Let Florida and Michigan Vote

Two things seem very clear to me. The first is that the Democratic Party can’t justifiably seat the delegates from the prior Florida and Michigan contests. The other is that it’s fundamentally unfair to exclude voters from any state from having a voice in their own party’s nominating process.

Seating the current batch from these states goes against the agreement made by the Democratic National Committee with various presidential campaigns. Because of this agreement, Clinton was the only major name on the Michigan ballot. Obama and Edwards, honorably, had their names removed. (Which alone should be enough of a reason not to seat Michigan’s delegates.) The decision against Florida came too late to have the names removed from the ballot. So the candidates made an agreement not to campaign there, which was generally adhered to.

It’s important to be aware that both the Florida and Michigan Democratic parties knew that if they moved their primary dates up, they’d be sanctioned by the national party. They knew this in advance and they did it anyway. We can’t seat their delegates now, since their game was already ruled a scrimmage. You can’t make it a real game just because the candidate you favor won. That’s called cheating.

The only fair thing to do is allow the Democrats to re-vote in March. Let’s hold a real election in Florida and Michigan, one that counts. We owe those voters a chance to see the candidates, watch the commercials, and be part of the debate that our party is having all over the country. So, Clinton and Obama — head to Florida and Michigan and let’s have a real election.