The Young Turks

Dems:  Strip Florida of convention delegates
National party says delay the presidential primary, or else.

Mark K. Matthews

Washington Bureau

August 26, 2007

WASHINGTON

Top Democrats voted Saturday to strip Florida of its 210 delegates to next summer's presidential-nominating convention unless the state's Jan. 29 primary is delayed by at least a week.

The state party was given 30 days by the Democratic National Committee's rules panel to come up with a plan or Florida delegates would be barred from the Denver gathering.

"What the committee has done is effectively turn [the primary] into a beauty pageant," said Allan Katz, a Tallahassee city commissioner and the only member of the rules committee to vote against sanctioning state Democrats.

The confrontation with the national party was set up earlier this year when the Republican-controlled state Legislature -- anxious to boost Florida's voice in national politics -- voted to move the presidential primary from March. A Democratic Party rule bans most primaries before Feb. 5.

Karen Thurman, head of the state party, said she would confer with Florida officials about the decision but expected it to be a difficult discussion.

"It's emotional, and it should be," she said.

Republicans, who face less drastic sanctions from their party for hosting the early primary, will have little incentive to help the Democrats.

"I don't believe the Legislature is going to consider changing the primary; we're looking forward to Jan. 29," said state Republican Chairman Jim Greer. He also said he was confident he could persuade national GOP officials not to penalize the party's Florida delegates.

One option for Florida Democrats would be to choose their delegates through a state convention or caucus after Feb. 5 -- potentially giving Florida two chances to voice its opinion.

The DNC has encouraged Florida Democrats to hold a caucus, but state officials have refused. They argue turnout would be much lower on a later date and that holding a caucus could hurt the efforts of Democratic allies Jan. 29.

"The caucus continues not to be a realistic option because of the threat of [voter] disenfranchisement," said state-party spokesman Mark Bubriski.

Party rules ban states other than Iowa (Jan. 14), Nevada (Jan. 19), New Hampshire (Jan. 22) and South Carolina (Jan. 29) from holding their 2008 presidential primaries before Feb. 5. The calendar was designed to protect Iowa's and New Hampshire's clout in being first to choose a nominee. Nevada and South Carolina were added to provide racial and economic diversity.

Early decision

If election trends of the past three decades continue, both Democrats and Republicans are likely to choose their candidates long before the 2008 national conventions are held in Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

So while Florida Democrats may lose their delegate votes, they could have a greater influence on the presidential race by showing the early preferences of Florida, a donor-laden swing state with 27 electoral votes.

State Democrats have estimated they could attract upward of 2 million Democratic voters to the polls on primary day, in part because it's the same day of municipal elections and a controversial property-tax referendum.

Traditional Democratic supporters such as firefighters and teachers oppose the referendum, which would increase the homestead exemption, fearing it could reduce revenues and potentially hurt government jobs and services.

"We need turnout to defeat this legislation," said Terrie Brady, one of three Florida speakers Saturday who tried to persuade the rules committee not to levy penalties against the state.

The trio also blamed a Republican statehouse for forcing them to accept the Jan. 29 primary date.

"We are asking you for mercy, not judgment," said Jon Ausman, another Florida Democrat who spoke.

It didn't happen.
(rest of the rambling article)