Why don't Hillary and Barack pay for new FL/MI primaries themselves?

[Bolo Boffin]

Split the costs. They could make up the difference in a week's worth of fundraising each. They become the saviors of the Democratic Party by working together, MI and FL get their delegates, and a nasty feud is avoided.

I don't see why the states don't pony up the cash, personally, since they will reap FAR more than that in advertising and other revenues during the campaigning. I completely understand why the national party doesn't do it.

But if the states won't, Barack and Hillary should jump into the middle of this. Hell, one or the other should propose to do it all by themselves.

[OzarkDem]

1. Why not just seat the delegates

and save everyone the expense?

[Bolo Boffin]

6. Because the primaries as they stand now were against the rules. n/t

[PoliticalOne65]

29. Not quite.

The primaries as they stand now are ran exactly how the rules were stated by the DNC. The rules punish states that held their primaries earlier then assigned dates. When the rules were written no one ever thought that they could result in a brokered convention. Now the DNC wants to change the rules while the game is being played. Not a good idea, but if all parties agree to it then alright. I just see litigation in the future over this.

[mculator]

43. Also,

Iowa AND New Hampshire moved up their primaries TOO. Why not strip Obama's Iowa victory and claim the whole thing unfair since he got momentum from it?

[MichiganVote]

30. So was NH but they didn't get sanctioned.

[think4yourself]

7. Ummm...

wow.

[rainbow4321]

15. Because many Dems stayed home..thinking that their vote wasn't going to count

From what one news report said last night, in Florida at least, the Fla Dems had been told that their votes wouldn't count b/c of the state not following DNC's rules so they didn't go out and vote that day as they would have if their vote was going to be counted.

If they are going to count Fla delegates the whole processs needs to be done over with the Dems knowing their votes WILL matter. Seating the current number of delegates would be an inaccurate count.

Is HRC pushing just to have the current delegates seated? If so, probably safe to say that the delegate number is in her favor and she wants it that way...even if it means disenfranchising a bulk of Fla voters who were only going by what they were told back then...no fault of their own.

[Bolo Boffin]

Another good reason. n/t

[QC]

23. That would not benefit the Obamessiah. n/t

[Bolo Boffin]

25. Please stop using divisive rhetoric. n/t

[dcindian]

2. Why don't the people who screwed up pay?

???????????

[Bolo Boffin]

8. I agree, but if they aren't (and Crist the Republican can make sure of that)

then the candidates should take this huge advantage and go for it.

[MonkeyFunk]

And spend $50 million?

You can't think of a better use for that money?

[Bolo Boffin]

11. I could think of a better use for ALL the money spent in a presidential campaign.

And who said it will cost that much? $50 million? Show your math.

But even if it does cost that much, no, in the context of a presidential campaign, splitting the costs of two primaries that would quell a growing storm isn't a bad investment at all.

[wileedog]

32. Florida state party people

estimated a new primary at $20-25M. I assume MI would be similar.

Complete waste of money that should be used against McCain, not in a primary where one candidate already has a virtual lock on the PDs.

And why should they pay for those two states breaking the rules?

[rateyes]

3. The appearance of "buying votes" is not one the candidates want.

[Bolo Boffin]

9. It isn't buying votes if they split the costs. n/t

[rateyes]

12. I was responding to this line:

"Hell, one or the other should propose to do it all by themselves."

[Evergreen Emerald]

4. Clinton has already suggested that--Obama does not want to, because he

is afraid he will lose. He is not interested in democracy. He wants to win.

[Bolo Boffin]

14. Link? n/t

[Evergreen Emerald]

19. It was on CNN this morning.

One of her media consultants said they could each pony-up 15 million just for the revote...have them be mail-ins to avoid the costs of voting boths, etc.

Obama does not want to--of course because it is all politics. I hope MI and FL see what he is doing.

[pbca]

5. Florida is saying there's not enough time

even if they had the money.

[Bolo Boffin]

16. Florida is? Or Crist is? n/t

[pbca]

41. Link

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080308/NEWS/803080384/1146

[Zachstar]

10. You do realize that primaries cost over 20 million each right?

It will cause severe loss and punish them for something neither candidate did.

It is a bad idea!

[Bolo Boffin]

13. It's not punishing them at all if they volunteer.

There is no severe loss. Like I say, they could both make up the difference very quickly.

[Zachstar]

18. Anyway they will not.. It will look at once like they are trying to "Buy" delegates.

[Bolo Boffin]

21. Only to the ignorant.

To me, it will look like they care more about the Democratic Party than their own interests.

[MichiganVote]

28. Need at least a 1000 polling places...got volunteers for that?

[movonne]

17. Why should Obama split the cost??? I don't think they should ...they

broke the rules and that is that...If Florida and Michigan wants this thing then pay for it.. or ask the people if they are ready to have a speial tax for another election then we will see how important this otherwise shut up about it...

[Bolo Boffin]

20. Good PR, that's why.

No one should force him to. That's not what I'm saying.

[40ozDonkey]

22. I have a better suggestion

I'm a Florida Democrat, how about the next time Nelson (D-FL) and Jeremy Ring (D-Broward) make a decision to break the party rules to make themselves feel more "relevant", they do the minimal effort required to ask if THIS IS SOMETHING WE ACTUALLY WANT.

I don't give a rat damn when the primaries are, I don't feel Florida needs "A bigger voice".
I found out that my state's Democratic party broke the rules only AFTER they had done it. Now they want to embarrass Florida again, by putting words in our mouth, again.

Here's my solution: Florida and Michigan broke the rules. When children break the rules, they're punished, despite the consequences.

Can we hold ourselves to the high standard of children, please? FL and MI don't seat delegates this year, and the people who signed a pledge to stay away from those state honor their word. (GASP)

For OUR part, the self-serving jagoffs who started this mess in the first place will be seeking new jobs. Jeremy Ring brought this up in legislation and he brought this problem upon us Floridians. He cut our throats in order to "give us a bigger voice". I live in that idiots district, he'll have a lot to answer for.

This is our mess. Leave us to clean it.

[Bolo Boffin]

24. I certainly respect and affirm your opinion.

I fear you're in the minority in Florida, but if you aren't, Godspeed.

[40ozDonkey]

40. I am

I am in the minority, as are people who think there should be a re-count in Florida.

The vast majority of Floridians don't care about this issue one way or another. They've moved on.

[MichiganVote]

26. Because Michigan doesn't have $ for another primary or caucus

[Bolo Boffin]

27. ...

Oh, I get it.

My main point is, why don't the candidates do it themselves?

[MichiganVote]

31. Because O. is opposed to a new primary in Mi.

[ExtraGriz]

35. transcript/link of possible redo in fla and mi.

Transcript of a possible do-over for the Florida and
Michigan primaries. We’re joined by two top Democratic strategists, CNN
contributor James Carville, who supports Hillary Clinton, and David
Wilhelm, a former Clinton campaign manager who now supports Barack Obama.

its was proposed that each side chip in $15 million to redo fla and mi....below is transcript of that conversation.

http://thepage.time.com/transcript-of-carville-on-cnns-the-situation-room/

[DiverDave]

33. How about the folks who BROKE the rules?

Christ, they KNEW that something like this would happen...they oughta be fired, ate the very least.

[Life Long Dem]

34. For what? To come out with a 3 point win over your opponent?

Besides the voters having their say in this (which needs to happen no matter what), the likely outcome after the millions have been spent will not change the delgate count by much if any at all. So I don't think anyone wants to spend money on that.

[gravity]

36. It is a waste of money

that could be used for better purposes like defeating John McCain.

Neither candidate was responsible for FL and MI's mistake, so they don't need to pay for it.

In this point in the election, FL and MI is not going to sway the nomination one way or another anyways.

[ButterflyBlood]

37. Why not the rule breakers?

The DNC warned them and they went ahead and did it anyway. Only their faults, no one else's.

[backscatter712]

38. MI and FL broke the rules, they're the ones who should get the bill. n/t

[MadBadger]

39. Why should myself and other donors pay for Florida and Michigan's screwups?

[Johnny__Motown]

42. because it will only be about 10% of what is spent on this contest, and will help in the GE

[MadBadger]

45. Go the soft money route. I'm sure they can find some big donors to raise the whole thing.

Oprah will pay for it.

[Johnny__Motown]

44. I think "soft money" is more easily raised by the state's party, but just putting links on their

websites that link to a separate fund for the re-votes may be the way to go

Also that way people who do not wish to fund the re-vote would not have their donation go toward it.

This would also allow people who have already donated the max. to a candidate to help finance the re-votes if they chose to.


The Clinton and Obama campaigns may want to guarantee to split any costs that this separate fund fail to cover. I think that with 90 million raised last month alone we can raise the 30 million to fund the new primaries easily and they will not need to pony up any cash.

[stray cat]

46. Is that what the donations to their campaign were for?

and since when do candidates get to run the voting process and pay the voters directly or indirectly.