Florida and Michigan Wonks

03/15/2008

Paul Munnis


Even as Democrats work to get this 2008 primary election concluded and they work at negotiating ways to resolve the current crisis with both Michigan and Florida, there are people like me who think Congress needs to come down hard on renegade States.

The list of grief includes hanging chads that caused chaos in the 2000 election; huge voting irregularities in every election since 2000 in both States; the alleged lock-out of black voters in both states; and electronic voting machines that appear to be rigged. These things have cast a pall over our national politics and make it look as though America can't run a fair and honest election. Now here is refusal to play by the rules of our Democratic primary elections. It has to stop someplace and the time is right now.

What to do with such an unruly bunch becomes an interesting meditation.

Some say that we cannot let this behavior continue. Others say the people did not sin but the leadership has. They argue to allow the people to have their Primary and to punish the leaders.

Adding to the issues is the immediacy of a dead-locked presidential race in the Democratic Party.

Michigan Democrats seem to have reached a deal wherein they will hold a privately funded election on June 3rd. We congraulate them for coming to their senses. That leaves the Floridians to deal with.

What to do with them?

Should we boot Florida out of the electoral college until they clean up their act?

Should we kick them out of the Union?

Should we kick them out of the Democratic Party?

Should we replace the Party leaders?

Should we deny them the Party primary but allow them in a general election?

Should we just ignore their behavior?

There is no way that Democrats are going to pay for these states to hold a primary. There is no way that taxpayers are going to pay the price of continued Constitutional violations by states.

Michigan and Florida blacks are hurting financially and they need an opportunity to express themselves and to select a candidate to pull them out of their economic mess. Florida has denied them that opportunity. This is a massive voter fraud in my opinion.

I think the DNC is right to lock them out of the 2008 primaries. Unless they get their act together for the November election then I think that they should not be allowed to vote in that November election either. Their track record of running an honest and fair election is one of nearly a decade of voter fraud.

If we do this then how then will we resolve the deadlock of the Democratic Party presidential primaries? Well maybe Michigan will now tip the balance. If not then I think that the answer is to go down to the Convention wire and then to hold one or more floor ballots. If the results are still a tie then it becomes and open convention. We have had open conventions before and we can survive one again.

As for the November election, I think that Congress should convene a blue ribbon UN panel to examine the voting processes of Florida and if they are not ready for the general election then keep them out of the national process. Let the citizens of Florida let their officials know what they expect of them by way of clean and honest elections.

A lot of speculation is going on in the talking head section of the media these days about whether or not Democrats are self-destructing? The answer to that is that we are not self-destructing we are engaged in a wonderful exercise of voters empowered to control their own future. We should not be afraid to deal with miscreants who abuse our political system nor should we hesitate to punish them for their failure to follow the rules. These rules exist because they are badly needed.

I say: "Shape up or else stay out of the election process."