Democrats oppose early Florida primary

The Democratic National Committee threatened to strip Florida of all its presidential convention delegates if the state moves the primary ahead.

Democrats oppose early Florida primary The electoral quagmire continues and now the state of Florida's attempt to move their primary to January 29th, a week ahead of the usual February 5th date, is under scrutiny. Florida legislature voted and moved the date and this was the last straw for the Democrats. With South Carolina moving its primary to January 19th and pending legislation in Michigan to move theirs to January 15th, the presidential candidates may see the Iowa caucuses in 2007.

The Democrats decided to take measures and the Democratic National Committee voted Saturday to refuse to seat any Florida Democrat at the Democratic presidential convention in 2008 if the state party did not delay the date of its 2008 primary to meet with the party rules, which forbid all but four states from holding their primaries or caucuses before February 5th.

"I am going to send a message to everybody in Florida that we are going to follow the rules," Donna Brazile, top chair of the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute, said. The DNC gave 30 days to Florida to come up with an alternative to conform to Democratic rules, but state leaders expressed doubt that they would be able to achieve this and that the punishment may be in violation with state or federal laws.

"We will have a presidential primary. There will be a vote on January 29," Karen Thurman, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, was quoted by ABC. Florida Democrats also said they were bound by the vote of the Republican-controlled State Legislature, which set the primary for January 29th. They blame the Republicans in the Sunshine state for outmaneuvering them and attaching the earlier date to a bill of election reforms, which was signed by Republican Gov. Charlie Crist in May.

If this problem sees no resolutions, the Florida vote could be nothing more than an informal straw poll, leading Democrats explained.

Published on 08/26/2007