There is no doubt that part of Hillary's plan to win the nomination involves finding a way to seat the Michigan and Florida delegations. Her campaign put out a 13-point memo today, and here are points 11 and 12:
11. Florida. There is an additional reality that must be considered – the 1.75 million voters in Florida whose votes will not be represented at the Democratic convention. How we handle this swing state will affect our Party’s potential of carrying it in November (Democrats lost Florida in 2004). This is a state where the playing field was level – all of the candidates had their names on the ballot and none campaigned in the state.
12. Michigan. Nearly 600,000 Democrats voted in Michigan, but right now their votes are not being counted. Democrats barely carried Michigan in 2004 (by only 3% -- 51 to 48). If our party refuses to let them participate in the convention, we will provide a political opportunity for the Republicans to win both Florida and Michigan. Recognizing their importance to Democratic success in November, Hillary has called for the delegates of both states to be seated at the convention.
Clearly, it would be unfair to seat these delegates based on the results of the primaries that weren't supposed to count (Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan). On the other hand, let's assume that both these large and important states are truly "Hillary Country." Is it fair to punish Hillary -- and disenfranchise voters -- for decisions made by the state party and the DNC? My bet is there is a "re-vote" before this thing is over ...
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