.
Perhaps Edwards and Obama were not on the ballot in Michigan because of their own choice. In the end politics and compromise by those involved will decide the nominee.
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I agree with compromise and have suggested my answer. However, one needs to be careful when using politics to decide the nomination. If the majority of delegates are elected for one candidate and the super delegates use their "super" power to give the nomination to the other candidate, you've got a real problem in November. Should the nominee be chosen by the people or by the career politicians? ~Johnny
The nominee should be chosen by the people so let the popular vote rule if the delegates needed to win is not reached by either candidate.
John said...
The nominee should be chosen by the people so let the popular vote rule if the delegates needed to win is not reached by either candidate.
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I like that idea!! ~ Johnny
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