Left Flank

"I just hope the Dems, in shooting themselves in the foot yesterday , didn't shoot their chance of victory over the moon." It's a very depressing ditty.

Kudos to Greg Laden for apportioning the blame for the Democratic party's embarrassing leadership squarely where it belongs: Florida and Michigan Democrats. I guess, unlike the big guys, like the think tank and magazine "bloggers", Greg Laden either has a brain, or didn't get a check in the mail. Anyway, big cohunes to go with that brain, too, because American political parties are, I kid you not, right there next to the Christian deity, if not actually written into the Constitution. And, we all know how no mere mortal wants to shake up the status quo, or screw up their resumes, by tempting the angels!

What should they have done instead? Two things, in my opinion:

1) Punish the Florida and Michigan leadership severely. This kind of bûllšhìt cannot be tolerated. Selfish behavior on the part of these states could have caused the party this election, and it still could. Chop off some heads, then get on with it.

2) Give all of the delegates from Florida and Michigan their votes, but not the votes that came through these bogus elections. The best solution is to do the election again. If that is not possible (and it turned out to be difficult, though not impossible) simply apportion the delegates on the basis of a grass roots straw poll or a formal scientific poll.

Ditch #2! The Democrats have rules, and the heretics flouted them. For #1, how about the rack, or the iron maiden? The Democrats have to use some of their divine powers to stem this insurrection.

Seriously, though, why was it necessary to penalize Florida and Michigan in the first place?

There were good reasons for the DNC to add the states it added to the January primary calendar. In addition to the mostly white populations of Iowa and New Hampshire, labor unions and Hispanics in Nevada and blacks in South Carolina were included among the voters in the first four primaries. Including these states added to the diversity of the process.

The DNC also made a good move in excluding large states in the early contests. Large states are particularly expensive to compete in, and too many of them too early would turn the primary into a fundraising contest. As it was, comparatively underfunded candidates like John Edwards were able to seriously compete in early states and shape the debate.

Most importantly, keeping any other states from jumping in line was essential to keep the primary calendar from collapsing. What was to stop Vermont from deciding in summer 2007 to move their primary to December, and California from one-upping them into November, and New Mexico from giving their governor a boost by holding a surprise primary in mid-October? That kind of chaos wouldn't allow voters in the early states to seriously consider their vote.

This is wholly more convincing than Instapundit's fascination with eliminating messy electoral technicalities by limiting democracy altogether.

Surrounded by such wisdom, I have to wonder: why is the DNC (and mainstream media and "bloggers) so corrupt (?), spineless, and stupid?

Image via Wikipedia

TNR at least understands the deeper frustration this flawed 2008 primary season has created: a «promise unfulfilled».

There's no question that the situation is a tricky one: The contests the states held in January cannot be allowed to count--rules are rules--and the prospect of holding new primaries or caucuses has dimmed as a result of financial and logistical challenges. And even Hillary Clinton, who once passionately spoke of these states, doesn't mention them anymore. The party brain trust is praying that the nomination is decided by the remaining ten primaries, so that the two states' delegations can be seated without incident at the convention in Denver.

The only problem is that one in ten Americans is either a Floridian or a Michigander, and they are being disenfranchised. One would hope that this would be cause for distress, but most Democrats seem to be greeting the news with a yawn. At this point, almost everybody cares more about settling on a candidate than about ensuring that the nominating process is fair.

I'm really pleased Pennsylvania and Indiana is soaking in publicity and campaign cash, and that voters there can make a difference. I just don't see why it can't be like this every four years. Every demographic group, every individual should be part of the process, not occasional bit player, if something bad happens.

The most lasting impression I have gotten from this primary debacle is, that both the GOP and Democratic parties believe that they are as much a part of the government as Congress or some White House staffer. They're not. Both parties are, and should be, replaceable. They have no constitutional status, but now the Democratic party is blithely disenfranchising voters. This, along with partisan gerrymandering, is an egregious usurpation of political power.

It's time to take a wrecking ball to the current unfair duopoly, and build a fairer electoral system.