Update on the Florida and Michigan situation

John Riley/Medill News Service

Hundreds of angry Hillary Clinton supporters and voters from Florida and Michigan swamped the entrance to Washington’s Marriott-Wardman hotel Saturday during a meeting of the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee.

The committee met to discuss the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegations. Both states had been stripped of all their delegates after they moved their primaries before “Super Tuesday” on Feb. 5 without gaining the permission of the DNC.

The demonstrators were angry about the decision to strip the two states of their delegates and proposals to seat half the delegation or give all delegates half-votes, which would make it more difficult for Clinton to clinch the Democratic nomination. Some protesters also said they wanted to protest the DNC’s complicity in allowing media pundits to disparage Clinton using sexist language.

The Rules and Bylaws Committee decided to seat all the delegates from Florida by giving them half a vote each. This means that all delegates and superdelegates from the state will be at the convention. The number of delegates is based on the results of the Jan. 29 primary.

Numerically, that means the following for pledged delegates:

• Hillary Clinton will get 105 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 52.5 votes.
• Barack Obama will get 67 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 33.5 votes
• John Edwards will be awarded 13 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 6.5 votes.

The remaining pledged delegates will be able to cast their half votes at the convention for whomever they wish.

For Michigan, the Rules and Bylaws Committee accepted a proposal from the Michigan Democratic Party that awards the delegates representing those who voted “uncommitted” to Obama. The remaining delegates will be allowed to cast votes at the convention. Similar to Florida, all the delegates will be seated, but given half-votes.

As part of the solution, Clinton will be awarded 69 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 34.5 votes. Obama will be awarded 59 delegates, with half a vote each, for a total of 29.5 votes.

Clinton supporters say this solution is unfair because it awards uncommitted votes to Obama when his name was not even on the ballot, and strips delegates from Clinton. Clinton won 55 percent in the Jan. 15 primary, with 40 percent voting “uncommitted” and the remaining 5 percent for other candidates like Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel.

In both cases, superdelegates from both states are also penalized and able to cast one-half vote for the candidate of their choice.

But Harold Ickes, a Clinton advisor and member of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, said the Clinton campaign reserved the right to take Saturday’s decision before the DNC’s Credentials Committee in July.

By John Riley

 

Vermont superdelegate talks change

Courtesy of Vermont Democratic Party

Vermont superdelegate Judy Bevans, 67, recently backed presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Bevans is a first-time superdelegate, and said she’s excited about attending the Democratic National Convention this summer, calling it the opportunity of a lifetime. “I’m expecting to enjoy it and be a part of it, and that’s what we’re supposed to do as responsible citizens,” she said. “That my voice, however loud, it’s been heard.”

  Bevans on change

  Bevans talks about what role experience should play in the presidential nominee

  Hear why Bevans backs presidential hopeful Barack Obama

  Hear Bevans discuss presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton

 

Superdelegate Interview: A Texan supporting Obama

Interview with Al Edwards, Texas Superdelegate, Minister and Real Estate agent in Houston

by Jonathan Rubin

May 16, 2008

Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Q. You picked Obama as your candidate. Do you think he can make it to the presidency?
A. I really think he will make it. I think at some point, the Democrats will come together and stop the bloodletting, so to speak… I’m a firm believer that Americans are not going to be stupid enough and blindfolded to go back and elect a Republican president.

Q. What are your personal feelings about Obama?
A. It a disgrace how Americans have to live today. The economy is horrible. We have lost the value of our dollar around the world. We are a debter nation, rather than someone who did all the lending, as before. Our jobs are just vastly going abroad. We’ve got senior citizens having to choose medicine over food, or vice versa. I like that Obama is going to do a national health program. We need some leadership… someone who is going to take care of homeland security… I think he’s sincere about really making changes in this nation. I think he’s going to be a worker and that he’s going to get things done. He’s going to work for all the people – not just blacks or whites or browns or blues.

Q. Has your life changed since becoming a super delegate?
A: It keeps you in tune to the news. It’s a matter of keeping up so you can give an intelligent response, and personally knowing what they (candidates) are doing.