Showing posts with label Rules Committee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rules Committee. Show all posts

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Hillary Supporters Aren't Happy




Hillary Supporter: “When you tell me that much bad news about someone, I start to panic. Suddenly it's no longer about being a Democrat. It's about being an American. It's about preserving the United States of America.”


Hillary's campaign issued the following statement about the way the Democrats decided to "count every vote" in Michigan:


Today’s results are a victory for the people of Florida who will have a voice in selecting our Party’s nominee and will see its delegates seated at our party’s convention. The decision by the Rules and Bylaws Committee honors the votes that were cast by the people of Florida and allocates the delegates accordingly.

We strongly object to the Committee’s decision to undercut its own rules in seating Michigan’s delegates without reflecting the votes of the people of Michigan.

The Committee awarded to Senator Obama not only the delegates won by Uncommitted, but four of the delegates won by Senator Clinton. This decision violates the bedrock principles of our democracy and our Party.

We reserve the right to challenge this decision before the Credentials Committee and appeal for a fair allocation of Michigan’s delegates that actually reflect the votes as they were cast.


No, Hillary supporters are not happy:





Hillary Supporter: “I’ll probably vote for McCain first. Actually, I’d vote for George Bush over Obama. He’s [Obama] pretty scary and I think he’d ruin our country. So if Hillary doesn’t get in I’m going to have to really consider who I’m going to vote for.”



The New York Times reported that after the agreement was reached by the rules committee, Harold Ickes, one of Hillary's chief advisers, declared that Hillary’s fight may not be over:


“Mrs. Clinton has instructed me to reserve her rights to take this to the credentials committee,” Mr. Ickes said before the final vote, raising the specter of a fight until that committee meets. His words drew cheers from Clinton supporters, including many who yelled, “Denver! Denver! Denver!” — implying that the fight could go all the way to the convention in that city.

Mr. Ickes said the outcome for Michigan was a hijacking of voters’ intent because it assigned delegates to Mr. Obama even though he did not win them as his name was not on the ballot.


No, Hillary Supporters are not happy:

The Way Democrats Count Every Vote

UPDATED WITH VIDEO.

Based on what the Press is reporting, about the Democrats' great compromise to allow the seating of the previously disenfranchised Florida and Michigan delegations, you may believe you understand that the Democrats reached a reasonable and fair compromise giving each Florida and Michigan delegate half a vote.

According to the press reports, the Democrats will allow each vote to count and still punish Florida and Michigan for violating the Party's rules about how soon primaries could be held.

That is what the Democrats did for Florida, but not Michigan.

No, for Michigan the Democrats decided to do a little of their creative counting of every vote.

According to CNN, Hillary managed to "win" the Michigan Primary:

Clinton - 55%
Uncommitted - 40%
Kucinich - 4%
Dodd - 1%
Gravel - 0%

Based upon the votes, Hillary earned 73 delegates and Obama none. Fifty five delegates should be uncommitted.

Instead of agreeing to seat a Michigan delegation based on the actual votes, the Democrats cut a deal to "let every vote count" that "allows" Hillary to have 69 delegates and gives Obama 59 delegates. That's right, even though Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot and therefore no one voted for him, the Democrats are giving him 59 delegates.

Watch Harold Ickes, one of Hillary's chief advisers, explain the undemocratic nature of the way the Democrats creatively counted Michigan votes:



The Rules and Bylaws Committee, 30 elite members of the Democrat Party substituted their judgment for 600,000 Michigan Voters and gave Obama four pledged delegates specifically won by Hillary and 55 delegates the voters said should be uncommitted.

Hillary supporters are not happy.

The Democrats' fuzzy math never ceases to amaze me. The way the Democrats decided to count every vote in Michigan reminds me of the way they tried to count Florida votes in 2000.