[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/03/05/art.fl.univision.gi.jpg caption=" Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama at the University of Miami for a Univision debate in September 2007, Miami, Florida."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Don't silence more than 5.1 million Americans. That's the message coming from Florida and Michigan.
The governors of these two states, Charlie Crist and Jennifer Granholm, have joined together calling on the Democratic and Republican National Committees to seat their delegates. They say it's "intolerable" that the political parties have denied their citizens their votes, especially since Americans have turned out in record numbers to exercise this right.
But Michigan and Florida were penalized for moving up their primaries. Hillary Clinton is claiming victories in both states, despite the fact that Barack Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan and didn't campaign in Florida. She included both states in last night's speech as she rattled off all the "battleground states" she's won so far.
Clinton wants the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be seated at the convention, saying it would be a "mistake for the Democratic Party to punish these two states." Two of Clinton's backers – Terry McAuliffe and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell – are talking about the possibility of a re-vote in Florida and Michigan.
When it comes down to it, these delegates could make a big difference to either Clinton or Barack Obama considering that neither candidate can win enough delegates in the remaining contests without the help of the superdelegates.
Here’s my question to you: What role, if any, should Michigan and Florida play in picking the winner between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Anne from Texas writes:
The only role they should play is to sit home at night and read their copy of "How to Play by the Rules." They knew the rules and chose to ignore them. Letting their votes count now sends a very bad message to children: rules don't matter.
Roger from Florida writes:
Being a Floridian, I find it appalling that some jerks can set a date that impacts the people’s selection for the most important job in the world. The ones who moved our primary dates should pay for it. I also find it insulting to think that my voice does not count. Who are these people to take away my voice?
KB from Iowa writes:
The question should be: "What role, if any, do rules have in determining the Democratic nominee?" Everyone knew the rules going in. If you change them now, knowing full well it will favor one candidate over the other, the answer will be: Rules have no role in this process at all.
Josh writes:
Hillary Clinton agreed to the rules going into this race. Barack Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan. At this point, the best course of action is to award the nomination to whoever has the greater share of delegates.
Flash writes:
Democratic voters in Michigan and Florida deserve the same representation as any other state. They should not be disenfranchised because the DNC is run by short-sighted, whiny boys. If the Democratic Party does not allow the Michigan and Florida delegates to count, every Democrat in both states should vote for McCain in protest.
Ken writes:
We should let the Patriots redo a couple of controversial plays in the Super Bowl while we're at it? The Democratic Party did this to itself. To have a redo or count delegates as they stand punishes those that did play by the rules.