What Pledge? Clinton Appears in Florida
Hillary Clinton has decided to rewrite the rules of the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
Like other candidates, she pledged not to campaign in Florida after the state jumped ahead on the schedule of caucuses and primaries set by the Democratic National Committee. She had to make that pledge if she hoped to compete in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses and the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, as Iowa and New Hampshire zealously guard their starting status on the political calendar.
But Iowa and New Hampshire are history and, after a landslide loss in South Carolina on Saturday, Clinton needs a win.
So she is appearing in Florida in anticipation of Tuesday’s Democratic primary there.
“Hundreds of thousands of people have already voted in Florida and I want them to know I will be there to be part of what they have tried to do to make sure their voices are heard,” said Clinton before jetting to Sarasota and Miami for events on Sunday.
The Clinton campaign claims that the senator from New York is abiding by the no-campaigning pledge because Sunday’s two Florida events were technically closed to the public. But the stops were treated as major news events in a state where many Democrats have expressed anger over the absence of the party’s presidential candidates during a period when Florida is overrun by Republican contenders.
The truth of the Clinton strategy was writ large in a memo from top strategist Howard Wolfson, who announced on the day of the campaign’s dismal showing in South Carolina that, “Regardless of today’s outcome, the race quickly shifts to Florida, where hundreds of thousands of Democrats will turn out to vote on Tuesday. Despite efforts by the Obama campaign to ignore Floridians, their voices will be heard loud and clear across the country, as the last state to vote before Super Tuesday on February 5.”
“Efforts by the Obama campaign to ignore Floridians”?
Obama’s just abiding by the pledge. Admittedly, it’s a foolish pledge. None of the campaigns should have taken it, and they all should have agreed to drop it. But in the absence of such an agreement, Obama is not ignoring Floridians. He is remaining true to his word.
Of course, Obama is surging, while Clinton is desperate.
How desperate? She says she’ll be back in Florida Tuesday night, presumably to claim a win like the one she hailed after beating “uncommitted” in a Michigan primary that the other major candidates skipped.
After Michigan and Florida moved up their primaries to dates that were unacceptable to the Democratic National Committee — in hopes of gaining a more meaningful role in the nominating process for big states — the DNC announced that delegates chosen in the rouge primaries would not be seated at this summer’s party convention.
It was always assumed that once a nominee had been identified, he or she would pull rank and reverse the DNC’s decision to exclude delegations from the two states. Michigan and Florida have historically been battleground states in November elections, and no nominee wants to offend a battleground state.
But it was expected that this exercise would play out after the primaries were done.
Clinton is now rejecting that politeness along with the no-campaigning pledge.
“I will try to persuade my delegates to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida,” she declared before arriving in Florida. “Democrats have to win Michigan and have to try to win Florida and I intend to do that. The people of Florida deserve to be represented in the process of picking a candidate for president of the United States.”
That may sound like a high-minded embrace of democracy — or at least realism regarding the fall campaign — but it’s really nothing more than the latest political gambit from a Clinton campaign that is developing a reputation for playing fast and loose with the rules. Having “secured” Michigan, Clinton is now playing her Florida card. If she wins big in the Sunshine state and then succeeds in qualifying delegations from Michigan and Florida for the convention, the senator will get the bulk of the close to 350 delegates from the two states. That’s more than Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina combined will send to the convention.
No wonder Hillary Clinton is laughing all the way to the Florida primary.
Her arrival is Sarasota was timed so that she could be photographed with palm trees behind her. “It is a perfect day here in Florida,” declared a bemused candidate who officially was not campaigning in Florida as she posed for the classic Florida campaign photo.
John Nichols is a co-founder of Free Press and the co-author with Robert W. McChesney of TRAGEDY & FARCE: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy — The New Press.
© 2008 The Nation
What a classic example of a flip-flopper: “I will honor the pledge not to campaign ahead of the vote” to making appearances in front of the media in Sarasota and Miami. This also is a classic example of Republican ideology: cheat by bending (or even breaking) the rules to get votes. Do we need any clearer examples to show that Hillary Clinton should not be POTUS?
Can the DNC seat the Michigan and Florida delegates as uncommitted? What were they thinking? Was this weird tactic an ace in the hole for the Clinton campaign, just in case they needed it? Or are the Clintons just smart, and unprincipled, enough to take advantage of the DNC’s immense and spectacular stupidity?
Another neat trick from the Rove dirtbook. What a classy pair the Clintons are. We sure do want them back.
Obama has broken the no-campaign rule in Florida for weeks running ads on TV and then stating it was a “national buy.” Once again John Nichols plays a standard for Hillary and none for Obama.
As for Florida and Michigan, it’s not about the candidate, it’s about basic fairness and, after November 2000, shame on anyone claiming to be a Democrat who supports stripping Florida of their delegates.
This is why Clinton should never occupy the White House, and why republicans hate her so much.
It will be hard to vote for someone like that over someone who you think is honest, but misguided, like McCain.
people can rightly ask: Why are you voting for a liar over a honest person? I feel like I don’t have a good answer.
Oscar, where did you come from? It is more accurate to label McCain a brownnose. Are you unaware of his history with GW Bush or are you just not paying attention?
kathyodat
This article has nothing to do with telling the truth, or even honoring a pledge. This article is about how screwed up our political system has become. Our political system is being run by professional politicians who have reelection as their primary goal. They didn’t run for office to make America a better country. Politics to them is a way to make money, be famous and be powerful. Over the years the professional politicians have been selling the Constitution to corporate America, thereby destroying the middle class in America. Our political process is no longer controlled by American citizens. It is now controlled by corporate citizens.
Hoa binh
The Florida voters complain they are left out of the process,
Clinton’s team says, they’ll change their position and go down
to Florida. Clinton’s political strategists uses the opportunity
to thumb his nose at their main competition stating, “Obama’s
ignoring the Florida voter, but we aren’t!” He directly addresses
the Florida voters feelings of neglect to Clinton’s advantage.
–And Nichols’ gets all worked up over this one?
Oh, the ethical violations! “She’s a liar. Because she was beat in SC,
she went against her word!”
Commentators grit and groan about the pettiness of the American
political system, yet the example painted above seems like
a big, fat, “And, so what?” What should a candidate do, ignore the public
disappointment from the Florida voter? Are you mad? No, actually,
Nichols isn’t because he argues it was stupid to not work in Florida
in the first place. “But, they promised”, and therefore the other candidates
are honest because of it?
Nichols continues the canard,
Obama is honest.
Clinton is desperate and a liar.
Better watch out. Looks like Nichols’ went and employed the old canard
about desperate, cheating women! They’ll do anything!
OMG. Somebody get be a wife-beater t-shirt. I need to send
one off to Nichols.
.
ps. Good to see some people picked up Obama’s Florida TV ads.
People who are paying attention are finding Clinton to be the kind of candidate that can’t be trusted. I’ve had several “pro Clinton” women tell me recently that they are changing to Obama. When I ask why, they tell me they are seeing a side to Clinton that they don’t like.
I hope the trend continues. We DON’T need 8 more years of Clinton scandals in the White House. And the right already has a file-folder full of leads to follow. And that doesn’t even include where Bill Clinton finds himself in the next 8 years. Can he behave? Will Hillary be trapped in protecting him?
Do we need THAT!
This is another in the long list of issues that demonstate that Bill and Hillary have zero allegiance to the Democratic Party.
If Hillary doesn’t get the nomination you can bet that they will be campaigning for Independent Joe Liebermann against the Democratic Party nominee, just as they did in the 2006 Connecticut Senate race.
since1942 — EXACTLY!!
Open your eyes people…A new day is dawning in America and the time for cynicism is fading. Obama is the future for hope in America. For pride in our country and an inspiration to those throughout the world who have been waiting 8 long years for America to be America again.
Climb on this bandwagon and quit worrying about what someone from the Republican party might think of this. They have got to be surprised and very worried should McCain or Romney find themselves on stage debating Barack.
Keep the faith and spread hope where ever you go…
PS Who out there is still complaining about Iowa going first?
Yes, you are right, McCain is dishonest too, although he looks more honest, and makes a show of it when he takes a unpopular stand.
What’s in a pledge when it might interfere with Hillary being president?
The Clintons have been playing this game for decades now and it appears they are so into it they are just pathologically incapable of telling the truth or keeping their word.
Interesting that so many use the pronoun “they” when referring to Hillary’s campaign. Surely because Bill misses the limelight and Hill senses a family entitlement to the job (like the Bushes).
Oscar at 12:16pm touched on this subject: What about November? The Repubs have an enormous arsenal to throw at the Clintons. Some of the questions I am sure we will hear are “Do you really want to support a liar and a schemer over McCain, an honest man and a genuine American Hero?” or “Do you want Hill playing President while Bill chases White House interns aroung the desk in the Oval Office?”
I’m old enough to remember Richard Nixon very well. Every day the Clintons remind me more and more of “Tricky Dick”
Apropos of that here’s another question about Hillary: Would you buy a used car from that woman?
Dirty business out in the open with no sense of shame is the legacy that Bush and Co. has bequeathed his status quo successor — Hillary Clinton. This is exactly why she is the worst possible choice to lead us into a better future.
Well, I don’t like Hillary, but I gotta say, “You go, girl!” on this one. Because leaders of the state and national Democratic parties got into a pissing contest, millions of Florida Democrats have been disenfranchised. I wish Hillary had acted sooner, and I’d never vote for her in a million years, but she earns my respect on this one. Basic principle of contract law: no one is bound by an illegal contract.
IN RESPONSE TO DOUG.. HILLARY IS A SNAKE, PLAIN AND SIMPLE, SHE KNOWS THAT MOMENTUM IS BUILDING UP FOR OBAMA AND SHE WILL STOP AT ANYTHING TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS, SORRY HILLARY, THAT IS NOT GOING TO WORK.. MY ADMIRATION FOR HILLARY STOPPED ALONG TIME AGO.. SHE IS CERTAINLY NOT A ROLE MODEL FOR ME AND MY TWO DAUGHTERS..SHE OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF HER SELF FOR STOOPING SO LOW.. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED THE CLINTONS ARE HISTORY, TIME TO MOVE ON AND GET OUT OF DODGE.. OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT! GRAN FOR CHANGE IN WISCONSIN
Hillary and Bill want to be president and they will let nothing stand in their way. Do not support her.
Doesn’t anyone remember or care about the disenfranchisement of Floridians due to the criminal striking of names off the rolls? Of the thugs Tom DeLay sent to prevent the recount?
Where were the Democrats then? Especially the DLC or as I like to say the Democrats as Lackeys to Corporations?
Disenfranchisement is just one of the ways the Democrats abandoned their constituent voting base.
Gee, granforchange, you don’t have to shout. I SAID that I wasn’t going to vote for her.
I would never vote for Obama because as far as I’m concerned he’s just a more attractive version of Hillary. The guy has never stuck his neck out on anything. He has no principles other than the principle that because he made one good speech he should be president. He is deathly afraid of expressing an opinion or taking a stand on anything. If he is nominated, he will lose. And that’s too bad, because this election should have been a slam-dunk for the Democrats. They seem to be intent on pissing it away.
Anybody who reads these posts regularly knows that I have been a Kucinich man all the way, and I will now vote for Nader if he runs or McKinney if he doesn’t. All I ever said is that she’s right to campaign in Florida. She, like Obama and the other gutless Democrats (including DK on this one)obeyed some phony “pledge” to aid in the disenfranchisement of Florida voters. The pledge should never have been made. The only pledge that should have been made is a pledge by each candidate that the Florida delegation would be seated at the convention.
Here we go again with the same old crap: The Clintons are an evil, power-hungry couple who would do anything to win! Do you folks work for Fox News, or the Rush Limbaugh Show? I also wonder about John Nichols, Kathryn van den Heuvel, and the rest of THE NATION crew, who long for the days of Jerry Brown. Oh, I forgot losers such as Ralph Nader! God
forbid, Bill Clinton not only dares to disagree with Obama, he also has the gall to support his wife’s presidential campaign!
Obama is used to easy wins. For example, his Senate race, when his first opponent self-destructed and all the GOP could come up with was that buffoon Alan Keyes. Obama and his supporters have a mixture of Clarence Thomas and Jesse Jackson in them — we’ll say what we want, but you dare to disagree and we’ll play the racial martyr card! It’s the same garbage that helped sustain the stories that Hillary was denigrating Martin Luther King, when all she said was: It took an experienced, like-minded president (Lyndon Johnson) to actually convert King’s activism into law. All Bill Clinton said was: Yes, Jesse Jackson Sr won South Carolina in 1988, but that was not the final word on the nomination. I also remember the stink Jackson raised when Michael Dukakis selected Lloyd Bentsen as his running mate, and his supporters cried that Ol’ Jessuh was being
“dissed.” Who’s gonna cry next for Obama — Sister Souljah?
For all of their railing against the mainstream media, so many “progressive” commentators and bloggers today (including THE NATION) seem to be following the same pattern — twist anything the Clintons say into a personal attack on poor innocent Barack. Should we just hand the nomination to him, because it’s “his turn” or his birthright? Sorry, Barack, your record is not that impressive, and there are other candidates — Hillary and John Edwards — who have also earned a fair hearing. (Other good candidates — Richardson, Biden, and Dodd — flamed out early. Is that the Clintons’ fault, too?)
I, for one, do not choose to have my decisions influenced by vacuous talking heads like Gwen Ifill or Tim Russert, bimbos like Ann Coulter or Peggy Noonan, or drunken barflies like Chris Matthews. They are on their knees praying for Obama to win the nomination, so that the Grand Old Putas can kick his self-righteous ass in the fall. And they will, regardless of how much crying he does about “race”!
Oh, for the one who said that Hillary is not a role model for your children — perhaps Jenna and Barbara Bush would be preferable. How about Ann Coulter?
There is a law that limits a president to 2 terms.
If anyone believes Hillary will be her own woman in light of Bill’s arm-twisting of minority/labor/female groups with threats and bribes, needs to have their Pollyanna license revoked!!!!
2 terms of Bill was enough. Some of his policies and lack of action set the stage for the Bushcos.
Please no more Republican-lite Clintons. Can you say NAFTA, the Telecommunications Act of ‘96, East Timor, the genocidal sanctions on Iraq, etc.
Give the girl a break she probably went down there, like most New Yorkers, for a winter break; you know, a little visit to Disneyland, some sightseeing at the Space Center, grab a Cuban coffee in Miami, soak up some sun and party a bit in Key West. You don’t think she will actually campaign there , do you?
l am trying to be a good liberal and support “The Washington Hill-Billies” but the Clinton arrogance is beginning to get the best of me.
The Obama campaign’s response:
“No one is more disappointed that Florida Democrats will have no role in selecting delegates for the nomination of the party’s standard bearer than Senator Obama. When Senator Clinton was campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire, she made it clear that states like Michigan and Florida that wouldn’t produce any delegates, ‘don’t count for anything.’ Now that Senator Clinton’s worried about losing the first Southern primary, she’s using Florida for her own political gain by trying to assign meaning to a contest that awards zero delegates and where no campaigning has occurred. Senator Clinton’s own campaign has repeatedly said that this is a ‘contest for delegates’, and Florida is a contest that offers zero. Whether it is Barack Obama’s record, her position on Social Security, or even the meaning of the Florida Primary, it seems like Hillary Clinton will do or say anything to win an election. When he is the nominee, Barack Obama will campaign vigorously in Florida and Michigan to put them in the Democratic column in 2008.”
Translation: I support your being stripped of your delegates to appease the spoiled voters of Iowa and New Hampshire, but I’m really, really sad about it. After I win the nomination, I’ll be nice enough to come to your state and ask for you to vote for me in the general election. It’s just so generous of me to campaign in two big swing states with 48 electoral votes.
The DNC should be asked to shut this down and put Clinton in her place … period.
Write, e-mail, call — whatever — The DNC did a “dumb” thing disenfrancising these states … as far as I am aware it is NOT within Clinton’s power to “make it so.”
The DNC should shut her “promise” down, offer her a public scolding, even possibly a penalty … I don’t even want to think what’s stopping them.
So fucking what? Welcome to politics.
I am soooooooo sick of this bullshit already. There is one thing I am certain of, that is I shall never be able to put on a pair of flip-flops without wanting to tell someone to STFU! That is one of the most overused, simplistic descriptors I have yet to hear.
This is THE state that decided the 2000 presidential election.
If you ask me… they should ALL be there.
What on earth is the DNC doing???
This reminds me of Hillary’s support for Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut U.S. Senate race, after the Democrats nominated Ned Lamont. Hillary is only loyal to Hillary.
Serves her right that Joe is now campaigning for McCain.
Obama-Boxer is the ticket I’m after now. Yes, it’s time for a woman to take a leadership role. Just not Hillary, please.
Thomas Chacko is my new hero (Dr. Zen is a close second!)