Our Party Blog

Congratulations to JoAnne Favors and honoring the impressions, but we have a Presidential primary happening in this country, and we should be talking about the primary and exercising our influence to insure the voice of the people is heard.

IT IS TIME TO LET THE PROCESS WORK

It is time to let the process work. The Democratic primary process is continuing, and the debate is raging on whether the primary process is hurting Democrats. The Democratic National Committee needs to believe in the process, but most important the DNC must put faith and confidence that each voter is placing in the process-voters on the Democratic side continue to vote in large numbers. More people are registering to vote; people want to participate in the primary process. With all of this going on, all the press can do is talk about whether the fight for the nomination hurts Democrats. From my view, the process is working, and it is helping Democrats. The talking heads and the super delegates need to back off and let the process work.

There are, however, a few things that can be done to ensure the process works:

First, count the votes in Michigan and Florida. After the votes are counted, give each candidate a proportionate share of the delegates. Remember in 2000 millions of votes were never counted, and the voters lost their right to voice their opinions in the presidential election. For the Democratic National Committee not to count the votes in Michigan and Florida is no better than what happened to voters in Florida in 2000. How can the party who fought to have the Florida votes counted in 2000 not count them in 2008?

Second, this primary is good for the party. It is allowing the voters to voice their opinions. The voters are being heard - through the ballot box. It is wonderful to see the process continue because instead of a few party insiders or the news media deciding who the nominee will be, the voters are voicing their opinions. Isn’t it nice not to have a few media “experts” declaring winners and losers—it is time for both the DNC and the news media to let the voters declare the winners and losers.

Third, don't listen to the talking heads-people are voting so what is wrong with that? Keith Oberman just called for Clinton to withdraw from the race. Senator Clinton needs to ignore Oberman, she needs to continue the fight allowing voters to decide whether she is the nominee. Senator Obama needs to ignore his minister, and all of the trash being thrown at him by the media—if people are bitter then he will be the next President of the United States. Obama should fight for every vote, allowing the voters to decide whether he is the nominee. The political analysts should butt out—record numbers are voting and record numbers are registering to vote because they want their voice heard.

Fourth, the super delegates need to calm down and sit on the sidelines. The super delegates then need to listen to the voters because the voters are sending a message about who they want as the next Democratic nominee. If the super delegates ignore the voters, their action will be no better than the actions of the United State Supreme Court when it declared President Bush the winner in 2000. The super delegates need to let Clinton and Obama continue the debate and allow the voters to continue their participation in the process.

Sixth, if the super delegates have to decide who will be the nominee wouldn't it be nice if they counted the popular vote for each candidate and went with the candidate who got the most votes? Choosing the popularly elected candidate as the nominee is a novel idea showing the leaders of the party listen to the voters of this nation.

Seventh, keep it simple stupid. Don’t make this process any more complicated than it has to be.

Eighth, quit panicking. Isn't it nice that the nomination was not decided within the first three months of the year and that people are being allowed to have their voice heard in the ballot box? We decide who the nominee is so quickly, leaving out most of the country from the process. This time, the game has changed. More power to those voting, it is great for Democrats and great for America.

Ninth, if you have to decide who the nominee is before the convention do what Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee suggested-the super delegates should get together and decide what they are going to do before the convention. Remember, it may be best to listen to the voters not to ignore the voters.

Tenth, if all else fails remember we live in a democracy where people elect their leaders. Maybe the primary process should be about Democrats electing their nominee through the popular vote and not about a few political leaders ignoring the vote.