Delegate Games

Recently, CNN's Glenn Beck wrote:

"Democrats aren't happy that delegates from Florida and Michigan won't be seated at the national convention because those states broke clear party rules. Well you know what? Too bad. We don't say that enough anymore. Too bad. You agreed to the rules; you broke them. Now you've got to deal with the consequences." (Read the full article here)

Wow -- he's so right.

Shirking off responsibility and obfuscating the issues are as American as apple pie, and to be honest, part of me is glad that Florida and Michigan seem to have failed in their attempts to pull a fast one on the the other states and territories who have chosen to follow the agreed rules (I encourage you to read my February 15 entry on the issue here). And it's not about disenfranchisement; it's about acountability.

I think that state and/or federal laws that ensure a state's place as the "first in the nation" primary or causus is just plain stupid. I think that states should be able to hold their primary or caucus on any day that they chose (within the said election year), and that no law should interfere with that. But that is not the issue in this case. The issue here is that these states agreed to the rules. They agreed! If they didn't think the system was fair, and they wanted a spot in the calendar that would allow them to have more influence, then they should not have consented in the first place. And the ironic thing is that had Michigan and Florida kept to their initial primary dates, they would now be in a prime position to help decide this Democratic contest that is so close.

So, now that Hillary Clinton can't count on the support of Michigan and Florida, and since she's behind in the number of states won, the number of delegates won, and the straight popular vote, she has to start playing delegate games. This is not new, however. I know that some ignorant people are going to call me a conserative propagandist for quoting Glenn Beck, but since the damage has already been done, let's do it again, because the man can write:

"But no matter what you think should happen, you have to admit that Clinton's idea that we should simply count her "wins" in Florida and Michigan is completely ridiculous. In fact, if you played a rimshot and a laugh track behind her every time she recited that line, people might actually agree to a two-drink minimum to see her speak. How could you possibly count the results from an election when your main opponent wasn't even on the ballot (at least in Michigan)? You can't -- unless you think the rules are simply there for your own amusement."

Hillary Clinton and her surrogates have taken to suggesting that there is no reason for her to get out of the race for two reasons:

First, the delegates won by Barack Obama are in most cases not legally obligated to vote for him. Therefore, they may all chose to jump ship in the end.

And second, because the voters of the 10 remaining contests deserve to have their votes counted, and their voices heard.

I agree with the second part.