FLA/MI--The Fourth Solution.

Ok...this is a much debated topic...and a hot button issue for some. I live in New Mexico, so I can approach this a bit more dispassionately...but I do believe it is an important issue, and one that needs to be addressed and rectified. I hope Dean is listening. Because, instead of the near clusterf#@k we have right now, I think there just might be a win/win solution after all.

So the four solutions are:

1. Change nothing. These two states knew the rules, even knew the punishment, and still went ahead with a beauty contest instead of elections.  The candidates didn't campaign, the names weren't on all the ballots, the citizens were told ahead of time their votes wouldn't count. If we remove the punishment now it will be like having a Miss America contest and then giving the winner a Nobel prize in science...you can't have one type of contest and then give a different type of award...

The down-side of this, and why it is one of the unacceptable options, is that we don't want to disenfranchise two states. We love our states and our citizens and we want them to have a say. Voting is insanely important to our society. Instead of discounting and excluding voters, we need to embrace and expand our voting system. At the same time, we can't have rules for 48 states and different rules for 2 states. We don't want to disenfranchise 2 states, but we don't want to alienate the 48 who "played fair".

So, though many want to keep the punishment unchanged, this is not a favorable option. And I say that as a person who prefers Obama over Clinton...so this option should be fine by me as keeping these states off the delegate board helps the person I prefer...It isn't.

2. Remove all punishment and let the votes stand as is. If you read the above you will see why this is also an unacceptable option. Both states knew the punishment. Both states were told they will not get to seat delegates. Both states went ahead anyways. To now seat these delegates would be an insult to the other 48 states, it would be a sham as not all the names were on the ballots and it would be dishonest as many voters correctly thought of this as a beauty contest as opposed to an actual election.

So 1 and 2 should be off the table.

which brings us to...

3. Both states Re-Vote.

This would be far and away the best option...except for the costs. Still I think this would be a great option for both...especially Michigan. You could even ask Dean and Obama and Clinton to either help or completely pay for it. Hell, Dean and Clinton and Obama could do a one day internet fund raiser for this and get the money in a day. And they should as all three will want FLA and MI to feel loved and wanted and part of the system again...and face it, we need at least one of these states in November.

This could easily be a win-win situation...but money could be an issue and it seems the states might not want to re-vote. Still this would be the best solution if free, But because it is not free, solution 3 only ties for the best compromise with the next one, The 4th Solution...

4. This solution is not the best solution in terms of fairness...that would be number three. But it is free and it will seat delegates and bring these states back to the democratic fold. And it won't harm the final delegate count...or probably won't...

In this 4th solution we do this:

Michigan probably should re-vote, and might...and that would be great...

so we start with FLA and come back to MI in a minute.

With Florida, if they don't re-vote, then Dean instead modifies FLA's punishment. The Super-Delegates are stripped (after all, it is the FLA's party insiders and power people who endangered the FLA citizens votes by changing the election date). That is step one.

Two, Dean, like the repubs did, cuts the FLA delegate in half. So instead of 210, there are 105 delegates. Now divide that number by the vote...Clinton get 50% of that 105, Obama gets 33% and Edwards 14%. This is not horribly fair to Obama, but fair enough.

Florida gets a just punishment, while Florida citizens get a say at the convention. Not perfect, but cheap and a win/win for Dean. And Obama's recent wins have made the 20 delegates Clinton gains here in an admitted pseudo-election fairly almost moot. So Florida gets a say, but not "The" say.

As for Michigan...I really hope they re-vote...but the same solution can be "kinda" applied here...Cut the Supers, cut the delegates in half and then give Hilary her 45% and then give the uncommiteds to Obama....

yes, that is why the 4th solution is not as good for Michigan...and why they should, and probably will, re-vote. Still...it is kinda doable...not as doable as FLA's 4th solution, but doable.

No matter what, Dean should, and likely will, wait for one of two things...

Either wait till after all the states vote and then get these two states to re-vote or apply one of the other 3 solutions above. Or he will wait till either Clinton or Obama have enough pledged delegates to be ahead of the other even if he sits a cut in half number of delegates from these two states...

I am 100% positive that he will at minimum apply the same punishment as the repubs did...so, at best, he would seat half the standard number from these states...and if either Clinton or Obama get ahead at the end where this amount can't change the outcome, well then Dean will admit this limited number of delegates in with open arms...and we will have party unity again and all 50 states back in the fold....

which is what we really need come November....

g