FLA DEMS: Heeeeelppp!!!

Pleading with the presidential candidates to take a serious look at their plan to salvage Florida’s Democratic primary, the state party leaders proposed a new vote-by-mail primary overseen by an independent commission. But with Hillary Clinton on Wednesday insisting that only a full-scale statewide primary could make up up for not counting the Jan. 29 vote, and Barack Obama hostile to any mail plan, their proposal appeared to be on life support.

The stakes? Nothing less than Democrats winning or losing Florida in November, said state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman "Fingers have been pointed in every direction, but how we arrived at this breaking point is irrelevant,’’ she wrote Obama, Clinton, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and top Democratic leaders in Florida. "The stark reality is that all Democrats lose if this is not resolved immediately...Because of the unprecedented nature of the national race, a situation that previously was a relatively minor, party-insider issue now has the potential to result in irreparable damage for years to come"

Story here.

Comments

[politicalspectator]

Hmmm, where to begin? Oh yeah, try dumping your ineffective leadership in the FDP. Start from the top and work down.

Where's a prostitution ring in Florida when you need one? Sheesh...New York has all the luck.

The potential for screw ups in a mail ballot, hastily constructed and never before held in Florida is monumental.. How could anyone think this is prudent?

[Jon M. Ausman, Member, DNC, Florida]

Honorable Karen Thurman, FDP Chair,

Thank you very much for the Vote-by-Mail (VBM) proposal submitted by the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) on 12 March 2008.

The expenditure of $8 to $10 million to run a VBM is amazing. These funds would be better spent in October and November attempting to change the failed policies of President Bush and the Republicans.

The State of Oregon has had twenty (20) years to perfect its VBM procedures. VBM was not mandated in Oregon until the year 2000.

While the FDP is proposing to set up a process in weeks to cover more than 4 million Democrats in Florida, Oregon has only 1.9 million voters in total.

It is very unlikely that the VBM participants will outnumber the voters in the 29 January 2008 primary. This will create a legitimacy issue and likely result in two (2) delegations challenging each other before the 2008 Convention Credentials Committee. Y

You can imagine the chaos created by such particularly when the delegates selected based on the 29 January 2008 primary date extensively take your quotes saying "every vote will count" and "the DNC will seat our delegates after the February 5th primary."

The State of Oregon has a more homogenous population than Florida. Priscilla L. Southwell in her paper entitled "Five Years later: A Re-Assessment of Oregon's Vote by Mail Electoral Process" concluded that most Oregonians were satisfied with vote by mail.

However, Dr. Southwell, also found that overall 4.1% of the voters stated they were less likely to vote by mail. The number was more than double for age 18-25 (9.8%), unemployed (10.5%), conservatives (8.9%), and, $71,000 to $100,000 income groups (9.0%).

Groups with a near or above 50% less likely to vote rate include age 39-52 (6.6%), non-white (6.8%) and less than $18,000 (6.8%).

Other studies have indicated that minority group participation per 100,000 is not as great as white participation per 100,000.

The willingness to spend $10 million for 211 delegates comes out to $47,393 per delegate. I would rather have the money spent on Senate Legislative seats that will be voting on the 2012 redistricting.

While I appreciate the willingness to turn elections over to private companies I much prefer having the government run the election because of the Sunshine Laws of Florida. People First, just to name one privitazation of a public function, has been a disaster for years.

The advantage of being in the Sunshine is it allows a transparency to the process. Private companies do not do so. In light of the Florida Democratic Party's desire to keep almost all documents hidden out of the public view (i.e., contact numbers for elected delegates, budget documents, previous campaign plans from years gone by, etc) I am concerned.

Even when requests for information are made under the FDP Charter information by the FDP is not provided.

The document you sent out states "the Party will coordinate with the Secretary of State to verify signatures if deemed necessary." This is a very alarming statement as it clearly implies signature verification is not part of the plan.

The document also indicates 10% of the voters who have moved and not changed their voter registration addresss will likely be disenfranchised. While the plan will make some effort to deal with these voters I am not comfortable enough effort will be made.

Will the companies hired by the FDP be union companies or not?

Will overseas military ballots be given the time necessary to have the ballots returned as required by the Federal Court Order or will we say they do not have the time necessary?

I applaud the effort to come up with a strategy to deal with the inability to successfully negotiate with the Democratic National Committee. However, I am very concerned about what I perceive as a hasty move done without widespread communication among party officers and stakeholders.

I support the nine Democratic Congressional Members of the United States House of Representatives in opposing this effort.

By the way, what are you planning to say to the delegates and alternates already selected at the Congressional District level?

With respect, I am,

Jon M. Ausman, Member
Democratic National Committee
Florida

Who in the world is running the ship over there?

You all have made great strides. The state house win recently is very promising, and you have great chances to make gains in the legislature and congress. But you need to get your eye back on the ball.

Please, please, please just stop this madness.

SCRAP THE MAIL-IN BALLOT.
WE ALREADY HAD AN ELECTION!

Dear Democratic Leadership,

I find unfathomable at this point that we are willing to spend 12 million dollars on a vote by mail election which will have an abysmally low turnout, instead of taking that money and increasing turnout for the November elections.

With the need to protect what we have gained in Tallahassee and Washington D.C., while also targeting new seats in both capitals, it seems foolhardy to fatigue our donors for this. Our priority as the Florida Democratic Party is to strengthen the state through our representatives in the House and Senate, because they represent us in a much more personal fashion that does the person sitting in the White House, last I checked I do not recall a President doing anything about juvenile boot camps or creating a CAT fund. No those works came through former Senator Rod Smith and Congressman Klein and Mahoney. If you think about it, those are three politicians who won seats that were Republican strong holds.

History has shown that to achieve real change we must embolden our activists and control the legislature. Now is not the time to exhaust our donors, our activists, and voters. We can not allow the Republicans a monopoly on fundraising for the November General Election. We can not concede any ground from here to November, it would be irresponsible, and put us in a grave handicap against an already better funded opponent.

This monopoly however is more than just financial, by focusing on this election, we also give the Republicans an advantage in framing the issues, so that we are forced to respond to their attacks and issues, instead of initiating them.

I urge the leadership to do the right thing, and not give the Republicans back the hard fought gains we have made in the last two years. We must work to win elections in November, not hold a false election in May.

Democratically yours,

Alex Acosta

The penalty for an early vote was 50% of the delegates lost, they should settle for that and be done. Florida will get their vote counted and the DNC will have its overbite adjusted, there is no other option. Dean was wrong in removing all the delegates, it's time he admitted his mistake. The FDC was wrong in agreeing to buck the system.

When the election is over we can remove the offenders, establish a new primary strategy in time for the next election.

There are not winners here and as soon as we can throw the DNC bums out the sooner the voters in Florida will feel some sense of justice.

Thank you! In a year where I expected my party to get hammered at the polls, I am very pleased to see the Democrats doing all they can to level the playing field.

4:07 It was the Republican party that took away 50% of the Florida's Republican delegates.

The Democrats took away all of the delegegate. All so the the tiny backward states of Iowa, New Hampshire could go first. Oh, those states are really going to gauge the pulse of America.

Actually I think this was a ploy by the Republicans in the State Legislature to have an advantage in Nov. It smells like Karl "porky pig" Rove to me. They tacked the earlier primary date into the paper trail bill, knowing that we would all (both parties) be punished. However, also knowing the Dems would be punished by much worse.

I say lets have an independent investigation of this entire episode form start to finish.

6:58 your party is still goint to get hammered at the polls!

I thought Charlie said that the state that can't pay its teachers adequately would foot the bill for another primary.

7:16 -

Your argument is idiotic...it was a democrat who sponsored the bill and a majority of democrats voted for it, agreeing that Florida should have more clout in the primary season by moving the primary.

I'm sure Karl Rove would love to take credit for the disaster that is the democrat party these days, but it lays squarely on the party's shoulders.

8:43 You mean Rove could potentially take credit for destroying BOTH parties???

[FLA DEM]

Go Awaaaaaay!!!

Why this discussion is even taking place is amazing. It's done - get over it. Our founding fathers are probably turning over in their graves. Florida is a disaster and likelihood of them being able to pull off anything of this magnitude - even with a 20 year learning curve! - would be highly unlikely. We voted on the 29th of January per OUR LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR'S DECISION. That's it. It's done. Let the democrats work it out at their convention.

8:47 -

The Florida Republican primary is now irrelevant, as the nominee has already been chosen. So how exactly does the democrat party fiasco destroy the Republican party?

HAH! I don't even read The Onion anymore - I just come read about the democrats on the buzz and i get my humor for the day

7:16 This Bill was sponsored by Charlie Justice. IT WAS THE BILL MANDATING A PAPER TRAIL FOR ALL VOTING MACHINES! The early primary date was added into at the last minute, with little or no debate!

It’s over; let it go for God’s sake. The citizens/voters of Florida did not call for an early primary. The self-serving politicians and Party politicos caused this mess. Where was Hillary when it was being discussed, where was Chuck when it was being discussed, why did Chuck sign it into law if he was so concerned about Floriduuh voters?

Chuck Crist new what it meant, new what he was doing when he signed it into law, and has no right to open his effeminate, self-serving, pie hole about it. Chuck’s hypocrisy is astounding, and his thirst for the spotlight in near psychotic. And you Demosquids have Howeird Dunce and Karupt Thermaflu in charge…. what’d you expect?

Florida has some of the most self-indulgent, non-representative, back-woods, backassward, morons in politics this Country has ever seen. Screw you; Florida… you had your shot and you pinheads blew it. Now, shut you food traps and wait until November like the rest of us!

…nuff said.

9:29 you forget you are talking to the willfully ignorant GOP here. They already know the truth; they are just trying to see how much hype and spin they can sell. Trying to salvage a lost cause in my opinion.

General Rush: Operation Chaos is right on schedule! Ha ha ha...

9:08 On the national level. Thanks to the Rove inspired Bush strategy, the best your party can hope for is the election of a closet DEM. Of course my remark was sarcastic; the DEMs are not destroyed by this transparent attempt by the GOP to fan the delegate issue into a fiasco. It was a stupid decision by both parties, and makes both look equally selfish and grasping. It give politics a bad name but it is a bi-partisan stench.

The KEY part to note in the Ausman letter is this:

"It is very unlikely that the VBM participants will outnumber the voters in the 29 January 2008 primary. This will create a legitimacy issue and likely result in two (2) delegations challenging each other before the 2008 Convention Credentials Committee."

10:07 - you actually read that whole thing?

Mr. Ausman: please pursue your contrarian ways. I'm sure the Re-pig-licans will be squealing with delight over us destroying each other.

10:40 - it's a matter of when and not if the dems would eat each other up - dems have so succesfully wedged individuals into groups that it was a matter of time before those groups turned on each other

What was the last election that Ausman actually won? Ed Helm? No that was a loss. Dennis Kucinich? Nope again. Why does he even have a voice?

New rules: help the party win elections and raise money and your voice matters. lose them and don't, and it doesn't.

Ausman can cross dress better than anyone in a Julie Newmar movie.

10:40 DEMs groups may have their own pet projects that they pursue independantly of one another, but it's in the GOP where you find divisions into groups with conflicting agendas. Hence the development of a party with candidates who lie out of both sides of their faces and which supports a well-funded spin machine to try to keep everyone in line.

Speaking of which, I wonder how Marco Rubio is going to react to those five illegal alien Cuban soccer players when they show up on his doorstep in Miami? Will he support amnesty for them?

If this were happening in a Third World country, we'd be screaming bloody murder and saying that the election wasn't legitimate. This is absolutely absurd! Maybe Castro was right in 2000, maybe we need Cuban and international election monitors to get things right in Flori-duh.

Let's see. In January they said my vote didn't count. The candidates (would be leaders) said they were just following the rules and so they shunned me, slipping into the state to collect checks but avoiding little voters like me.

And now a second vote to replace the one they voided is supposed to heal the wounds and make me happy to vote for these morons?

I'm sorry. I took it personal when you said my vote didn't count. Why don't you muster-up all your rules to get them in line to vote for you in November.

Maybe, what ought to learn is that every vote should always be counted in every American election and then maybe you wouldn't have to come to voters looking like you don't give a d@#$ about democracy and care only about your own personal self-promotion.

The Florida members of the DNC should have walked out when their neighbors were disenfranchised. Instead, some voted for it.

The Florida Democratic Party should have kicked-out the DNC members who voted to disenfranchise their neighbors the moment they came back to the state. Instead, they include them as members in good standing even today.

Florida Democrats should have withheld contributions to candidates who shunned Florida voters, but instead they pandered for influence by writing big checks even as the candidates skulked into and out of state so they wouldn't have the unpleasant experience of dealing with disenfranchised little guys.

The candidates should have stood up and said, "Hey, the party of civil rights can't go around voiding votes by the millions. This is America for God's sake!" But, of course, they didn't.

When you wander through life without values (in this case democratic values would be relevant), you often get lost in the woods of choice. If you find yourself turned upside down and inside out, maybe you should go back to basics and believe in something for a change--something simple and basic like that votes should be counted every time, not only when it is convenient for some big shot.

9:29/9:55

you forget the entire change the primary date process began with the filing of a bill by one Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Miami

and that the final vote on the omnibus bill included unanimous support by Democrats in both Chambers.

now, who is being willfully ignorant?!

12:28

under federal law, if they show up on his doorstep, they are automatically granted amnesty.

I notice that Jon M. Ausman, a self described member of the DNC, posted above a remark expressing concern for "stakeholders" in the Florida Democratic Party.

Would these "stakeholders" be different than say...Democratic "voters?"

How do you get to be a "stakeholder" as opposed to just a normal ordinary Democratic voter? Do you have to buy in? If so, how much earns you the status of stakeholder? Is the buy-rate tied to some secret market that ordinary Democrats aren't aware of because they just don't have the bucks to participate in the auction?

Since his single vote obviously doesn't-- in and of itself, qualify a Democratic voter as an exulted stakeholder and many Democrats can't pay the admission fee for stakeholder status, what besides money could qualify one as a stakeholder? Time? What if he works two jobs to put his kids through college? Is there a progressive scale so that people with more kids can contribute less time than those with fewer kids? Who's managing all this--who is the gatekeeper for the stakeholders?

Can having the right friends qualify one as a "stakeholder?" What if one doesn't hang-out with the powerful and important? What if your friends come from where you work and live and you happen to be a blue collar type? I guess then you can be a Democrat, but not a "stakeholder" in the Democratic Party.

I'm beginning to understand why it makes sense for votes to be voided by the million, for voters in different parts of the same state to have their votes counted differently--as was done in Texas recently, and why "super" somethings should have a say independent of voters.

I'm beginning to understand that the Democratic Party is anything but democratic.

I'm going to go sit on my hands because I sure can't expect change from people who think like that.