I don't like the way my state has handled this at all. More is coming out on the details of the delegates. As Adam C. Smith in the St. Pete Times said earlier...Dean's hands are tied. The Florida Dems know it, the National Dems know it. Smith was fair to Dean about this, and this reporter isn't too bad.
Some details I had not realized about the delegate selection this time.
From the Palm Beach Post blog:
Dems stick with early primary, scrap straw pollFlorida Democratic activists potentially sacrificed more than half of their delegates to the national presidential convention by agreeing to stick to a Jan. 29 primary.
The executive committee of the state party attempted to send a strong message to national party by refusing to craft a plan on how to reduce the delegation from 201 to 93, which is the possible punishment from national party leaders for holding a primary before Feb. 5.
Delegates are chosen based on a precise formula that divides the total among the state’s 25 congressional districts and requires a certain percentage of members from certain races, age groups and sexual orientations based on voter registration numbers. This year, 24 percent of the total must be African Americans; 10 percent gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender; 9 percent Hispanics; 8.5 percent disabled; 8 percent younger than 30; 3 percent veterans; 1 percent Asian/Pacific; and 0.3 percent Native Americans.
Now, if the Democratic National Committee decides to punish the state party, it would be up to the national group to decide which delegates to keep out of the convention.
And a little more from the PBP:
They’re standing behind the early date by refusing to cut their delegates, but they also voted today to ask their leaders in the state legislature to get the early primary changed during the special session in September. To do so, the Republicans in charge of the Senate and House would have to agree. Dems tried a similar move during the annual spring session, asking Republicans to help them avoid a punishment from DNC Chairman Howard Dean. Republicans literally laughed at the request.
There is really no deciding about it...Dean can not override the party rules. There will be a meeting the end of August where it will be discussed....but he has pretty much made his stance clear.
Here is Adam Smith's previous article about the primary dilemma.
"DNC chairman Howard Dean is in a tough spot."DNC chairman Howard Dean is in a tough spot. Unless he ignores the national party's clear rules, there appears to be no leeway for him to waive penalties against Florida. Even if he could make an exception for Florida, he risks provoking Michigan - which has long chafed at giving Iowa and New Hampshire such influence on the nomination - to join Florida in jumping earlier.
It never gets too boring here.
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