That's called stealing an election: No to Obama's Proposal of 50-50 in Michigan

[Karmadillo]

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/3/14/24433/6116

No to Obama's Proposal of 50-50 in Michigan
By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 07:44:00 AM EST
Tags: Michigan '08 (all tags) Share This:

On January 15, 2008, 594,398 Democrats went to their polling places and voted in their state's primary. The official Michigan election results are here.

328,309 Democrats in Michigan voted for Hillary Clinton. She won all but two counties, Washtenaw and Emmet. 238,168 voted uncommitted. 21,715 voted for Dennis Kucinich. 3,845 voted for Chris Dodd. 2,361 voted for Mike Gravel.

Hillary got 55% of the vote. The uncommitted, who either were truly uncommitted or for Obama, Edwards or Biden, all three of whom voluntarily withdrew their names from the ballot, got 40%. Kucinich, Dodd and Gravel won 5% of the vote.

Barack Obama now proposes he get 50% of the state's delegates. That would be vote-stealing. It would be disenfranchising 5% of Hillary's voters. It would be assuming that every uncommitted voter and every voter for Kucinich, Dodd and Gravel now want their vote to go to Obama.

That's called stealing an election.

Obama prevails in this crazy theory at his peril. There will be hundreds of thousands of Democrats across the country who will refuse to vote for him in November, thinking better a Republican than a cheat.

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[mmonk]

1. That's right. The vote was fair as Hillary said.

:eyes:

[ThatBozGuy]

4. Mr Obama didn't suggest or condone this.....

He has been consistent on message he will follow the rules and direction of the DNC.

This is between the state and the DNC.

[Obamaniac]

2. I consider it disingenuous to the extreme to suggest that Hillary's win in MI was legit

She won so overwhelmingly because:

1) She was the only one campaigning there.

2) Because she was the only name on the ballot.

[earthlover]

5. Hillary agreed in advance that MI and FL did not count.

If an election with one of the major candidates not even on the ballot is considered a real measure of the will of the people...we must be living in Russia.

[pampango]

3. Are you sure this is an Obama proposal?

From "The Page" by Morton Halperin


Details of a possible delegate plan under discussion:

–Michigan’s 156 delegates would be split 50-50 between Clinton and Obama.

–Florida’s existing delegates would be seated at the Denver convention—but with half a vote each. That would give Clinton a net gain of about 19 elected delegates.

– The two states’ superdelegates would then be able to vote in Denver, likely netting Clinton a few more delegates.

The betting: Florida and Michigan delegates, the DNC, and the Clinton campaign would all — some reluctantly– accept this deal.

Then it would be over to you, Barack Obama.

http://thepage.time.com/details-of-a-possible-delegate-plan-under-discussion/
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Halperin doesn't provide a source for where this compromise is coming from, but says that the betting is that it is more acceptable to the Clinton campaign than it is to Obama's.

[catgirl]

6. Obama did not propose this

and they're tied in MI polls. Hillary would make out with this deal, because Obama
will move ahead over time and win MI.

[mohc]

7. No to Clinton's Proposal of Obama getting 0% in Michigan

The biggest difference between your headline and mine, Obama has made no suggestion of a 50/50 split in Michigan, while Clinton certainly has pushed to seat the delegates based on the straw poll Michigan held on January 15.

[Babel_17]

8. The Obama campaign has a case for saying Michigan is off the table,

though I think we somehow need to placate the voters of the state, but I don't think it's right to just award the votes so cavalierly.

Hopefully the Obama campaign is just staking out a negotiating position. Nothing wrong with that though I do hope we can rapidly move to a way that won't leave the voters of Michigan feeling less inclined to vote for our candidate in November.

[skipos]

9. Hillary wants to trick MI voters

1. Tell MI voters that their vote won't go towards delegates. Hillary is cool with it.
2. Have faux primary with mass confusion about write-ins, uncommited, etc.
3. Hillary wants to tell MI voters "SUPRISE! Your vote no goes towards delegates!"

That's called tricking voters. If Hillary is allowed to get away with deceit, there will be hundreds of thousands of Democrats across the country who will refuse to vote for her in November, thinking better a Republican than a cheat.