florida-map.jpgThe DNC just voted to rap the knuckles of Florida Democrats by stripping all of their 185 delegates to the 2008 convention after they tried to move their primary up to January 29.

Adam B:

Basically, here's what happened: last summer, the DNC approved a plan by which Iowa and New Hampshire remained in January, with Nevada and South Carolina also wedged into the early schedule to ensure that states in the South and West, with larger Black and Latino representation, had significance in the early primary process. (States had the ability to apply to the DNC to lobby for their selection as an early state; Florida did not seek such a move at the time.)

All the other states were told -- and my understanding is that even Florida voted for this -- that no one else got to hold a delegate-selecting primary before February 5. If they did, it would be mandatory and automatic that half their delegates would be eliminated from the Convention, with additional penalties possible including the loss of the entire delegation and -- believe me when I tell you this is pretty serious -- having the state bumped to the back of the Denver hotel selection pool.

Except Florida's legislature wasn't hearing that, and a bipartisan vote led to their attempts to claim a January 29 primary. So now Florida's Democratic leaders have a choice: convince the legislature to move the date altogether; convert the primary from a meaningful delegate allocation process into a "straw poll" or "beauty contest"; or stay put and accept the consequences. (Oh, or sue the DNC. Great.)

As Bowers said at the time Florida made their move:

For a state that already has so much sway over presidential elections, and which has such a horrendous track record of verifiable electoral infrastructure, a decision to leap ahead of virtually all other states in the primary calendar can only be characterized as a power grab in the tradition of Bush, DeLay, and Gingrich. It is also almost certainly an attempt to stick it to Howard Dean of the DNC, whose new primary calendar finally allows minorities such as Latinos, African-Americans and union members to have a say in determining the next president, which is an anathema to Florida's elites who have done everything in their power over the past decade to make sure that those groups are not even allowed to vote. The move is also a huge boon to the frontrunning campaigns of Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, both of whom have tremendous advantages in Florida. If Florida is on January 29th, it will be extremely difficult to see a path for any other candidate as long as Clinton or Giuliani manage to come within a close second in New Hampshire. As I type this, that is a criteria both candidates meet quite easily.

As Lane Hudson noted, this particular power grab was something the DNC had to smack down quickly or it risked becoming irrelevant. Florida now has 30 days to move their primary.

Michigan, I think everybody's lookin' at you.

Update:

"The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee went to great lengths to bring more ethnic, regional and economic diversity to the presidential nominating process.  For several years, this issue was carefully examined and after much thoughtful deliberation, South Carolina and Nevada were added to the early primary window.  These additions were voted on by the entire DNC membership, including Florida ." – Stacie Paxton, DNC Press Secretary