2008 Woodie Awards
Michigan Dems could break tie
By: Brent McDermott
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Voices
Carl Levin must feel rotten right now.
Architect of Michigan's Jan. 15th primary, Senator Levin's blue print is now a punch line.
In fairness to Levin, his idea wasn't half bad. Republican presidential candidates campaigned hard in Michigan. We saw Huckabee and Romney at the auto show. John McCain even stumped at a funeral home in Traverse City. Unlike the Democrats, Republicans only stripped Michigan of half its delegates, keeping it relevant.
Levin's plan was to "blow up" the system, forcing both parties to hatch a more fair way to select its nominees. For decades, Iowa and New Hampshire voters have wielded a disproportionate power in the nominating process.
Not only does Iowa play kingmaker, they get rich doing it. An estimated $60 million in revenue from caucus-related advertising, lodging, and entertainment, was pumped into Iowa's economy in 2008.
Michigan's primaries in January cost the taxpayers $11 million. Organizing a Democratic caucus would likely cost between $2 and $3 million.
How likely is a Michigan Democratic Caucus? It depends on the tightness of the Clinton-Obama delegate count. If a clear winner emerges, Michigan and Florida's delegates will be forgotten and irrelevant.
Candidates need 2,025 delegates to win the Democratic nomination with 4,049 delegates in play. There are 3,254 "pledged" delegates cemented proportionally after ballots are counted in each district; 795 of the 4,049 delegates are "superdelegates," elected officials and prominent party officials free to vote for whomever they want on Aug. 25 at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
If superdelegates decide the nomination of the Democratic Party, riots will erupt to a fever pitch in Denver. Self-proclaimed "disenfranchised" voters will storm the Pepsi Center, poking one another with Obama pins, and paper-cutting with Clinton placards. Clinton and Obama supporters will rumble in the mountains, pushing each other off chairlifts.
Architect of Michigan's Jan. 15th primary, Senator Levin's blue print is now a punch line.
In fairness to Levin, his idea wasn't half bad. Republican presidential candidates campaigned hard in Michigan. We saw Huckabee and Romney at the auto show. John McCain even stumped at a funeral home in Traverse City. Unlike the Democrats, Republicans only stripped Michigan of half its delegates, keeping it relevant.
Levin's plan was to "blow up" the system, forcing both parties to hatch a more fair way to select its nominees. For decades, Iowa and New Hampshire voters have wielded a disproportionate power in the nominating process.
Not only does Iowa play kingmaker, they get rich doing it. An estimated $60 million in revenue from caucus-related advertising, lodging, and entertainment, was pumped into Iowa's economy in 2008.
Michigan's primaries in January cost the taxpayers $11 million. Organizing a Democratic caucus would likely cost between $2 and $3 million.
How likely is a Michigan Democratic Caucus? It depends on the tightness of the Clinton-Obama delegate count. If a clear winner emerges, Michigan and Florida's delegates will be forgotten and irrelevant.
Candidates need 2,025 delegates to win the Democratic nomination with 4,049 delegates in play. There are 3,254 "pledged" delegates cemented proportionally after ballots are counted in each district; 795 of the 4,049 delegates are "superdelegates," elected officials and prominent party officials free to vote for whomever they want on Aug. 25 at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
If superdelegates decide the nomination of the Democratic Party, riots will erupt to a fever pitch in Denver. Self-proclaimed "disenfranchised" voters will storm the Pepsi Center, poking one another with Obama pins, and paper-cutting with Clinton placards. Clinton and Obama supporters will rumble in the mountains, pushing each other off chairlifts.
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Bias watcher
posted 2/13/08 @ 2:06 PM EST
This columnist is an operative for Barack Obama's campaign. He should not be writing for this newspaper.
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