Everyone is confusing the media and their opinions with Americans and their opinions. They're not necessarily the same. That happens a lot these days.

          Regardless of which candidate you like, let's face it, the Democratic party is under some uncomfortable scrutiny right now. It's partly due to the Michigan – Florida mess and partly because of this phenomena called the "super delegates".

          In the Florida – Michigan mess, when all is told, that situation comes back to the leaders of those states that tossed the dice and lost. My guess is that Florida and Michigan will get half of their delegates seated, just like it says in the rules.

            A group of hand-selected democrats, the Credentials Committee, will be deciding who gets seated in Florida and Michigan. The question is, which half of these delegates will get seated? If delegates have already revealed their choice of candidates, how will they decide which ones get recognized?

(see below for update)

 

          Does this mean that a select group of elites from the party will be deciding for all of the country's democrats?

          The super delegate issue is just as sticky, if not more.

          Some years ago, the democrats huddled and came up with "super delegates". They say their motivation was to retain the ability to choose a candidate that could beat the republican candidate. Like some kind of monstrous time bomb, their work remained pretty much hidden. Until now.

            Regardless of the motives, with the full light of the sun on it, again it appears that a group of hand selected democrats will be deciding for all democrats who the democratic favorite is.

          Do you even know who your state's super delegates are?

Here's food for thought:

If a regular delegate is a super delegate, do they vote once under each title - meaning one person votes twice? 

 

          If so, is that okay with you?

 

Understandably, the American nose is sniffing the air suspiciously and not liking it much.. People are less content than ever about their political processes. The appearance of the democratic process being hijacked is not alleviating those concerns.

  

          If America really wants to make a better life for future generations, then they need to look long and hard at both the Michigan-Florida mess and the super delegates.  The most important questions in this election aren't about Obama's minister, but about whether or not the democratic process has truly been tampered with.

 

         Half of two state's delegates going unseated, the remaining states delegates not mattering as much as some obscurely proclaimed super delegates. Is this really a hard question?

 

This leaves us with these very easy questions:

 

Will Americans notice or will they just continue looking in the direction the media points?

 

Will Americans care?

 

Will Americans demand a fix?

 

            If you think about it, the fix is an easy one. Put all three candidates on the ballot and let the people (in all states) decide. To avoid splitting the Democrat's votes, make it "winner take all" between Senators Obama and Clinton.

            That may be the only way the party will make it out of the situation relatively unscathed.

          The other punishments for the party could be no democratic convention - (think of the money that would be saved) and (gasp) that Michigan and Florida they keep the voting order that they earned this time – last. Then we'll call it square. Go and sin no more. (right after you get done rewriting those rules with the "unintended" consequences.

Power to the People,

 The Political Stray

UPDATE: The Credentials Committee decided to give each delegate one-half vote in Florida. They divided the Michigan votes, but did so in a manner that's creating some controversy. Apparently the Committee has given Obama four delegates that should have gone to Hillary. More to come...

UPDATE 2: The Political Stray learned a long time ago not to talk when angry. In light of what we have all just witnessed - the successful manipulation of public opinion with very little fact - the control of the democratic party of the who the nominee would be through the so called "super delegates"- the ignoring of public opinion- the dominance and questionable choices by both parties-and the cancelling out of citizen votes......

The Political Stray will remain silent on the elections for the moment. A string of epithets will help no one and it is all that is coming to mind. When calm returns, the subject shall be re-addressed.

Question:

Is it true that we get the government we deserve?

Answer:

I don't know, but I do know that you end up with what you settle for.

Check on the Delegate Counts