Politics

The (Missing) Campaign to Seat Florida and Michigan

By Matt Cooper

Is the Democratic party really going to refuse to seat the delegations from two huge swing states because they cut in line? At the moment, that's the party's position and, more importantly, it's Barack Obama's position because Hillary Clinton won those states. But if there's anything that runs in the DNA of Democrats in this decade it's that they had the presidency stolen from them in Florida and that every vote should count. If Clinton supporters were smart, they'd start a 527 or two to promote seating Florida and Michigan. That seems to me the best way to give the New York Senator, for whom my spouse works, an edge in delegates without having to rely on superdelegates, those fickle elected officials and party activists. who can't be counted on anyway. The NAACP wants those delegations seated. Last night, Al Sharpton called it a civil rights violation if they were seated. Either way, passions run high. But practically speaking can Clinton win without those delegations being seated? She'd have a greater moral claim on the nomination saying she was fighting for every citizen vote to be heard rather than relying on strong arming superdelegates. I'm amazed that this issue lies in repose. Wouldn't you try to put the Florida congressional delegation and those Jews-for-Buchanan voters on TV every night to argue that banning the delegations is too high a penalty for cutting in line.

Seating these delegations is Clinton's best behind-the-scenes shot.

Full post as published by Portfolio.com: Capital on February 13, 2008 (boomark / email).