Letters to the Editor
Picko
Published Letters: 265 Editor's Choice: 11
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jebldmm
[Read the article: Hillary Clinton's petition ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"I think it would be most fair to have a re-vote in both states, so that everybody has a shot. But Obama has blocked re-votes, so that isn't going to happen."
I agree that the ideal thing to do would be to have a re-vote, but as far as I can understand that's not a feasible option at this point. As for the claim that Obama has blocked re-votes, isn't that attributing more control over the matter than he actually has? Obama is not the final arbitor of whether revotes happen or not. While it is true that Obama's campaign have raised concerns about the difficulties that the re-vote would raise (see http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/in_new_memo_obama_camp_effecti.php#more for details), I have yet to see anyone prove that these concerns are invalid or made in bad faith. The opposite side simply asserts that Obama is the enemy of democracy because he's not embracing a quick solution to an intractable problem. I don't think anyone regards completely ignoring Michigan or Florida as a good idea - and I'm sure at some point a satisfactory compromise will be worked out - but it's not clear that any of the alternatives presently under consideration are feasible and fair.
Incidentally, I still have not heard any Clinton apologists defend or even acknowledge her bait-and-switch tactic in Michigan.
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jebldmm
[Read the article: Hillary Clinton's petition ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Actually, Dean is the one who gave Obama the power to block the re-votes. That was another stupid move on Dean's part, actually - portraying the battle as being between Clinton and Obama, with Clinton obviously fighting for re-votes. The blame, in the eyes of the voter's, fell on Obama, our likely candidate. Obama could have backed a re-vote, but he chose to not do so, he chose to obstruct the re-vote because he was afraid it would negatively effect his campaign. This was a very bad strategy, becasue it will end up huring him, and us, in November."
I agree with Rayon Frog here; these are a bunch of sweeping statements made without very much proof.
By the way, I'm sorry if I missed the part where you explained how the reasoning put forth by the Obama campaign about why revotes aren't feasible was invalid or dishonest? Could you just walk me through that part again?
"You can't "compromise" with votes. It has, once again, gone too far. Florida and Michigan voter's are mad, and nothing less than a complete seating of their delegates or a re-vote (which is virtually impossible at this time) will placate them."
So, according to your view, there is only one solution - to seat the delegates according to an allocation that is, by any sane or honest analysis, gravely flawed.
Also, I think you mean "voters" instead of "voter's."
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jebldmm
[Read the article: Hillary Clinton's petition ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Get over it. This isn't about Clinton. It has moved way beyond that. You can't defend disenfranchising entire states by citing a contract. Clinton never signed a contract saying she would never try to get the delegates seated. Neither did Obama. They just agreed not to participate in the election, and neither did (although Obama's supporters did violate the contract, they were not signatories so it doesn't count)."
I think you're blowing a bit of smoke here. If she keeps her name on the ballot arguing that it doesn't matter that she is the only candidate because the results won't count anyway and then the day after the primary she turns around and says that she thinks they should count, it's very hard to argue that this was done in good faith. Presumably she knew long before primary day that not seating the Michigan delegation wasn't fair. She could have fought for different treatment of the Michigan delegation back when the other candidates still had a chance to compete against her. But no - the morning after she won an uncontested primary, she and her handlers had a sudden epiphany that it wasn't fair not to award her the delegates which she won, ahem, fair and square.