It's time for Democrats to stop acting like school children about
Let's try to put this controversy in perspective with a few facts:
1) Democratic Party officials in Florida and Michigan took a gamble and broke the rules. They ought to be grown up enough to accept the consequences and not blame party leaders, who gave them more than fair warning.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
2) It's nonsense to argue that Democratic voters in the two states are being disenfranchised, as Hillary Clinton and leaders of the two states are claiming. Lots of states have always had primaries that didn't matter. How often, for example, have Californians voted long after the nominations were decided? Let's face it, the two states moved up their primaries to increase their influence and the gamble failed. So be it.
3) Clinton is over the top in blaming Barack Obama for this mess -- even describing his position as un-American. Sure, she's desperate for the contests to take place, but she accepted the rules and it's unfair to change positions midstream. She now says the nominee may be seen as "illegitimate" if Florida and Michigan are left out. That raises a question that has not been asked or answered. Would she call herself illegitimate if she wins the nomination without the two states? Hmmm.
4) That said, I agree with my colleague Jon Frandsen, who wrote some time ago that Obama ought to back a revote, given how things have turned out. To do otherwise makes him look like he's afraid of the outcome, which of course he is.
5) The notion that if Michigan and Florida don't get voting delegates, it will hurt Democrats in November is ludicrous. Find me a Democrat who will help elect John McCain because he or she is annoyed over delegate seating and I'll show you a dumb Democrat.
6) Despite all of the above, it shouldn't be that hard to work something out. How about a convention in the two states to elect new delegates? Or splitting the delegations three ways -- one third for Obama, one third for Clinton and one third uncommitted, vetted by neutral party elders to make sure they truly are uncommitted. Or if none of those work, surely someone can come up with a plan that does. If not, seat them but deny them the vote, as the initial rule requires.
-
AI Regulation is Looming: Kiplinger Economic ForecastsEconomic Forecasts Find out what Washington and regulators have planned for artificial intelligence.
-
The Biden Tax Plan: How the Build Back Better Act Could Affect Your Tax BillPolitics Depending on your income, the Build Back Better Act recently passed by the House could boost or cut your future tax bills.
-
Kiplinger's 2020 Election ForecastPolitics For nearly a century, The Kiplinger Letter has forecasted the outcome of presidential elections to keep readers informed of what's coming and what it means for them. Here's our call for 2020.
-
The 2020 Election and Your MoneyPolitics We’ve assessed how the presidential candidates’ stances on financial issues will affect your wallet.
-
5 HEROES Act Provisions with a Good Chance of Becoming LawPolitics The massive federal stimulus bill just passed by the House of Representatives is "dead on arrival" in the Senate. But a few proposals in the bill have enough bipartisan support to eventually become law.
-
Vote by Mail: A State-by-State Guide to Absentee Ballot VotingPolitics With health authorities recommending people continue to social distance, the idea of voting by mail is becoming an increasingly hot topic.
-
9 Ways COVID-19 Will Change the 2020 ElectionsPolitics The 2020 election will be like no other in history, as the COVID-19 pandemic will upend the business of politics as usual.
-
How to Run for Local OfficePolitics If you’ve ever thought that you could do a better job than the elected officials currently in office, here’s how to launch a campaign—and win.
