When Primaries Collide

It's refreshing to see the Democratic party stepping up to their role as traffic cop in it's primary process.... "DNC Strips Florida of 2008 Delegates."

That's right. The Democratic National Committee makes, and enforces, the party primary rules.... and yesterday they sent a strong message.

The DNC stripped Florida of their nominating presidential delegates because they crashed into line, accelerating their primary date to January 29, creating a bumper-car confusion among the scheduled early primary and caucus states.

Allowed to stand, Florida's maneuver would push New Hampshire to an earlier primary date, and Iowa's first-in-the-nation January caucus would carom forward to either early January or even the December holiday season.

But Florida can still decide to count.... if they want their Democratic delegates reinstated, they have 30 days to reschedule their primary to after February 5.

Making a stand for orderly process, DNC member Garry Shays of California reminded the states, "Rules are rules. California abided by them, and Florida should as well. To ignore them would open the door to chaos."

Michigan is also revving up for a possible early primary run.... "Michigan's legislature is on the verge of approving a January 15 date - a move that would violate the same Democratic rule that Florida faces punishment for breaking. The Michigan Republican State Committee voted yesterday to endorse the new date."

So, will Michigan have two primaries? Will the Democratic party opt to lose their delegates and go with the earlier date?... hopefully not.

Reason tells us that the point of the primary process for presidential elections is to accumulate enough delegates to win the party's nomination. That's why the belligerent statement of Florida's Democratic party chair, Karen Thurman, is so inane , "Whether you get a delegate or don't get a delegate, a vote is a vote.... That is what Floridians are going to say is important."

Oh really? Having no representation in the selection of the Democratic presidential nominee is of no importance? Having the Democratic candidates skip campaigning in the fourth-most-populous state because they don't have any delegates isn't important?

We nominate Karen Thurman for Florida's Election Process Hall of Shame.... joining the 2000 election GOP capo Katherine Harris, and Chad who was hanging around anyway.

Starting Gate Shuffle

It's a strange election season. The horses are trying to line up, but the race promoters keep changing the position of the starting gates.

This coming week, "NH awaits Michigan primary decision," to see if Michigan will elbow out South Carolina and hold its primary on January 15, which would push New Hampshire's to no later than January 8 and Iowa's first starting gate position to early January or the Christmas season.... not a jolly prospect.

While this hokey-pokey is going on, some of the candidate horses have worked themselves into a lather, pawing the ground and running from one gate to another.... sometimes even frantically galloping around the track in false starts.... while others are still in the stables munching on hay while their trainers curry and fuss over them.

Fabled Fred Thompson is just now being saddled up, and race fans are asking, "Is It Too Late for the Late Show?"

So far, bets placed on the horses give Fabled Fred the second-best odds, but many are nervous because he hasn't run in a while.... even left the tracks to play a police horse on TV. Many bettors are worried that he isn't in racing form and will fade long before the wire.

A few of the intrepid race fans are calling encouragement from the stands, but most are still in the parking lot, and, wanting to back the right horse in the most important race of their lifetime.