They Did it to Themselves

Note: I wrote this on the 6th, but just got around to posting it.

Early this morning (5am Mountain) I was awakened from my restful slumber by the racket of some CNN anchor raking DNC Chair Howard Dean over the coals for enforcing rules the state parties passed in regard to their presidential primaries/caucuses for selecting delegates to the convention. What kind of bass ackward world do we live in when someone is getting messed with for enforcing the rules.

Florida and Michigan knew what they were doing. They had been warned, and disagreeing with the primary set up is not an excuse for going freelance. There are rules for a reason, and like it or not, they exist to keep us from starting the 2012 primary next month.

So Florida and Michigan decided to break the rules. That should be what we’re hearing, not Howard Dean is a hard ass. Or Dean doesn’t care about Michigan and Florida, which was essentially what I was hearing from the CNN. Or even more ridiculously, that the DNC should pay for new elections in Florida, even though it was the decision of a Republican controlled state congress, which I heard from FL Gov. Crist.

On the Florida front this has to be one of the most asinine demands ever. Florida can’t go out and have their general whenever the hell they want to, so why would they go out of their way to break the rules of BOTH parties for their primary? Seems to me that the people of Florida should be calling their state representatives out for screwing with the system, rather than blaming Dean for doing his job, enforcing the rules. That’s not something the MSM is interested in though.

This seems like a setup to me. Back in May of last year when Florida moved it’s primary back, they were told of the consequences. So, why is no one talking about Republican delegates getting seated? Are they? Aren’t they? I honestly don’t know, but if they are, one has to think that there are some shenanigans going on with the Republican dominated government of Florida. After 2000, this should be of no surprise to anyone.

Then there’s Michigan. I’m not sure what got up their asses to change their primary, but it didn’t happen until, say, August/September of last year. The measure, approved by the state legde and signed by Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Clinton supporter, is a slap in the face to the rules decided upon by the several states just months before. Those rules made it clear that Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina would go first, then the rest would follow.

Michigan is harder to understand. Why would a Democratic governor put their state’s delegates at risk, when the candidate supported by that governor, is poised to win easily? Makes no sense to me. Hell, in September, Hillary was still way in the lead, both in the polls and with money. What was the motivation? I just don’t get it.

The sad irony of the whole affair is that had Florida and Michigan moved their primaries later into they year, they would have actually achieved the result they were looking for, relevance. Now that the race is close, and everyone seems to be trying to find their ass in a dark closet, Michigan and Florida, and their legislatures, have no one to blame but themselves. That’ll never happen. Seems like a caucus is in order, but until then both states seem ready to make Dean the fall guy for enforcing the rules. Classic. The rules apply until they’re inconvenient, then all bets are off. Just one more reason to federalize the primary system. Ok, now back to my nap.


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