LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - Democrats are acting more like Republicans by not counting the results of the Florida and Michigan primaries and by not seating those states’ party delegates, former President Bill Clinton said on Tuesday.
“The Republicans are supposed to be the people that don’t count votes in Florida, not Democrats,” said Clinton, campaigning with his wife Sen. Hillary Clinton at Lynn’s Paradise Cafe, where she chatted with voters and he held an impromptu news conference.
The January votes in Michigan and Florida were deemed invalid by the national Democratic Party because both states moved their election dates forward in defiance of party rules.
“The Democrats said, ‘We’re going to decapitate them, smudge them, step on them, act like they never existed, act like they never voted,’” the former president said. “It’s very strange that the Democrats would be more authoritarian and more hostile to the voters.
Many Democrats, like Clinton apparently, believe the 2000 election recount in Florida unfairly favored the Republican Party. The dispute was resolved by the Supreme Court, giving Republican George W. Bush the victory and Democrat Al Gore the loss.
Hillary Clinton won Michigan’s Jan. 15 primary, which did not include Obama’s name on the ballot. She also won Florida and is seeking to have the votes counted and the more than 350 delegates reinstated. The party’s rules committee meets next week in an effort to resolve the dispute.
Republicans were less harsh toward states that moved their contests early and stripped them of just half their delegates.
“Do the right and decent thing by Florida and Michigan. Don’t let the Republicans look more enlightened than us, which they do today. It’s unbelievable. I never thought I’d see that,” Bill Clinton said.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo: Reuters/John Sommers II (Hillary and Bill Clinton campaigning in Louisville)
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These rules were set by the DNC far in advance. Florida and Michigan understood these rules, the candidates understood these rules, and the voters understood these rules.
1) Hillary Clinton disobeyed the DNC rules by campaigning in these states even though she was forbidden to do so.
2) Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan.
3) Many registered Democrats in both Florida and Michigan did not participate in these primaries because the rules explicitly stated that the VOTES WOULD NOT COUNT. The newspapers, TV news channels and the DNC all advertised for months in advance that these votes would not count.
Why is this so called ’solution’ even being considered? It is unfair, it is changing the rules after the fact, and it is based on the premise that the current primary results in FL and MI are valid results (which clearly are not valid results given the three points above.)
There are only two “fair” solutions to this dilemma …
A) hold another primary in each state (a secondary primary if you will), with the amended rules
B) stick with the original rules and the FL / MI primaries will not be counted.
We have all learned this lesson since first grade. You don’t get to change the rules after the game has been played.
If Hillary Clinton feels that she is above the rules now, what sort of precedent does that set if she was elected President? Scary thought.
- Posted by ShaneI find Clinton’s attemps to squeeze every drop of political milaeage out of her campaign repulsive and annoying.
She is the LEAST qualified and the most unsuitable candidate.
She disqualified herself when she revealed her true nature.
I am very afraid of what this person is capable of - especially when 20 of her and her husband’s detractors/dirt diggers have all been found mysteriously dead.
I would like to ask her questions, like the author of this article:
http://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/ar tman/exec/view.cgi?archive=9&num=11563
- Posted by The Truth Is...It was Clinton and their minions, Ickes and Harrim, and 10 others that were put on the committte by the clintons that made the rules when she was the ‘annointed one’…NOT OBAMA.
- Posted by DocbThis crap of blaming anyone but herself for where she is at is too tiresome..she is a proven liar and thief…she changes her positions to suit the audience and her accent. She mismanaged her campaign and fortunes to such an extent that she is $20million in debt and the small venders are still being stiffed. She is trying to blackmail Obama for the VP or a Supreme but I pray he knows not to get too close to that piece of garbage with major baggage.
It is obvious that the Republican system of executing primaries is far less complicated than the Democrat’s election debacle that we are all witnessing. The voters of Florida and Michigan did not choose to have their primary dates moved up, their law-makers did. It is unfair to penalize voters for decisions that were beyond their control. The DNC should have never allowed it in the first place given how important these two states will be in November. Sen. Clinton would be winning if she were running under the Republican system. The appropriation of delegates in this primary have led to an inflated portrayal of Obama’s political strength. He won three more delegates for winning the Utah caucus by 13,000 votes than Clinton did for winning the Pennsylvania primary by 200,000 votes. There is certainly something wrong with this system.
Ms. Wulfhorst wrote in an another article that the results of Oregon and Kentucky were “mixed” for Sen. Clinton. I do not think that a 35 point victory in Kentucky for Clinton, a person who virtually everyone agrees will most likely not be the nominee, is a mixed signal. The race in Oregon was also closer than many had predicted. It is a clear sign that Obama has a huge hole in the Democratic electorate that has proven to be an integral constituency for swing-state victories. It will certainly lead to hardship for the Democratic Party come November.
- Posted by RsayHere is a lead-in in the NY Times:
“As Obama Heads to Florida, Many of Its Jews Have Doubts
By JODI KANTOR
Jewish voters are vital to Barack Obama’s hopes, but among many older Jews, he has become a conduit for anxiety about Israel, Iran, anti-Semitism and race.”
Is Reporter Kantor correct, and if so why is such a tiny constituency so “vital” to Obama…or to any other U.S. politician for that matter?
- Posted by Ariel RiveraThis Michigan and Florida thing is truly unfortunate, but rules are rules. I am sure Senator Obama would prefer no questions, but why should Senator Clinton think it fair or just to accept the votes of one state, or either state for that matter, where the opponent did not have the opportunity to compete as he was following the rules? Sounds like a Bush thing [Remember Florida]. Split the delegates and let the party win against the Bush surrogate.
- Posted by MarkObama removed his name from the michigan ballot as a political move, to give him a better standing in Iowa. He kept his name on the florida ballot and even ran tv ads. It doesn’t matter who you back. the only logical thing to do is to count those votes, not doing so is completely democratic and unfair to the millions who voted.
- Posted by dianaPlease, no Obama-Clinton ticket. That is not a dream I want to be a part of nor is it a dream I even want to have! As far as Mr. 57 states goes, so what if he said 57 states. Maybe he went to several states twice?
- Posted by JosephBThe only way to solve this problem…
An Obama~Clinton~Fusion~Ticket!
We political junkies here…may be enthralled with all this hoop-la. But the average working American out there…is not following as closely.
They see a primary that looks to be nearly split down the middle!
The most productive and progressive action…
would be to marry the two.
A Heaven made DREAM TICKET for the Democratic Party….
A black Man and a Women…what an honorable achievement!
Even republicans are saying how much they’re attacked to Obama’s sophisticated/modern style and constantly the GOP have commented how they respect and admire Clinton’s spunk.
Andrew Sullivan proposed it…it’s absolutely a Win-Win!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment /columnists/andrew_sullivan/article3866 584.ece
- Posted by SugaJulius screamed:
======================================== ==
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE HAS WON! WAKE UP!!!!
49 STATES that followed the rules
======================================== ==
Didn’t you mean 57 states? lololol
Harvard grad? That’s what happens when Affirmative Action gives kids a free ride into college; and now a free ride to the POTUS. Nubs without even a geography clue that even a inner city 3rd grader would’ve known!
–
- Posted by ChrisXPObama Math:
===============
A famous mathematical physicst von Neumann said “If you allow me four free parameters I can build a mathematical model that describes exactly everything that an elephant can do. If you allow me a fifth free parameter, the model I build will forecast that the elephant will fly.”
All of you blaming Obama should get the facts right. Obama never objected to re-votes in Florida and Michigan. The Clintons want the rules to bend their way. Simple.
- Posted by MartinI used to admire Bill a lot but now I THINK HE IS ONLY A POWER HUNGRY POLITICIAN LIKE THE OTHERS. Not only that, he is being divisive by his antics. How can he blame the fiasco in Florida and Michigan on his party or the wife’s opponent? If the wife were to play by the rules, she should have taken her name off the ballots in both states as did the rest of the candidates. How does one claim victory in a boxing arena if her opponents hands are tied. Yes her opponents hands were tied by the by-laws of the party. Claiming victory is down right cheating.
After seeing Michelle Obama on the Good Morning America show, I believe that the Obama running for president is really Michelle Obama. She TOLD Barrack that the children WILL BE getting a dog and that Barrack will be walking the dog.Who’s in charge in that family? I think Hillary is running against Michelle and Barack is a figurehead. I also know that the person writing the speeches for Barack Obama is the SAME person who wrote the speeches for JFK.It seems to me the Kennedy’s are trying to stay in control of the party and the election.
- Posted by MaxineI’m for the REAL person who holds their own.
Even thou Mi and Fl made a mistake moving their primarys ahead for whatever reason, they still constitute 2.5 million people- their votes need to count.
- Posted by MK5112Their votes should count, in Mi where Obama told his supporters to vote uncommitted, he should be given a percentage equal to what he had in other states he campaigned in at that time. There were other candidates- Richardson and Edwards that removed their names as well, so the @40% that voted uncommitted would be divided and BO would get about around $146k. Everyone was on the Fl ticket, so their votes and delegates should stay as they are.
Now if there were other states that moved their primarys and only Mi and Fl were penilized, and I have heard that many places-then I would say this is just another way to control the outcome of the primarys.
Even If Both sides are the problem, the people of these states deserve their vote and their delegates. I believe the only way to really determine the will of the people is to have revotes.
These states and their votes must count. What is OB afraid of that he blocks a new vote from going forward. I did see an AA man from Mi (a obama supporter) who lead the fight to stop a revote along with the Republicans in their state. He laughed about it- this kind of reaction is typical of the Obama camp.
Obama’s our next prez. This is our country now!!!! Be Black or go Back!!!
- Posted by MalikThe MSM, and Obamo-cultists wanted Clinton to Drop out after Iowa. Her tenacity is attracting more supporters and making an issue of unfairness and elitism in the party and Hillary is coming out a hero. For a “loser” she is still attracting 60%+ of two major states in two weeks…sounds like you are the loser now and in Nov.
McCain in 2008
- Posted by Scott DClinton in 2012
@ AC-n-NC:
In August of 2006, the Democratic National Committee adopted a proposal by its Rules and Bylaws Committee that only four states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina would be permitted to hold primaries or caucuses before February 5, 2008.[1]. In the spring of 2007, the Florida legislature passed by overwhelming majorities House Bill 537[2] which moved the date of the state’s primary to January 29th, a week before the earliest permitted date[3].
Wikipedia is your friend. There’s your answer. No more whining. Hopefully this clear’s it up for you. And it was not 7 states. Only 6 states voted before 1/29
- Posted by JosephBAs an Obama supporter, I hope Hillary stays in the race even though she cannot win. It will prove to everyone that she cannot admit defeat and does not like to lose graciously. Even if we did a revote of Florida and Michigan, she wouldn’t be able to come out on top except maybe in the popular vote, a vote that means absolutely nothing. Let Hillary keep on putting herself into debt, that’s fine with me! People should realize that if she cannot run her campaign, what makes her the ideal candidate for running the country? Fact is that if her last name was not Clinton, Obama would have locked this nomination up months ago.
- Posted by JosephBI agree with Randy’s post completely.
The idea that Michigan should be counted when Obama’s name did not appear on the ballot is ridiculous. Bill and Hilary are not worried about the voters, they are worried about themselves. Hence why they waited until after Obama won Super Tuesday to try fowl.
If Bill and Hillary wanted the voters opinions to matter, they would have suggested an idea such as Randy’s. They would not have opted for the counting of primary votes where the results were sckewed. They also would not be trying to persuade Superdelegates to change their votes after Obama was in the lead.
- Posted by BridgerOne last time for you peeps :
- Posted by AC-n-NCSeven states moved up their primaries and only these two are being punished. Ask yourself why and look at the states and you have your answer. Seven states moved up their primaries.. WOW and only these two states are being punished. WOW .
Stated it twice to let it sink in.
Every vote counts, lets remain Free
- Posted by Roberta Luciano