May 21 2008
Obama & Clinton - End Florida Boycott
Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be appearing in Florida on Wednesday, the first appearence in the state since last fall.
Obama is seeking to mend fences in a key general election state snubbed by the Democratic National Committee. Clinton is continuing her push to have the state’s primary count and its delegates seated at the party’s national convention in Denver in August.
“My campaign is actively working with the Clinton campaign, the Florida Democratic Party and the DNC, which is responsible for setting and enforcing these rules, to reach an agreement that will give Floridians a voice at the convention,” Obama told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Obama did not say how he wants the dispute resolved, only that it’s important to find a solution so the party can focus on winning the state in November.
I guess they figure Florida is a key state. Seems to me they played an important roll in a prior presidential election…Why have they been avoiding Florida? It seems the Florida Democratic Committee may need to get a calendar:
Both candidates signed a pledge nine months ago that kept them from campaigning here before the Jan. 29 primary. Other than a rally Clinton held after polls closed that night, neither candidate has campaigned here since the DNC stripped Florida of its delegates in September because its primary was held before Feb. 5.
Ouch. That seems like double-secret probation to me. Well, Tampa residents can hardly wait to see Obama:
Whether out of sincere belief in Barack Obama or sheer curiosity to see a historic presidential candidate, Tampa Bay area residents rushed for tickets Monday to a rally now expected to fill the St. Pete Times Forum downtown on Wednesday.
“I just want to see him in person; he’s making such an impression on America,” said Mildred Hart of North Tampa, who called The Tampa Tribune on Monday afternoon in search of a ticket after being told the party office had run out. “I’m trying desperately to find one ticket.”
I wonder what those tickets are going for on eBay. I am still amazed that this entire flap has even occured and it looks like I’m not alone:
“I still cannot believe that any political party would create a barrier between the candidate and the voters,” Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer told the AP. “It’s a slap in the face to democracy. I’m just glad he finally found out where Florida is.”
Me either.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:54 pm
[...] Obama & Clinton - End Florida BoycottWhether out of sincere belief in Barack Obama or sheer curiosity to see a historic presidential candidate, Tampa Bay area residents rushed for tickets Monday to a rally now expected to fill the St. Pete Times Forum downtown on Wednesday …misunderestimation - http://www.misunderestimation.com [...]
May 21st, 2008 at 8:14 pm
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptObama is seeking to mend fences in a key general election state snubbed by the Democratic National Committee. Clinton is continuing her push to have the state’s primary count and its delegates seated at the party’s national convention … [...]