Michigan & Florida

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about how terrible it must be for the Democratic voters in Michigan and Florida to know that their votes are meaningless, essentially. After moving their primaries toward the beginning of the calendar, each state was penalized by the Democratic Party by not allowing their delegates to vote in the Democratic Convention this summer.

That is certainly a form of disenfranchisement! Even though, they are voting in their respective primary, votes will not translate into delegates, which in turn, will not translate into nominating the Party's candidate for president.

All of the Democratic candidates will be on the Florida ballot on Tuesday, however. Hillary Clinton says that the Democratic Party should reinstate these states' delegates to the convention; I agree.

Michigan was a different story, unlike Florida. Out of the Democratic candidates running for president, Hillary was the only major candidate listed on that state's ballot. I believe Florida, however, could have its delegates reinstated, because all of the candidates are represented. Barack Obama, on the other hand, believes the voters of Florida should not be afforded this civil right. (Florida, especially, has always had a troubled record with voting since 2000, which seems to be translating over into this year's campaign, also.)

Yes, these states moved their primaries, but I believe it should be within the purview of each state to determine its own voting calendar. The national parties--Republican or Democratic--should not interfere with this states' right issue. Again, I have called for a nationalized primary date for all the states, at the direction of the United States Congress. Instead of affording so much attention to a few states, why not allow the states to vote on the same day, as in the general election?

Kentucky is currently looking to move its primary to February. It currently is held on the third Tuesday in May, which makes it next to last, and its primary voters apathetic to the whole process.

If we moved every state to the same scheduled primary/caucus day, it would eliminate a lot of the bitterness we have witnessed in the aftermath of the New Hampshire primary, and Iowa and Nevada caucuses.

It makes sense to me! It lets the candidates stand on their records and their views of the issues, and then let the voters decide...together.