Sen. Nelson and Rep. Hastings (FL) sue the DNC

[mountain bed]

This is one of the stranger and more disturbing stories to come from Campaign '08 yet:

 

http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/news/deta...?id=284933&

 

I'm having a hard time seeing the DNC's reasoning here. What are they thinking? Good Lord are the Dems already starting to cannibalize themselves (again)?

 

(According to Nelson's & Hastings' allegations) No candidiate (or their staff) allowed to visit Florida?* No radio or TV ads/press conferences? How do they expect to compete?

 

 

* the exception being (of course) fund-raisers (poll tax, anyone?)

[bobbob1313]

Only in Florida...

[Basil II]

Only in Florida...

 

 

 

qUITE HONESTLY..........what the fuck are they thinkin'???????

 

 

-Robert.

[cryptique]

Bear in mind that this is just for the primary, not for the general election. In the end, it probably won't have much effect on who's nominated by the Democrats.

 

The same thing is happening in Michigan.

 

Personally, I side with the DNC on this. I think it's monumentally stupid for all of these states to try to move their primaries up to such early dates. The old primary/caucus calendar wasn't perfect, but it worked, more or less (though I think it skewed everything too early in the year to begin with), and it wasn't until more recently that anyone really complained about it.

 

What will happen now is that the nominees for both parties will be set in stone even earlier than before, and the luster will wear off of both of them that much earlier. Why do we need to have primaries so early in the year if the conventions aren't until, what, August? It's totally retarded.

 

I know these states are trying to increase their visibility and their stake in determining the eventual nominee, but I don't think this is the right way to go about it. The DNC is simply trying to keep states from screwing up the calendar. They told the states what the penalties would be, and the states went ahead anyway. So whose fault is it, really?

[MrRain422]

I can see some good in knowing the nominees so far in advance. It can give voters more time to learn about them.

 

Of course, I know that that won't happen. Instead of policy proposals and policy analysis, we're going to get soundbites and horserace analysis, so it won't work that way at all. But I'm mildly comforted by the idea of it anyway.

[deepseacatfish]

I agree with Cryptique on this one.

 

To me it seems ridiculous how much time/money has been poured into the whole presidential race already...but I guess that's just a product of how eager everybody is to get into the race early. I think the earlier states try to move the primaries the more ridiculously long the election cycle will become, yuck.

 

I think the DNC's stipulations were pretty reasonable, sure the primary system isn't perfect, but it does give states (especially like Iowa) a chance to actually get candidates attention and visits--because election time Florida will be receiving a lot more of the campaigning. It's just a primary, seriously, it's not like anyone is disenfranchising Florida--I think it's just a silly pay-attention-to-me kind of stunt.

 

 

Oh, and the Iowa caucus is on my birthday this next year, so they better have cake and stuff for me else wise I'm not going

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

They're drawing a line in the sand in the ridiculous primary date arms race. Soon we'll be having presidential primaries before the midterm general elections. Eh, the whole thing is stupid. Let's just have a national primary date.

[deepseacatfish]

Let's just have a national primary date.

I think this would work well. Seriously. There's no reason not to.