Donuts And Politics

I have to post this because it moved me so much and anyone reading this blog who did not have the chance to watch the speech in its entirety NEEDS TO DO SO. I implore you to do so because it is one of the best speeches I have ever heard and contains real, clear, emotional words from the heart that should ring true to everyone.

From the Detroit News today:

LANSING — A Senate Democratic leader said today “it’s highly unlikely” the Legislature will pass a do-over Democratic presidential primary election bill.

Senate Democratic Floor Leader Buzz Thomas of Detroit, a Barack Obama supporter, said based on discussions in a caucus meeting this morning: “I don’t see the votes being there” to pass legislation calling for a June 3 primary run by the state but funded by private donors.

Thomas said concerns raised include using private money to pay for a public election; overall cost of the primary (about $12 million) and diverting that money from Democratic candidates to pay for the election; and the burden on local clerks to prepare for the election without much lead time.

Asked whether the primary bill is dead, Thomas said: “I’d say it’s very ill. I think it’s highly unlikely the Legislature will mandate this on local clerks.”

Fine by me. You can’t blame Obama for this either, as the Clinton camp is trying to do, you can only blame the leaders of MI who thought they could get away with doing this. Turns out that rules actually do matter. Good for you DNC! Way to stand your ground Howard. As you may have also heard, the Florida re-vote is dead too.

 The reason this is a good end to this situation is because in the next election cycle in 2011-12 (that really sound far off doesn’t it?) when we are trying to revise the entire primary calendar so it actually MAKES SENSE, other states (including NH and Iowa who think they’re God’s anointed primaries) will understand that the final calendar devised by the DNC will be the final word and states who flout the rules WILL in fact lose their delegates and representation. Thus, if it is decided to have other states go first, Iowa and NH can try to move their primaries/caucus to, say, Thanksgiving, but no one will campaign there and no one will really care.