and then picking up the soccer ball and running with it.

... but it was very well written and it made a LOT of sense. The gist of it was that people can't expect to just walk in to a church and start demanding access and voting privileges with regard to church policy and business. It's just not done that way. There's a process, and it's not instant.

Perhaps the "instant gratification" that these so-called Independents crave is something that's LEARNED from the regular participation in "open online polls". Anyone can participate, no restrictions other than having a computer and access to the internet... and you get to see the results in real time.

pick their internal nominee. I'm not surprised though that you use a game for an analogy. Voting rights are not a ball to be kicked up and down a field by two teams trying to score goals against each other.

There's a process.

Crying about the rules with 2 minutes to go in the game is pointless.

That ship has already sailed.

Governor Cuomo Proposes Election Law Reforms in State of the State “Opportunity” Speech
Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a series of election law changes as part of his 2015 Opportunity Agenda . These proposals include: public financing of campaigns, restricting use of campaign contributions, lowering limits on campaign contributions and closing loopholes, improving New York’s voting system, changing the ballot design to make it simpler, expanding the voter registration period to increase electoral participation, modernizing affidavit ballot processes to be more convenient to voters and allowing candidates and voters to change parties easier.

https://nyelectionsnews.wordpress.com/2015/01/27/governor-cuomo-proposes-election-law-reforms-in-state-of-the-state-opportunity-speech/

The ignorance of smug Hillary supporters never ceases to amaze.

and then governor Cuomo needs to sign it.

Like I said, there's a process for this.

You guys don't seem to know how government functions.

function, , but they are inherently undemocratic. There would be no point to them if they did not come between those who join them and direct democracy in the process of performing their critical functions.

Does anyone but the most cognitively quiescent here think our nation would do better if we all simply headed for the polls once every couple of years on Voting Day and the people who got the most votes got the office? My guess is that some of the people running in a system like that would make the GOP's current lineup of dysfunctional and sociopathic extremists look very good by comparison. Not that it would last long...

and can show damages is redress in our courts. The courts are one of several optional avenues in which to address legitimate grievances. That it is a class action type of lawsuit with 200 hundred plaintiffs is indicative that something is wrong with the voting system in NY.

They are in court, because by our laws, that ship has not sailed. It is in the hands of a judge now, so I'll wait for the system to handle it.

... WITHOUT anyone casting the first vote. That's accurate, right? Nobody has a constitutional right to participate in party activities. That's pretty much decided by the party itself.

That's why there are super delegates. Most of the rest is just theater.

i.e., control the outcome, but they also want everyone to come out for and support the result of their controlled outcome. That part might not work out so well. You are right, parties can do whatever the hell they want. But they really can't expect a higher level of loyalty from voters/party members than the loyalty they themselves extend toward those voters/members can they?

It's a two way street as in any relationship. The parties will reap what they sow.

Prez 45 years later.

The idiocy is one reason I like politics.

Whining about it on election day is pointless.

The ship has already sailed.

And technically they don't even have to put their nomination process on the public ballot, they could have a private voting process that was still only open to those registered as Democrats.

takes a few minutes . . . very little effort.

are just a bunch of ne'erdowells.

for the impaired

A requirement that you must change your registration 8 months in advance in order to vote in a primary is ridiculous.

I have been preoccupied with real life, are Bernie voters being denied to vote in the Dem primary in NY because they are not registered DEM?

for newly registered voters - only 3 1/2 weeks

about it long ago?

Why wasnt the Sanders campaign aware and doing something?

Focusing resources on NY eight months ago when Bernie was 30 points down in national polls wouldn't have yielded much.....

....and now it is too late.

I'm confident that they have documentation.

I'm sure that most people just find out when they get to the polls.

I assume the allegation is somehow Hillary had the DNC in NY do this, if so how did they know which voters to do this to?

is possible.

that voter was supporting?

Looks like the deadline has pretty much been October of the year before the primary to change affiliation.

This isn't something that was changed to screw Bernie supporters.

Unless one is unable or unwilling to plan ahead.

So any taxpayer should be able to check one out of the armory and drive it.

Rules are there for a reason. Closed primaries prevent the other party from choosing who they will run against. This is not a bad thing.

We need a parliamentary system.

that is about as rare as voter fraud.....

It prevents something that rarely happens.

Keep supporting your pro-war, pro-oil candidate, and keep thinking we're all going to fall in line like good little sheep. Me, and plenty of others, will sit out the GE. I'm tired of choosing the lesser of two evils.

Corporate Democrat or Republican, the same thing.

Very adult attitude.

away, or anything else these GOP-cretins are fighting for. Just remember you successfully played the victim and decided not to vote.

I don't even know who you are, or anything about you. So, carry on.

.....return from another Mideast war in body bags with a warmongering Democrat.

The American War Party. It's you guys who don't make any sense. You think just because of the D beside Hillary's name makes us safe from war. Pay attention to history!!!!

Hmm...

.....people are afraid of a word- socialism. Plus, I think many of those voters are willing to look past her faults just to have the first woman president. To us Sanders supporters, she's being supported at the detriment of our country.

They just don't want the massive unemployment, massive inflation, massive tax increases and totally stalled government that a Sanders presidency would bring?

Dehumanizing your opponents is the first step towards justifying any treatment of them. Sanders supporters need to realize that there are a lot of intelligent, hard working, honest and informed people who just do not see things the same way. Justifying every non-Sanders vote as being based on ignorance, media tricks, voter fraud and whatever else is not only sour grapes, but it paves the way to tyrannical behavior later on, in the belief that a select few know what is best for others more than they know what's best for themselves.

Right now, we have rising wealth inequality, rising education costs, rising healthcare costs, rising global temperatures, and rising tensions in the Middle East, all the while our society's wealth is being accumulated by a select few. The arguments that you're using as far as "massive unemployment, massive inflation, massive tax increases and totally stalled government" sounds a lot like conservative talking points. Are you a conservative or progressive? Do you acknowledge climate change, and support an end to fracking or no? Do you support more war, or no? These are the types of questions people have to ask themselves, and if they can stand behind a candidate who supports the same type of behavior by our government that has placed us into this mess, then go ahead. Just don't be upset or critical when a large percentage of us say absolutely "NO!".

I understand people have their opinions, of course! They're entitled to their voice, just as much as I am. But when I see on the mainstream media the amount of bias against a particular candidate, it's nauseating. It's almost like we're being told that the establishment knows what is best for us, and we better get in line. Well, what you're seeing play out these days is a movement that is tired of the same political game.

Tyrannical behavior later on? I think it's tyrannical behavior in the form of an oligarchy when a select few hoard most of the privilege and wealth in a society. We're already there. If you don't think so, then I suggest you join the Republican party.

In my home state of Washington, we had our legislative district caucuses this past weekend and I met many very polite and engaged Clinton supporters. The overwhelming theme of their feedback for supporting Clinton was simply they don't believe Congress will play nice with Sanders. Well, do we think that Congress is at a point where they'll play nice with Clinton as well? We've seen how she has flipped on many issues (universal healthcare, the minimum wage), while the other candidate (Sanders) has stayed steady in his beliefs.

I just don't trust Clinton. And that's how many others like me feel. Don't blame us when we don't show up to the polls to decide between a Republican and a Republican-lite.

President Trump or Cruz.

it's the rules it's the rules...the rules need to be changed and they will be. People are fed up. Those that were wanting to vote for Bernie and had not registered by that timeline did not know enough about him UNTIL AFTER THAT CRAP RULE WAS ENFORCED...okay ....I'm getting tired of the blanket statement it's the rules. The rules are not fair the closing of the registration was and is disenfranchisement! That is Bull Crap!

and throw a tantrum but, after all that, you've still got to do things by the rules. It's what adults do.

so much in 2000, 2004, 2008 etc.

When Bernie first signed up to run as a DEM there may have been a little time then to tweak some changes, but he and his campaign knew what they were getting into. To create this false narrative amongst his constituency is despicable and harmful.

But for all the whining and complaining, it does no good to claim it's all so unfair now, simply because your candidate is losing.

There are somethings I think are appropriate about a Private Organization establishing their own rules. The rules can and likely should be changed. Since it's not an election, it won't take a Constitutional Amendment to do so.

Why not take all of your efforts into organizing rule changes before the next Primaries, since you missed doing it on every previous primary Bernie didn't run and you didn't care back then?

caucuses or primaries, that is fine.

If they use tax payers' money, it becomes
a totally different ball game. Okay?

agree with you 100%. But the day of the Primary is not the time to try and do it.

when he pretends everyone is out to get him.

Debbie
Wasserman
Schultz

Stealing data while playing victim.

Cheating becomes necessary

Obviously.

Its why Republicans strip away voting rights wherever possible.

The world they see doesn't match the world they believe in. They are convinced they are right and thus are justified, so they cheat and obsess on semantics, etc...

actually the perpetrator, as in stealing data from Clinton and then saying you are a victim when you are confronted about it and simply asked to explain your inappropriate actions. That is also called cheating.

So saying you are a victim of the Democratic party while simultaneously using it to your advantage is a form of dissonance. etc...

Ever notice Republicans never discuss issues? Not a coincidence...

and then asking for money yourself when you mention them. It's what phony "issues" look like.

Doesn't it?

grease the skids for someone who spent decades running them down.

Who has her finger on the scale. With all of the corporate money being slipped to Hillary's campaign though the DNC and her supper pacs Hillary is still in atight race, in a fair fight Hillary would be out of money by now. Berrnie has brought over 2,000,000 new voters to the table which the party will need this fall and for years to come. The Clintons are the 90s remix not the future of our great party, get use to it no one is going away.

a chance to vote. He has his excuse ready.

Independents and mischievous Republicans don't get to choose the Democratic Party's nominee. Well, can you imagine that.

I'm fairly sure after the primary Sanders will form a progressive party and take his supporters with him, leaving the Democratic Party at about 15% of registered voters. Let us know how that works out for you.

I were you, I wouldn't hold my breath.

OK? I might join it if it's reasonably well organized. You can just post the announcement here and I'll find it.

As I am with how these rules affect voters.

I think the rules are screwed up, no matter which candidate they hurt or help.

and insist that the rules have to be changed right now because you want them changed, and if they aren't changed you'll hold your breath.

This election is bringing things up that don't normally come up. That is why it's being talked about now.

But from all the snide comments about voter ignorance and responsibility, I think some Hillary supporters are going over the line in their glee.

Even if rules aren't changed, it should be the state's responsibility, and the parties, to make sure all citizens of a state are informed of voting rules for all parties in the state. But this is not being done.

My solution would be that all states automatically register all eligible voters when they turn voting age, and new people signing up for driver's license as they've moved in from other states. And when they register them, they should give/send everyone a booklet of rules of all the voting rules of that state. And whenever voting rules are changed, new booklets should be mailed to all registered voters.

of fact. The voters who didn't register, or who registered as Independents and are now insisting on being allowed to vote in the primary are being ignorant and irresponsible.

And you are simply dead wrong when you say that the citizens of New York are not informed of voting rules. When I, and everyone else, registered to vote in New York, we were told that if we registered as Independents we would not be able to vote in the primaries. All of Sanders's New York Independents HAVE been informed of this fact. It is the responsibility of the VOTER to fucking pay attention.

This election is NOT bringing up things that don't normally come up. That is crap. In New York, Independents have NEVER been allowed to vote in primaries.

So you are all tossing out mountains of bullshit about "disenfranchisement!" and "unfair!" and "evil!" and bringing asinine lawsuits, beginning on the eve of the primary, about rules that have ALWAYS been in effect, which have never been a problem before, and which ALL New York voters have been informed about.

Yes. That is the very definition of a tantrum.

You haven't been paying attention. This one that I replied to wasn't, but many of them have been pretty nasty.

Apparently a lot of people didn't know about it, or forgot. That can happen when you rarely have to consider changing parties. That is why this election is unique. They were ignorant of that waiting period, but it's the waiting period that is the problem, not the voter's ignorance.

And now you are sounding snide. Yeah, they were ignorant. It was their responsibility to stay on top of all the rules.

Well, I disagree on that. I think all the registered voters in any state should have a book of rules to refer to so they don't have to remember ten or more years from the date they registered, that changing parties just might throw a monkey wrench in their plans.

The state and the parties are also responsible of keeping residents informed. I know you don't believe that, but when you get a new driver's license you have to read the book and pass a test. And the books are free at the DMV every time you have to renew your license. the same should be true for voters. If you register, or if you change your registration, you should be offered or mailed a booklet on voter rules for that state.

Voter apathy is one of the biggest problems dems have in this country, and you are willing to sit back and let that continue. I'm not.

personal voting consultant who calls them the night before any special deadlines. No one should have to take any responsibility for their own right to vote.

And yes. That was snide. Because this is asinine. I can't even believe this nonsense. Grow up.

I never said they needed to be sent info before every vote. Just every time the rules are changed, or when they are a new voter in that state.

You are the ones who are clutching your pearls in this campaign, and you are happy to snark at everyone who might have a real concern with the problems with deliberate voter disenfranchisement, voter's education, and voting apathy in this country.

I wonder how you would be sounding if it was Hillary who was being hurt by these rules? Would the fact that she was a democrat and that it might mean a republican win mean anything to you at all?

Please don't try to lie to me or yourself.

This is from last summer, the NYC Campaign Finance Board:
New York State Near Bottom in Voter Turnout Rankings
Tuesday, July 21, 2015

New York City hit a historic low in voter turnout last November, but the latest report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission makes it clear that our voter turnout crisis extends across New York State. After each federal election, the EAC collects data from election administrators around the country about voter registration and turnout for the best comparison for how states stack up against each other. New York routinely ranks near the bottom for turnout in EAC reports, and 2014 was no different. The state trailed the rest of the nation, ranking 46th for voter turnout among the citizen voting age population (CVAP). An abysmally low 29.1% of citizens age 18 or over cast a ballot last November – only slightly better than the 20% who turned out in New York City. New York can and should do more to encourage civic participation among voters — starting with reforming our outdated, restrictive election laws.
http://www.nyccfb.info/media/blog/new-york-state-near-bottom-voter-turnout-rankings

Note it calls for reform of their outdated and restrictive election laws. Which you are celebrating. Also note that not all closed Primary States have these issues NY has. NY has outdated and restrictive election laws. And embarrassingly low turnout.

Make up your mind.

problem that means they cannot vote in the GE either.

shameful that you think this is ok.

because it doesn't make a lot of sense. A link to NY voting law perhaps?

Independent voters can and do vote in the general election. Most voters don't vote in the primaries, in fact.

What on earth made you think that?

I make a wildly delicious bean dip. Would that be OK?

I'll bring that, then.

he has simply decided to run as a democrat for the exposure. And Bernie himself knew it was wrong. I have no respect for him.

if he is not the nominee for the Democratic party.

The ones who have been endlessly debating which candidate will appeal to independents in every election up to this one, when we already know quite clearly who does (and who definitely does not)?

Those parties?

DU has nothing to do with it.

People are still posting their feelings on the subjects in 2016.

That's how these things work.

Bernie is simply objecting, futilely, it appears, to the election rules. That's just sour grapes.

I do not think it means what you think it means.

They simply did not register to vote as Democrats.

You should not have to be a member of any party to have your voice (vote) heard.

Entrenched political parties are a symptom and tools of Oligarchical control over the governing systems of this country.

Fuck them.

I love how DU gets more Republican every day.

All taxpayers should have an equal right to vote as they wish.

to register as Independents in New York, they are informed that they will not be able to vote in the NY primary.

If they register to vote as Independents, they CHOOSE to do so knowing this fact.

Everyone in New York is voting EXACTLY as they, themselves, freely CHOSE to vote.

It means you're a member of the Independent party. You can vote for the Independent party's candidate, just like the Democrats can vote for the Democratic party's candidates. That the members of the Independent party chose not to field any candidates is not a problem caused by the Democratic party.

Those who were not registered with any party had a March 25 deadline to register with their chosen party if the wanted to vote for one of the candidates of their chosen party.

In other words, all taxpayers could vote in the New York primary in their party's primary.

Any taxpayer can choose to register as a Dem Or Repug.

Perhaps we should all be able to vote in both the Dem AND Repug primary?

And how the right to vote applies to the general election, while we are at it.

Too much at once? Probably.