Superdel Ausman:I'll declare when Dean does

From DNCer Jon Ausman: "DNC Chair Howard Dean has asked all the superdelegates to declare their preferences as soon as possible.  After Howard Dean announces his preference, I will think about making up my mind and announce mine.

"My choice will be based on the following three criteria:  one, which candidate is most likely to get 270 electoral votes and win the Presidency; two, which candidate will help us pick up US Senate seats; and, three, which candidate will help us pick up US Representative seats in the House."

On the jump we're pasting much of Ausman's latest mass e-mail, because he has a good a sense as anybody on what's doing with his challenges to get Fl delegates restored

Greetings,

Four points of interest today:   one, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Rules and Bylaws Committee  (RBC); two, a recent poll in Florida and Michigan of primary voters;  three, the cost per vote in  Pennsylvania; and, four, Dean’s call for the superdelegates to announce their  choice for President.

Rules and Bylaws  Committee

On Monday, 17 March 2008, I filed with the DNC RBC a two part appeal on  behalf of more than twenty Floridians signing notarized affidavits.  The first appeal noted that DNC Charter  states Florida’s USSenator, USRepresentatives and DNC Members  “shall” be delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Committee.  If granted that would give Florida23  delegates.

The second appeal states the required penalty for a timing violation is a  50% reduction in delegates.  This  would give Florida92 more delegates.  A solution here would be either to  reduce the number of delegates but give them a full vote or accept all the  pledged delegates and give them a half vote.

I have spoken with one of the Co-Chairs of the DNC RBC and exchanged  numerous voice mails with the other.   In addition, I have talked with various staff members and with a number  of other informed parties outside the DNC RBC.

The Co-Chairs are, indeed, taking a lot of time in making a  decision.  It has been 39 days since  the appeal has been filed.  The  Co-Chairs, in their reflections, are just one day shy of the forty days Jesus  spent in the desert  - a time of  prayer and temptation -  getting  ready for his ministry.

The Co-Chairs have likely spent the last 39 days praying a clear cut  front-runner would emerge.  I am  sure they have been tempted to let this chalice pass from the lips.

However, it is nearly time to announce a schedule so Floridians can know  whether a legitimate challenge will be heard, or not.  I believe the Co-Chairs want to have  this handled before 29 June 2008 (which is the day the DNC RBC lose jurisdiction  on the question) and perhaps before 3 June 2008 (the day of the last  primary).

I am not critical of the time being taken as I am aware there are a  multitude of issues involved.   Nonetheless, the time to move forward on the appeals is rapidly  approaching.

Poll Results of FloridaVoters

A recent poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling for the  SavetheVoters.org.  This polls  clearly shows that Floridaand Michigan Democrats want their  participation in their respective January primaries to result in the allocation  of their state’s delegates.

The poll was conducted 18-20 April 2008 and included 1,200 Democratic  voters.  Overall it has a margin of  error of +/- 3.1% (4.3% in Michiganand 4.4% in  Florida). 

The following finds are from a Business Wire report.

·          Voters in both states do not support evenly-splitting their  delegates; 82% of Florida Democrats and 77% of Michigan primary voters  support seating delegates on the basis of the early primary results or using a  new primary over an evenly-split delegation. Even among supporters of Barack  Obama (who would benefit from an even split), only 42% favored this option. 

·          A significant majority (58%) of Florida Democrats support seating delegates based  on early primary results; more Michiganprimary voters support this option  than any other individual option.

·          62% of  FloridaDemocratsand 53% of Michigan Democrats support the appeal before the DNC Rules  & Bylaw committee seeking restoration of 50% of Florida's delegation to  be seated on the basis of early primary results. 

·          There is considerable pressure on the DNC to allocate  these state delegations based on the will of the people of these two states.  Over 28% of Democratic voters will vote for Republican John McCain or a third  party candidate in the general presidential election if the DNC does not  allocate delegates on the basis of their votes, an effect that is consistent no  matter whether Hillary Clinton or Obama is the eventual nominee. 

Comments

Interesting...none of his criteria include who he thinks is best qualified to run this country! Liberals are all about political gain. Thanks for proving that Mr. Ausman!

[Zhombre]

Democrat Superdelegates! Faster than a speeding exit poll, more powerful than a political action committee, able to reconcile competing factions in a single compromise! Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's ... a debacle descending on Denver, Colorado.

6:06 What are you a Freaking Moron? Have you been asleep for the past 7+ years? Seriously!

[James]

How about us disinfranchised voters who didn't vote?

We got the message - the votes wouldn't be counted - so I planned a vacation and failed to request the voter registration form (to change from Republican to Democrat) and thus, didn't request the Absentee Ballot.

I'm not alone.

Yes, 7:55...I am in fact a "freaking moron," and have been asleep for the past 7+ years! Thank you for helping me out to realize that you are right!

D-bag!

If you believe in the Constitution then prosecute the gang of criminals in office who tortured and made aggressive war on innocents.

I you want children to obey rule, show them that rulebreakers are punished.

Civil society agrees how to cooperate. Change the rules or follow them.

Don't like Democrat rules, don't run as a Democrat. Break the rules, take your punishment. We could have held Dem. primary one week later and avoided this. Too late to WHINE.

Change your registration to independant and only vote in November for best candidate. Vote for a third party. Or get Democrats to CHANGE THE RULES at the convention ==AFTER our candidate is selected.

Act like grownups. Stop embarrassing our candidates.

Jon Ausman is a CHEAT & IMMORAL

This man goes beyond being your average cheat. He is an emotional sadist for who duplicity in relationships is an ongoing thrill. I was the recipient of continual lies that spanned five years and included his producing a forged divorce decree. His lies led to my sustaining significant injuries (that are still having an impact on my mobility) when I had an accident while at a cabin resort with him, a place I would never have set eyes on had I not been led to believe that he and I were in a monagamus relationship. This compulsive liar even had the gall and audacity to cohabitate with me, and introduce me as his fiancee in the same town he and wife of 25 years live in. In addition he asked me to list him as the sole beneficary on a large life insurance policy. This request was based on the fact that we were to be married a month later. He didn't limit himself to me either, is my understanding that there were at least two others during the time he was involved with me. Steer clear of this cad, he has zero remorse about what he says or does and in all likelihood greatly enjoys the drama he creates for the women he decieves

"Jon Ausman is a CHEAT & IMMORAL"

Oh yeah… and your boys Dubya and Dickey are freaking angels. Good Lord, you minion Republicons would elect Osama Been Forgotten if he had an “R” next to his name.

Has there been a party chairman worse than howard dean?

Has there been a president worse than Doofus Dubya?

[rjm]

"Jon Ausman is a CHEAT & IMMORAL"

Oh yeah… and your boys Dubya and Dickey are freaking angels. Good Lord, you minion Republicons would elect Osama Been Forgotten if he had an “R” next to his name."

Where does the poster state her political affiliation? Where does she say who to vote for? Justifying Ausman's immorality with Bush's incompetence is unreasonable.

[John Donson]

7:37. I don't know that to be true so I'll leave the man alone - personally. But it speaks volumes about the Dem party as a whole. Slick Willie & the Cigars anyone? But here we have a party that has Zero moral guidance. They all want to pass laws to prevent the masses from doing the things they do that are immoral and perverted. Here we have a story about a super delegate who lies, cheats & steals (Alledgedly). This just reinforces my belief that Dems can't be trusted - in any situation.
8:41 Dub & Darth are at least loyal if nothing else. I'd rather put my trust behind somebody that's well-grounded in their personal relationship than having Dems run around with their pants down.

"But it speaks volumes about the Dem party as a whole. Slick Willie & the Cigars anyone? But here we have a party that has Zero moral guidance."

OMFG... can you say Bob Allen, Larry Craig, Cunningham... and any number of closet pervs and criminals in the Republicon Party.

... what a freaking dope

"... Dems run around with their pants down..."

What do you expect them to do when Republican Bob Allen offers them $20.

6:06 As a Democratic activist, I would imagine that Mr. Ausman supports ANY Democrat over a Republican which means he believes either candidates would be better than a Republican alternative.

THAT'S what being a loyal and committed Democrat means. We believe in the principles of the Party. We believe that the country is run better by those principles hence the reason we care about who wins top of the ticket down.

Loyal Republicans feel the same way. That's how it works, buddy.

Does the St. Petersburg Times have a daily Ausman quota?

9:37 - say it isn't so... everyone here has an open mind and votes for the best candidate regardless of party affiliation.

John Donson...what is your moral compass and why would you seek to enforce that on society? The last I heard we are free to do as we please. It's not about morality it's about freedom. Our laws are in place to ensure that. What you do in your private life should be between you, your family, and God (if that's what you believe). The only place for government is to allow for this freedom.

Another note: The Taliban and Al Quaida are being lead my their moral compass as well. They truly believe that they are cleansing the earth of evil (that would be Western Civilization, my friend). If we rule by religion and our morality we are not much more sophisticated.

That's what I don't understand about "social conservatives" as the term is defined currently. Why should we be ruled by what you perceive to be moral? It's a personal matter and we should just be free to worship and live our lives as we please. And free from having others force their views into our lives.

9:45 - Who is "everyone here?"

I was referring to the job of a superdelegate and a Party activist.

It's pretty much a criteria to seek what is best for the Party overall. If you do not believe one Party has better ideas than the other than you should and probably would not a a Party activist or superdelegate.

I think it's preferable to vote for who would run the country best. That was not my point.

9:45 - Sorry, I missed your sarcasm. I misblogged.

[John Donson]

9:49. The govt also gave NAMBLA the right to exist. Does that make it right to have to live with that? Sure both partys have their share of perverts and low-lifes. But here you have Mr. Ausman, a superdelegate, who posts here frequently, having his dirty laundry aired (allegedly). He is personally going to have his hand in deciding who will run. Is that a good moral compass to have running the party? I think not if the allegations are true. His wife can't trust him (going forward if proven) so how can the people? Also, when it comes to exposure, wait until your party decides who will run. Both candidates have a room full of dirty laundry. Believe it or not!

Yeh everybody, listen to Jong D... he knows what he's spewing about. Beside, just look a what the like of McSame and his stepford wife bring to the moral table...

“You can have your Tiger Woods (R-code for n_ger), we’ve got Senator McCain (R-code for old, white, rich, fat, and McSame as Dubya)”

The biggest issue before the Democratic Party is overcoming what a cesspool of insider manipulation it has become. Half votes, double votes, voided votes, party officials given vote independent of voters--it's all a boondoggle, a clown pile of gormless self-interest.

Who can still believe a candidate emerging from the process set up by the Party will have any degree of character. Walk through the stockyards and come out smelling like.....