Patterico's Pontifications

3/10/2008

Democrat: Changing the Rules in the Middle of the Game Would Be Bad

Filed under: 2008 Election,General — Patterico @ 6:03 am



Ah, the irony. Howard Dean on changing the rules in the middle of the game:

Party leaders must find a solution that satisfies both the Clinton and Obama camps. Clinton got the most votes in the Florida and Michigan primaries, but Obama’s name was not on the Michigan ballot, and both candidates agreed not to campaign in either state.

“Everybody, including me and, I think, both candidates, wants to find a way to seat Florida and Michigan,” Dean said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “But it has to be done in such a way that you don’t change the rules in the middle of the game. The only justification for doing that is to beat Republicans in a general election.”

Okay, I made up that last sentence. I was just too amused by the idea of a Democrat pontificating about how you can’t change the rules in the middle of the game in Florida.

The thing that makes all this especially important is that, as I understand it, each candidate has to achieve, not just a majority of delegates, but a specific number. If you take two large states out of the mix, that makes it harder to achieve that specific number without a lopsided margin of unelected superdelegates — something that, conceivably, might not be achievable for either candidate. But figuring out how to re-do votes in these states will be expensive and divisive.

I’m buying a new popcorn maker.

20 Responses to “Democrat: Changing the Rules in the Middle of the Game Would Be Bad”

  1. Howie’s flatulating again. He’s the one who imposed the “death penalty” on Mich and Fla in the first damn place.

    mojo (8096f2)

  2. Reaching that number, absent seating the Michigan or Florida delegates, will require the Superdelegates to break in a manner inconsistent with the current projections. Hilarity ensues.

    JD (75f5c3)

  3. “Sorry guys. Neither of you reached the magic number so McCain is going to have to run unopposed. Can’t break the rules you know.”

    Bwahahaha!!!! I like my popcorn with Tabasco… it’s an acquired taste.

    šŸ™‚

    Stashiu3 (460dc1)

  4. It’s really neat to watch all those folks who kept saying in Florida and Ohio that every vote counts now that the opposite view with Michigan and .. oopps .. Florida.

    Right on schedule, here’s Rev. Al.

    Neo (cba5df)

  5. I wonder what Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) position on this ? Especially given he got to take over Bob “The Torch” Torricelli’s Senate bid with the aid of the NJ Supremes when the election law said otherwise. Sometimes it’s good to have a low profile.

    Neo (cba5df)

  6. A VILLIAN NAMED OF HOWARD DEAN.HE IS REALY REALY MEAN.HE IS NOTHING BUT A ROTTEN SCHMO.I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GO

    krazy kagu (0225b1)

  7. What I’d like to see is the Florida legislature enacting that the winner of the Florida primary will be the candidate on the ballot in the general election. Which it has a perfect right to do under Article II. Popcorn? Deep dish pizza and a sixpack. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I can dream, can’t I?

    nk (5ce644)

  8. I’d like to see a comparison between the disputed Florida votes in 2000 and the total number of Florida primary voters today – just how large is the numerical differential? A few hundred to a few million, I believe.

    And how about some quotes from these same Democratic officials from back then? Al Gore should be pressed for an opinion. Interview those Broward County officials. Post the before and after on YouTube.

    The best part is that they set it up up be this way. How can the Dems run the country if they are not even competent to run an election?

    Amphipolis (fdbc48)

  9. These are the folks I want in charge of the health care of every American..

    Techie (ed20d9)

  10. I seem to remember that Democratics seem to run most elections, and then complain that the system is broken…and fix it, to find new problems…and fix that, to find new problems….only to fix that as well, and find new problems….which leads to more problems that need to be fixed, again, and again, and again, and again….

    reff (bff229)

  11. OT but should give the conservatives a chuckle

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/nyregion/10cnd-spitzer.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

    voiceofreason2 (590c85)

  12. vor2,

    Honestly, don’t they (the media) have anything better to do? I’m no happier about this than any of the other “sex scandals” they report (including President Clinton’s, my objection there is him lying about it under oath… but it should have never gotten that far IMO).

    That said, I didn’t notice it was a NYT link until after I clicked it. I’m really getting tired of disinfecting my keyboard and mouse… just sayin’

    šŸ˜‰

    Stashiu3 (460dc1)

  13. Stashiu3,
    Look on the bright side, I saw it on Huffpo first but realized what reaction that would bring so I went to the NYT link they had. Just trying to watch out for you.

    I agree with your point about Clinton. I read something in *deep breath* Newsweek in which it revealed Newt and Bill were about to ink an agreement on Social Security reform, but then along came Monica and the opportunity was forever lost.

    voiceofreason2 (590c85)

  14. Politicians. The primary mistake was paying them.

    htom (412a17)

  15. I think you’re being unfair to Howard Dean. He and the gang have never advocated changing the rules in the middle of the game, only retroactively changing the rules after the game. Big difference.

    Xrlq (b71926)

  16. I seem to remember that Democratics seem to run most elections, and then complain that the system is brokenā€¦and fix it, to find new problemsā€¦and fix that, to find new problemsā€¦.only to fix that as well, and find new problemsā€¦.which leads to more problems that need to be fixed, again, and again, and again, and againā€¦.

    Isn’t that also the way they run the country when they get the chance?

    Socratease (64f814)

  17. OT: Patterico, I’m surprised you haven’t commented on this piece in the L.A. Times today:

    http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-jenkins10mar10,0,963586.story

    An excerpt:

    “In November, it is possible that a liberal Democratic administration will be elected to replace the long-established conservative Republican leadership. Such a transition has occurred three times in the past 80 years, in 1932, 1960 and 1992. (For various reasons, the defeat of Gerald Ford in 1976 does not fit the model.) In each period, within two to three years, the nation had a frightening upsurge of radical right-wing, paramilitary movements.”

    No mention, of course, is made of the rise of left-wing terrorism, especially in the ’60s. Remember the Weathermen? Bernadine Dohrn and Bill Ayers? You may also recall that Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK’s assassin, was an ardent Communist.

    Cato (d2f1a4)

  18. How can anyone seriously believe that the Democrats can be trusted any longer? My God, they can’t even work together in their own damned party!
    It’s like The Island of Misfit Toys come to life.
    The amazing thing is that Obama may well be their best choice and he has Farrakhan as a supporter.
    yeesh

    paul from fl (47918a)

  19. Nobody wants a Charlie-in-the-box.Ha!

    the struggler (54e67a)

  20. Cato, #17…
    and, don’t forget that Robert was killed by a Palestinian radical!

    Another Drew (8018ee)


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