Just how Democratic is the DNC?

Ok, this is my first blog. I felt absolutely obligated to start my own Blog. I have been watching the Democratic primaries now since they have started, and honestly, i've become sick to my stomach at just how Undemocratic the Democrats have been acting.

First thing's first. Florida and Michigan.
I even took the time to write my congressman on this huge concern. People continue to state (Rules are Rules) etc. etc.. Ok, that's fine, but sometimes the rules need to be reevaluated, possibly changed, and occassionally broken. This is one of those cases, and I will make as clear a point as I can. Florida and Michigan are needed in the upcoming General Election. Everyone knows that. The race thus far between these two outstanding democratic nominee's has unintentionally split the party to the point, i'm not sure the Democrats can win the Presidency even with Florida and Michigan. I do have to say tho, I see alot more Obama supporters backing Clinton than vice versa. Clinton still offers change. She offers change from the Tyranical rule of the oblivious Bush. But on the other side of the fence, I don't see Obama offering Clinton supporters the experience they see in her. I do see McCain offering that experience. Either way, that's not the point, the point is that by Disenfranchising these two states, and taking away their Citizens Privledge of voting for their very own president, you have sealed our fate to lose these two states in a General Election. The only way I see keeping these two states in the General Election is by having the nominee they voted for, as the nominee. If their preference loses, so do the Democrats.

Ways to fix this problem:
#1 Howard Dean and the Bylaws committee come out and say (We were wrong to Disinfranchise the voters. All votes should count. The punishment should not have encroached on the constitutional right of the American Citizens. The punishment should be a unnegotiable date next voting season for these two states to punish their calender move in the 2008 Primary Season). Since being too expensive to run a re-do, the votes should count as they were. In the case of Michigan, give Obama the full 34% or so of uncommitted, (Seeing that Edwards wasn't on the ticket either, Some of those votes will have gone to him, but since he's no longer in the race, Obama should inherit them). It was not against the rules to leave your name on the ballott in Michigan, why the two nominee's felt necessary to disinfranchise that state themselves is questionable in my opinion.

#2 Howard Dean realizes that the Democrats will need these two states in the upcoming General Election, and will help pay for re-do's in these two states. This will ultimately be a good investment due to the fact, I doubt the Democrats will win against McCain without these two swing states, especially if Obama is the nominee, given he hasn't been able to pull a swing state at all during his campaign.

Ways to make the problem worse
#1 50/50 delegate split. This isn't democracy, this is trying to say (Hey, you cried about sitting your delegates, so we're going to sit them, but we still don't care how you voted). This will not make Florida and Michigan happy. They want their voices heard. You could have sat the delegates 50/50 without even holding a vote. But don't forget, these 3million plus voters DID place their vote, and should have a say so on who their pledged delegates sit with.

#2 Allow the rules to stay in effect. DNC prides itself in it's 50 state policy thing.... I guess what they meant to say was their 50 state minus Florida and Michigan plan. Allowing the uncalled for punishment on the american voters to stay is a death sentence for the Democratic Party in November. The voters will not vote in favor of a party that told them their constitutional right to vote didn't matter in the Democratic primaries.

Ok, now that Michigan and Florida are out of the way, let's move on to the next topic of UnDemocratic actions of the DNC... Caucuses.

Let's imagine something. Your 9 year old son is in school, and your 4 year old daughter is playing in the next room. Today is voting day. You get dressed, grab your daughter, and head to the local school to place your vote. You walk in with your daughter, she waves to the registerars, you type in your vote, and you're out in 15 minutes tops. (This is of course best case scenerio). Ah, we all recognize this as a primary. Voting Boothes located throughout the cities for your convenience. You are able to go within a 10 hour or so time frame, spend 15 - 45 minutes (pending on lines), cast your vote, and get on with the rest of your day.

Now let's imagine. You've just picked your 9 year old up from school. You head to McDonalds to get the kids something to eat because you don't have time to cook before you are required to be at the school. You get to the school, and are overwhelmed by the 300 plus people already there. Your son starts playing around and your daughter is getting cranky. You sit in a room stuffed with 300 people for 2 to 3 hours while they judge your voting stance, attempt to sway your opinion, and count off. By this time your daughter is asleep and your son is behaving like a monster due to him being awake 2 hours past his bedtime.
(actually, that story should have been more accurate if I had said she just stayed home due to her babysitter going to caucus, or her babysitter having to stay home because she went to caucus, or left the kids home alone so she could go caucus, any of the above).

Either way, a caucus requires you to be somewhere at a certain time. It's not appealing, the voting is not anonymous, and it takes up way too much time. People are turned off from caucus's and it showed in Texas. The Texas two step was PERFECT!

Hillary Clinton won by 4%, over 100,000 votes. You had to have voted in the primary to vote in the caucus, so it's the same people who already voted.... yet, Obama won the majority (Or so it's predicted) which will ultimately give him more state delegates, altho, Hillary won the popular vote by over 100,000 votes!!... Democracy at it's best i tells ya.

So all in all, in summary for todays blog.... Sit Michigan and Florida, find a punishment that does not encroach on the Constitutional right to vote, and get rid of the 3rd world caucus system.

-Chris