Michigan's Meaningless Democratic Primary

Hoe many delegates is Michigan worth?

Detroit will vote won't it?

spendius wrote:

Detroit will vote won't it?

Unfortunately yes, there is no literacy requirement to vote.

spendius wrote:

Detroit will vote won't it?

Unfortunately yes, there is no literacy requirement to vote.

"In Detroit, where blacks make up 82 percent of the population, according to 2000 Census figures, more than 93 percent of voters sided with Democrat John Kerry

well that would make sense... up in the northern section you're still waiting for indoor plumbing aren't you?

News from
THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jason Moon
517-371-5410
December 10, 2007

MDP Releases Voter Guide To Help Voters Understand Presidential Primary

LANSING - Today the Michigan Democratic Party released a voter guide to help voters understand the January 15, 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary.

"We want every eligible Democratic voter in Michigan to vote in the January 15, 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary," said MDP Chair Mark Brewer. "This guide gives voters the details of the Primary and all of their voting rights so that every Michigan Democrat can participate in helping choose the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate. The guide is available on our website and we encourage voters to circulate it."

Read the guide on the Internet here>
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Voter Guide On The January 15, 2008
Michigan Democratic Presidential Primary

1. Voters will vote at their regular polling places between 7 A.M. and 8 P.M.

2. Voters can vote by absentee ballot if they meet one of the requirements - out of town, age 60 or older, disability, etc.

3. The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before January 15, 2008 or December 17, 2007.

4. In order to vote at a polling place, a voter must show a photo ID or sign a statement that they do not have a photo ID with them. Absentee voters do not have to produce a photo ID.

5. Voters will be asked whether they want a Democratic or Republican ballot, and a record will be made of which ballot they take.

6. The voter's choice of candidate will be secret as in all public elections.

7. The Democratic ballot will have 6 choices:
Hillary Clinton
Christopher Dodd
Mike Gravel
Dennis Kucinich
Uncommitted
Write-in

8. A vote for "uncommitted" is a vote to send delegates to the Democratic National Convention who are not committed or pledged to any candidate. Those delegates can vote for any candidate they choose at the Convention.

9. Supporters of Joe Biden, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson are urged to vote "uncommitted" instead of writing in their candidates' names because write-in votes for those candidates will not be counted.

Typical scum tactic by ebp. Nothing new.

In fact everything he's ever posted here has kinda floated on the top waiting to be skimmed off.

CQ TODAY
Jan. 11, 2008 - 2:06 p.m.
8 Questions and Answers about the (Confusing) Michigan Primary
By Marie Horrigan, CQ Staff
1. Why did Michigan change its primary date from Feb. 26 to Jan. 15?

Michigan's legislature set the Jan. 15 primary deadline for the same reason any state front-loads its contest: to gain greater influence over the presidential nominating process. When she signed the bill in September that set the Jan. 15 primary, Democratic Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm said Michigan's electorate "deserves a primary process that requires candidates to address the issues they will be held accountable for in the general election."

"The January 15th primary in Michigan accomplishes precisely this goal," she said.

2. What are the consequences of the new primary date?

Both national parties have said that states will be penalized for holding primaries or caucuses before Feb. 5. Democrats made exceptions for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to respect the historical early role of Iowa and New Hampshire and increase the geographical and demographic diversity by adding South Carolina and Nevada; meanwhile, Republicans give a pass to Iowa and Nevada, as their caucuses technically are not binding contests. As a consequence, both of Michigan's delegations have been cut. The Republican National Committee cut Michigan's GOP delegation to the Republican National Convention in half to 30 delegates. The Democratic National Committee stripped Michigan Democrats of their entire 156-person delegation to the Democratic National Convention.

3. Why did Republicans only cut half of their party's delegation, while the Democrats excluded them all?

Different parties, different rules. The Democratic National Committee's rules stipulate that states not in compliance with the Feb. 5 cut-off date ?- like Michigan and Florida, which has scheduled its primary for Jan. 29 ?- will lose their entire delegations to the national convention while RNC rules call for the delegations of violating states (including New Hampshire, Wyoming, Michigan, South Carolina and Florida) to be cut by 50 percent.

4. With no delegates, why should Democrats show up on Tuesday?

The Michigan Democratic Party is banking on the fact that the national party does not want a raucous fight over the credentialing of delegates to distract from the pageantry of the Democratic National Convention. They argue that their entire delegation will be seated in August at the convention in Denver, and that it is important for Democrats to vote in the primary because the delegate allocation will be determined based on the Jan. 15 vote.

5. What voting implications might there be on primary day?

Because the state's primary is open ?- meaning that registered voters can choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot on Tuesday ?- Democrats who fear their vote will not carry weight at the national convention could decide to weigh in on the GOP primary instead. Mark Brewer, Michigan's Democratic Party chair, said Wednesday that the state party calls on Democrats only to vote in their own party's primary. "We've done nothing to encourage cross-over voting. As a matter of fact, we've explicitly discouraged it," he said in news conference. Michigan's senior Democratic senator, Carl Levin , said that although it was a possibility, he did not think Democrats would decide en masse to participate in the GOP primary. "I think there's some reluctance on people who are Democrats to say, ?'Can I have a Republican ballot?'" Levin said.

6. What will happen after the primary, in terms of the impact on the nominations?

Depends on whom you ask. Officially, the Democratic National Committee says Michigan will not have any delegates at the convention, although the state party is expected to appeal to the DNC's Credentialing Committee to seat its delegation. Republicans likewise expect their entire delegation to be seated, even though the national party cut their delegation by 50 percent. Neither state party has come up with an alternate plan if the national party holds firm on their penalties because they feel it is politically untenable for the national parties to cut the delegation of Michigan, which historically has been a swing state in presidential elections.

7. Among Democrats, who needs to win this most and why?

Hillary Rodham Clinton . Democratic primary voters will face a somewhat sparse ballot with the following options to choose from: Clinton, Christopher J. Dodd (who dropped from the race Jan. 3), Mike Gravel , Dennis J. Kucinich , "uncommitted" or write-in. Write-in votes are only counted for registered write-in candidates. None of the well-known Presidential candidates is registered for write-ins. The two other candidates currently ranked among the top three ?- John Edwards and Barack Obama ?- withdrew from the ballot because the primary broke national party rules, while Clinton agreed with the other Democrats not to campaign in the state. The Michigan Democratic Party is encouraging Obama and Edwards supporters to vote "uncommitted," which means Clinton could lose the race despite being the only top-tier candidate on the ballot. If a sufficient number of Edwards and Obama supporters use that option, it could cause a potentially devastating PR problem for the former first lady.

8. Among Republicans, who needs to win this most and why?

Mitt Romney . Republicans face a more standard ballot with nine candidates (including drop-out Sam Brownback ) as well as the "uncommitted" or write-in options, meaning Romney will need to win for more typical reasons. He originally hails from Michigan, though he served as governor of Massachusetts. Romney's father, George Romney, served as Michigan's governor from 1963-1969. "For me, Michigan is personal. I'm going to go to work to help Michigan," Romney said in a Republican debate in Dearborn in October. Heading into the Iowa and New Hampshire contests, Romney had been considered a front-runner; disappointing finishes in both of those races make a win in his home state even more vital.

cjhsa wrote:

Typical scum tactic by ebp. Nothing new.

In fact everything he's ever posted here has kinda floated on the top waiting to be skimmed off.

I bet you it's a tactic supported by every single Republican Romney supporter.