Michigan and Florida Delegates in Play for the Democratic Nomination? Reverend Sharpton says No
This is one time I find I cannot argue with much of what Reverend Sharpton has to say:
I write this letter as a former Democratic candidate for President of the United States and a civil rights leader who has fought his entire life for fairness and justice for all people regardless of the color of their skin. I firmly believe that changing the rules now, and seating delegates from Florida and Michigan at this point would not only violate the Democratic party’s rules of fairness, but also would be a grave injustice.
As former Presidential candidates we both know that, whether we liked them or not, we adhered to the rules set forth by the Democratic party to select its nominee for president. For example, I would have much preferred starting the nominating process with caucuses and primaries in South Carolina and Washington D.C. than Iowa and New Hampshire. Nonetheless, I knew the rules, abide by them, and ultimately accepted the consequences. Changing the rules in the middle of a presidential contest is patently unfair both to the candidates (including Senator Edwards) and to Democratic voters everywhere.
Some have said that not seating delegations from Florida and Michigan disenfranchises Democratic voters — especially African American voters — from those two states. That claim, if true, should have been made many months ago before the decision was made to strip these states of their delegates, and, once the decision was made, it should have been vigorously objected to and contested by those who felt it disenfranchised voters. To raise that claim now smacks of politics in its form most raw and undercuts the moral authority behind such an argument.[emphasis, mine]
If, and understanding the Clinton’s thirst for power, that is a big if, Obama continues on his current path towards the nomination and this is a last ditch effort the hand the prize to the former first couple I would hope there would be much discontent within the party.
Remember those who claimed and still do that President Bush was selected not elected..I hope they remember those words. They could come back to haunt them in their own nominating process.
Written by Sue
