P
PissingOffTheLeft@excite.com
Guest
DemocRAT SUPERDELEGATE SAYS THAT THE DemocRATS NEED A WHITE MAN AT THE
HEAD OF THE TICKET TO WIN
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/mar/24/mark-tomasik-dont-discount-gore-led-ticket/
Mark Tomasik: Don't discount Gore-led ticket
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, whose district includes much of Martin and St.
Lucie counties, is hoping he won't have to attend the Democratic Party
national convention in Denver in August.
If he does go, that will mean the Democrats still haven't decided a
nominee for the presidential election. And if neither Sen. Hillary
Clinton nor Sen. Barack Obama has clinched the nomination by August,
Mahoney says we may see a brokered convention, meaning the nominee
could emerge from a negotiated settlement.
"If it (the nomination process) goes into the convention, don't be
surprised if someone different is at the top of the ticket," Mahoney
said.
A compromise candidate could be someone such as former vice president
Al Gore, Mahoney said last week during a meeting with this news
organization's editorial board.
If either Clinton or Obama suggested to a deadlocked convention a
ticket of Gore-Clinton or Gore-Obama, the Democratic Party would
accept it, Mahoney said.
Mahoney, who is one of the superdelegates who gets to cast a vote at
the convention, hasn't endorsed a candidate. He said he doesn't intend
to endorse anyone because "I don't see it as my job as a district
representative" to endorse a nominee for the presidential race.
If neither Clinton nor Obama has enough delegates to secure the
nomination by the time the convention starts Aug. 25, Mahoney will
have to cast a superdelegate vote for someone. Superdelegates make up
about one-fifth of the total number of delegates to the convention and
are free to support any candidate for nomination. Most superdelegates
are current or former elected officeholders or party officials.
As an uncommitted superdelegate, Mahoney said he has been wooed by
Clinton and Obama for an endorsement. Clinton has been the more
aggressive solicitor, Mahoney said.
Mahoney said he has met twice with Obama. He has met more often with
Clinton. Two weeks ago, Mahoney attended a ****tail party at Clinton's
house in Washington, D.C., he said. Mahoney told of how impressed he
is by Clinton's commitment to helping people and her human touch. When
Clinton learned that Mahoney's daughter is interested in horses, she
called the girl to encourage her interest, Mahoney said.
While Mahoney hasn't committed to either contender, he clearly likes
Clinton and her stance on issues. He praised her for having a grasp of
matters of importance to Floridians, especially homeowners insurance
reform. (He also made the point that Sen. John McCain, the apparent
Republican presidential nominee, is the only candidate in either party
not to support national reform of homeowners insurance.)
Mahoney described Clinton as being "incredibly bright, very
personable" and having "an unbelievable grasp of policy" during his
meetings with her.
Mahoney said he had intended to skip the convention because "I have
better things to do in my district" than attend what recently has
become a glorified pep rally. He will stay away if his superdelegate
vote isn't needed. Meanwhile, he's lobbying to get the results of the
Jan. 29 Florida primary vote to count.
The national Democratic Party and its chairman, Howard Dean, stripped
Florida of its delegates as punishment for violating party rules by
moving up the state's primary date from March to Jan. 29. Dean banned
the Democratic candidates from campaigning in Florida. Still, a record
1.75 million Democrats voted in the Florida primary. Clinton won by 17
percentage points.
A recent statewide poll of registered Democratic voters by the St.
Petersburg Times and its television partner showed that the
campaigning boycott of Florida had little effect on Democratic voters'
choices in the Jan. 29 primary. The poll showed that 56 percent said
the lack of campaigning had "no effect at all" on their vote. Also, 77
percent of the people polled said that it is "very important" to them
that the results of the Jan. 29 primary count.
Mirroring our editorial board's position and the poll results, Mahoney
said the Jan. 29 results should be counted and the full slate of
delegates should be seated at the convention.
"The delegates have to be treated fairly and responsibly and given
full weight," Mahoney said.
The St. Petersburg Times poll showed that one in four state Democrats
might not vote for the party's nominee if Florida delegates aren't
given a full say in the presidential nomination. That would seem to
indicate that all Florida Democratic candidates for office in November
could be in jeopardy of losing support.
Mahoney dismisses this notion, saying the issues are too important for
Democratic voters to either sit out the election or vote Republican.
Democrats need to first clean up the mess they made in Florida and
honor the votes of the Jan. 29 primary before they try to convince
voters they successfully can govern the nation.
mark.tomasik@scripps.com
HEAD OF THE TICKET TO WIN
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/mar/24/mark-tomasik-dont-discount-gore-led-ticket/
Mark Tomasik: Don't discount Gore-led ticket
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, whose district includes much of Martin and St.
Lucie counties, is hoping he won't have to attend the Democratic Party
national convention in Denver in August.
If he does go, that will mean the Democrats still haven't decided a
nominee for the presidential election. And if neither Sen. Hillary
Clinton nor Sen. Barack Obama has clinched the nomination by August,
Mahoney says we may see a brokered convention, meaning the nominee
could emerge from a negotiated settlement.
"If it (the nomination process) goes into the convention, don't be
surprised if someone different is at the top of the ticket," Mahoney
said.
A compromise candidate could be someone such as former vice president
Al Gore, Mahoney said last week during a meeting with this news
organization's editorial board.
If either Clinton or Obama suggested to a deadlocked convention a
ticket of Gore-Clinton or Gore-Obama, the Democratic Party would
accept it, Mahoney said.
Mahoney, who is one of the superdelegates who gets to cast a vote at
the convention, hasn't endorsed a candidate. He said he doesn't intend
to endorse anyone because "I don't see it as my job as a district
representative" to endorse a nominee for the presidential race.
If neither Clinton nor Obama has enough delegates to secure the
nomination by the time the convention starts Aug. 25, Mahoney will
have to cast a superdelegate vote for someone. Superdelegates make up
about one-fifth of the total number of delegates to the convention and
are free to support any candidate for nomination. Most superdelegates
are current or former elected officeholders or party officials.
As an uncommitted superdelegate, Mahoney said he has been wooed by
Clinton and Obama for an endorsement. Clinton has been the more
aggressive solicitor, Mahoney said.
Mahoney said he has met twice with Obama. He has met more often with
Clinton. Two weeks ago, Mahoney attended a ****tail party at Clinton's
house in Washington, D.C., he said. Mahoney told of how impressed he
is by Clinton's commitment to helping people and her human touch. When
Clinton learned that Mahoney's daughter is interested in horses, she
called the girl to encourage her interest, Mahoney said.
While Mahoney hasn't committed to either contender, he clearly likes
Clinton and her stance on issues. He praised her for having a grasp of
matters of importance to Floridians, especially homeowners insurance
reform. (He also made the point that Sen. John McCain, the apparent
Republican presidential nominee, is the only candidate in either party
not to support national reform of homeowners insurance.)
Mahoney described Clinton as being "incredibly bright, very
personable" and having "an unbelievable grasp of policy" during his
meetings with her.
Mahoney said he had intended to skip the convention because "I have
better things to do in my district" than attend what recently has
become a glorified pep rally. He will stay away if his superdelegate
vote isn't needed. Meanwhile, he's lobbying to get the results of the
Jan. 29 Florida primary vote to count.
The national Democratic Party and its chairman, Howard Dean, stripped
Florida of its delegates as punishment for violating party rules by
moving up the state's primary date from March to Jan. 29. Dean banned
the Democratic candidates from campaigning in Florida. Still, a record
1.75 million Democrats voted in the Florida primary. Clinton won by 17
percentage points.
A recent statewide poll of registered Democratic voters by the St.
Petersburg Times and its television partner showed that the
campaigning boycott of Florida had little effect on Democratic voters'
choices in the Jan. 29 primary. The poll showed that 56 percent said
the lack of campaigning had "no effect at all" on their vote. Also, 77
percent of the people polled said that it is "very important" to them
that the results of the Jan. 29 primary count.
Mirroring our editorial board's position and the poll results, Mahoney
said the Jan. 29 results should be counted and the full slate of
delegates should be seated at the convention.
"The delegates have to be treated fairly and responsibly and given
full weight," Mahoney said.
The St. Petersburg Times poll showed that one in four state Democrats
might not vote for the party's nominee if Florida delegates aren't
given a full say in the presidential nomination. That would seem to
indicate that all Florida Democratic candidates for office in November
could be in jeopardy of losing support.
Mahoney dismisses this notion, saying the issues are too important for
Democratic voters to either sit out the election or vote Republican.
Democrats need to first clean up the mess they made in Florida and
honor the votes of the Jan. 29 primary before they try to convince
voters they successfully can govern the nation.
mark.tomasik@scripps.com
