Seat delegates or get off Nov. ballot?

Another idea that just got mentioned on national news in a Fox News interview with Sen. Nan Rich a few moments ago: Pass a law that says any party that doesn't seat Florida's delegates doesn't get to have their nominee on the ballot in November.

It's not just idle chatter. Rep. David Rivera told the Buzz this afternoon that he has the House election's committee staff researching the idea, and so far he thinks the Legislature could have the legal standing to pass it. Although, House Speaker Marco Rubio said the idea makes him "nervous."

Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller told the Buzz today that while it's not his favorite idea, it may be a lesser bad idea compared to a whole lot of other bad ideas. He added that it may be unconstitutional.

House Minority Leader Dan Gelber called it absurd and "a waste of the ink being used to report it."

Sen. Rich said she had mixed feelings about the idea. “It’s of some concern to me that the Republicans have no problem because their delegates will be seated. I would want to see the bill and see some safeguards in there, because I certainly would not want to end up in the situation where we the Democrats didn’t have a nominee on the ballot."

Comments

That's what passes for news at FOX.

Barry Poulson: Florida needs
Taxpayer Protection Amendment

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/mar/06/barry-poulson-florida-needs-limits-taxation-spendi/

That really is a brilliant idea. If the parties can control the nomination process, the states certainly can control how candidates get on the ballot. Just ask Ralph Nader and Ross Perot.

FOX does news?

Stupid idea, because if it comes push to shove, the democrats will just seat the delegates 50-50 which really doesn't mean a thing.

CNN & NBC does news?

[Rich]

As a Dem I would support this, just seat our delegates and stop trying to kiss New Hampshire and Iowa's buts

Let me guess, Jennifer.

Adam Smith was sitting next to you while watching Fox News?

And thanks for pointing out at least twice that Mr. Gelber has absolutely no response to the "How do we get out of the mess that Republicans made".

Did you ask Adam if it was okay to ask that question?

Actually, I kind of like this idea. As life-long Dem, I've pretty much decided to sit this one out anyway. First time I haven't planned to vote in a national election since 1980.

I can't stand Obama and the thought of having to listen to the right wingnuts AND the sour-grapes obamabots drag Clinton through the wringer for another 8 years makes me ill.

4:20 - How appropriate!

You make me ill, 4:20... you should be smoking dope at this time of day anyway.

Ya, lets not vote at all, great idea! That will fix things!

I'll be voting for war-hero John McCain.

Obama does not have enough experience for the White House.

I respect his service, but I'll not be voting for war-hero John McCain.

He's basically the Bush family's illegitimate child. I think Babs had a hairdresser named McAmnesty.

If the Florida Legislature does not allow the Democratic candidate on the Nov. Ballot. You can bet that there is be a RIOT at the Capitol!

The Democrats have spit away any chance of winning Florida's 27 electoral votes. If they're not on the ballot, then they won't feel compelled to spend any money in Florida in the general election. That means more money for ads in Ohio. Florida's broadcasters are going to hurt from the lost revenue.

It doesn't really matter anyway, since the super-delegates can put in whomever they want to.

6:27 - Thanks. Finally an intelligent comment. Democrats are wasting their time voting in primaries. The super delegates (ie party bosses) control the nominating process. And why does Charlie Crist want to bail out the Democrats from the mess they created?

This is brilliant! Save money, count votes, move on

Democrats ignored Florida. Will someone put up an intelligent response to the question, "Why shouldn't Florida ignore Democrats in November?"

7:13, 6:27 here. It seems that you and I 'get it'. But to answer your question, I don't know why the Governor wants to get involved, especially after they told him to "butt out".
9:15 This is may not be the "intelligent response" you were looking for, but I think Florida should ignore them.

[Shaun]

The democrats did not ignore Fl. Fl ignored the rules. Now everyone is acting like the party just decided to take away the delegates now no reason.

With that said i think the only solution is to split the delegates 50/50 between both of them and call it a day.

Then the Republican would only be able to put half his name on the ballot because Fla Republicans took away half of theirs. John from President!

A bomb dropping pilot who gets shot out of the sky is not a hero he's a target.

McCain is not an option he's a geriatric case. Maybe they cloned Reagan and y'all could reconstitute him in this time of need. Reagan's_clone for president....everybody drink!!!

B.O. will not win the general, H.R.C. (holding nose) is the Demo's only option in November.

[Francis]

Florida breaks the rules everyone (including Florida) first signed off on? Governor C(h)rist now claims his constiuents are disenfranchised by the National Party(ies).... but of course it's *he* who did it! So now they threaten to exclude any candidate from the National Ballot if the delegates to that candidate's convention were not seated? He does not even bother to hide having an ulterior motive!

"If I can disenfranchise them once, I certainly can do it *twice*!!"

This is all so stupid.

Florida holds a primary and more people vote than ever before --- democrats-republicans-independents.

Why not count it?

Why was that not legitimate?

Does anyone believe a mail in ballot will have even higher vote?

Why spend more money?

Is someone alledging that there was fraud or that the vote on the 29th wasn't legitimate?

We had a record vote, count it!

Francis, you are wrong. Florida never signed off to anything. Florida has a RIGHT to schedule it's election any time it wants just like Iowa & New Hampshire. If the DNC & RNC disenfranchise our voters, they will suffer the consequences come November.

Either way, we had a fair election on January 29th.

the FDP broke the rules because they got greedy. No candidates campaigned here, which changes numbers a lot, so the current results can't really be used. Just do the mail-in and move on, and hopefully, the FDP learned their lesson and won't screw their fellow Democracts next time.

Senator Mike Haridopolos' new position at the University of Florida.

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/COLUMNISTS0207/803090336

Don't see any problems in my view.