(PHOTO CREDIT: AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The Democratic Party is already under pressure from the Clinton campaign to seat the delegates from Florida and Michigan.
Last summer, the party stripped both states of all of their delegates for breaking the rules by moving up the dates of their primaries. At the time, all of the major candidates agreed to boycott the two states.
Fast forward 6 months and 8 consecutive losses for Hillary Clinton, and her campaign now wants the votes in Florida and Michigan to count toward delegates that would help her gain on Barack Obama.
Obama's campaign says this is a blatant attempt by Clinton to ignore the ground rules set last summer, adding that there's not a lot of appetite for this kind of stuff in the country or at the DNC.
Clinton didn't say a word last August when the party punished Florida. When it came to Michigan, Clinton chose to leave her name on the ballot while Obama removed his. She said at the time, "It's clear, this election they're having is not going to count for anything."
But once Clinton won in Michigan, she suddenly changed her tune: Now she's saying, "The people of Michigan and Florida have just as much of a right to have their voices heard as anyone else." I wonder if she would be saying that if Obama had won.
Some Democratic activists are also worried the party is alienating voters in some of the country's biggest battleground states, and some civil rights leaders say it amounts to disenfranchising voters in Florida and Michigan.
One option still out there for both states is to organize party-run elections that would count toward delegates.
Here’s my question to you: What should the Democratic Party do about the Michigan and Florida delegates?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Mercedes from Miami writes:
They should stay home and watch it on television. They shouldn't be given the right to be there if all the delegates were taken away from the Democratic Party in Michigan and Florida. They have to learn for the next election. Sorry, Hillary, fair is fair.
Angelena from Michigan writes:
I'm from Michigan and I think it's crazy to try and count us now. Once I found out our votes would not count and my candidate was not on the ballot, I voted 'uncommitted' as many did.
Harriet from Florida writes:
I am a Florida resident, which as far as I know is still part of the United States. I did not get to vote on whether our primary should be moved up, so why should I be punished?
Janet from St. Cloud, Florida writes:
I am a Florida resident who chose not to vote in the Democratic primary because we were told the votes were not going to count. How many others did the same thing? Therefore it was not a true election. Do it again and have it count.
Joshua from Missouri writes:
Dear Jack, The rules for this game were set last summer. Both candidates agreed to abide by them, and so did the DNC. I think at this late in the game it is both unfair and unethical for Democratic Party to allow these votes to count. Allowing these votes to count will erode a substantial amount of the credibility that the candidates and party have gained through this election.
Bob writes:
It isn't the fault of the voters in Michigan and Florida; their votes should be counted and they should not be disenfranchised. Democracy cannot selectively choose who will be represented because a state wants to make its choice earlier.
Eric writes:
The rules were set, debated on, agreed upon, and now Hillary wants to change them. It shows she is desperate and reflects poorly on the Democratic Party. C'est la vie.