Karl Rove Proposes a Solution to the Michigan/Florida Impasse

by Beltway Dem, Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:38:14 AM EST

Just a quick diary this morning.  Karl Rove doubtless is the father of lies, but he has proposed an interesting solution to the Democratic impasse over the status of the delegates from Florida and Michigan.

Taegan Goddard at CQ Politics has his suggestion.  Rove suggests that Obama should be magnanimous, recognize that Hillary will gain on his lead, but demonstrate to superdelegates his capacity for leadership, and give the delegates as currently constituted from January's elections their seats at the convention.  

Goddard says that Rove says:

It would show Democratic leaders that he's willing to put the party's interests above his own. It would show confidence in his own ability as a leader. And, perhaps most importantly, it would be a gesture that Clinton could not match.

I don't trust Karl Rove any further than I can throw him, and that's not at all.  But despite what mendacity is in his plan, he actually might be on to something.  It would be great for the party to put this nightmare behind us, and if Obama played his cards right, he might gain some strategic advantage through his magnanimity.




Tags: Karl Rove, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Florida, Michigan (all tags)

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Re: Karl Rove Proposes a Solution to the Michigan/ (2.00 / 0)

I'm sure that Obama will do exactly that...

...once he has enough SDs commit.


Beat McCain!
by thezzyzx on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:39:09 AM EST

Yes, he's often needs to screw up his courage (2.00 / 5)

to vote, "Present."  Good to see that he now says he would have left his church if Rev. Wright had stayed on.  The man's conscience is always evolving: doubtless, a wonderful characteristic in a leader.


Another Hillary Supporter for Obama!
by Beltway Dem on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:42:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yes, he's often needs to screw up his courage (none / 0)

Well, he's not a fool.  As things stand now, he's got the nomination in the bag.  So he's going to toss that in the interest of being "magnanimous?"


by XoFalconXo on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:48:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

More like legitimate.. (2.00 / 4)

With the election this close, its more like its in the interests of being LEGITIMATE..


Universal healthcare IS a Democratic value
It's been defeated
Obama has the best $PIN that money can buy.
by architek on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:53:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Watch this video.. (2.00 / 1)

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/3/27/1949 47/250


Universal healthcare IS a Democratic value
It's been defeated
Obama has the best $PIN that money can buy.
by architek on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:54:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]

"Nomination in the bag"? (2.00 / 4)

So you're saying that even with more Democrats picking Hillary, Florida & Michigan NOT being counted, and the overall popular vote extremely close (and may very well flip to Hillary after Pennsylvania), that Obama has the "nomination in the bag"? Wow, and I thought he wasn't into the "old Washington ways" of using dirty maneuvering tactics to win. Silly me...


I agree with Hillary Clinton and canadian gal (!!), so I fully support Barack Obama for President! :-)
by atdleft on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:07:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

If it's "in the bag," (2.00 / 1)

why has he gone negative and injured his claim at a "new kind of politics."  If it's in the bag, why do Michigan and Florida matter to him.

Why?  Because it ain't in the bag, and if it were, we wouldn't be arguing about it.


Another Hillary Supporter for Obama!
by Beltway Dem on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:28:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: If it's "in the bag," (none / 0)

I said its "in the bag" if Florida and Michigan don't count.  And it is.


by XoFalconXo on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:50:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You are taking Karl Rove's "advice" (none / 0)

Nuff said?

Or must the inanity, the absurdity, be detailed?


Take your fear and shove it, it ain't workin' on us no more.
by Quicklund on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:52:23 AM EST

Well, the Obama Campaign did... (2.00 / 3)

Rove said Obama needed to attack Hillary more, and they have. So anyways, what's your point? That just because KKKarl Rove said something about the Florida-Michigan debacle, that this gives Obama carte blanche to continue this passive-agressive move to prevent the will of FL & MI Democrats from being heard?


I agree with Hillary Clinton and canadian gal (!!), so I fully support Barack Obama for President! :-)
by atdleft on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:03:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Strawmen (none / 0)

Sen Obama is not in control of the FL and MI elections. I don't know how this fantasy started ... or maybe I do.


Take your fear and shove it, it ain't workin' on us no more.
by Quicklund on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:54:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It Won't Happen (2.00 / 4)

Nice sentiment, but Obama prefers to disenfranchise several million voters and go back on his word to have a revote in MI and seat his FL delegates.

How hypocritical this party is: crying about a few hundred votes in FL in 2000 and ignoring millions today.

And Ohio in 2004? Wasn't that a cause célèbre? Howard Dean lacks credibility and is a total hypocrite - a great poster child for the party.

Yahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Fight for Democrats in Congress.
by owl06 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:56:42 AM EST

Not so surprising (2.00 / 2)

From a man who would choose to get all of his primary opponents (including his former sponsor) removed from the ballot of his state senate election rather than have an actual contest against them.


by lombard on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:04:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Thought y'all admired a (none / 0)

"fighter"?  I thought y'all wanted someone able to out-scrap the GOP?  

Not so much when it is your candidate who has the mouse over both eyes, yes?  Heh.


Take your fear and shove it, it ain't workin' on us no more.
by Quicklund on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:58:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Karl Rove is a troll (none / 0)

Now we have Karl Rove's ideas trolling this site; something good must be happening here.


Definition of a republican moderate---someone who want's only 50 years in Iraq.
by pollbuster on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:01:02 PM EST

The man knows politics (2.00 / 1)

He is just giving his honest opinion.  He is not a "troll" because you don't like this option.


by lombard on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:03:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The man knows politics (2.00 / 2)

No, he's been a troll since he stole democratic stationary in the '70s and proposed free beer for the homeless.

He was a troll when he planted a bug in his own office and blamed it on the opponent.

He was a troll when he push-polled NCians about McCain's "black baby."

need I go on?


by pholkhero on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:36:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The man knows politics (2.00 / 2)

four demerits for saying Karl Rove is suddenly honest now that he says something you agree with.

the man has demonstrated he has no conscience in political matters. please let his crap lie where he utters it regardless of what it is.


by holder on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:36:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The man knows politics (2.00 / 1)

"Honest opinion," when applied to Karl Rove is a oxymoron.......


Definition of a republican moderate---someone who want's only 50 years in Iraq.
by pollbuster on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:43:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Karl Rove Proposes a Solution to the Michigan/ (none / 0)

Of course he wants this to happen, so the fight goes all the way to the convention and we get a third Bush term.


by mefck on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:11:04 PM EST

Re: Karl Rove Proposes a Solution to the Michigan/ (none / 0)

Well, no one has said the obvious yet - of course Rove knows who he wants McCain to run against. If he could campaign for Hillary outright he would. This is pretty close.
by Becky G on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:18:04 PM EST

Re: Karl Rove Proposes a Solution to (none / 0)

Has Karl Rove changed political parties?  Maybe he did and somebody forgot to tell the rest of us.  LOL.


by Spanky on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:29:45 PM EST

Re: Karl Rove Proposes a Solution to the Michigan/ (none / 0)


by holder on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 12:37:56 PM EST

Re: Karl Rove Proposes a Solution to the Michigan/ (2.00 / 1)

If I was Obama's campaign manager I would have advised him to get this behind him months ago.

By fighting the Michigan vote when Hillary was for it he may have turned Dean from a supporter into an opponent.

Most politicians love their country very deeply and if Dean thinks Obama willfully avoided a Michigan revote he may have switched from what he wants (Obama to win, DNC to be strengthened relative to states) to what he believes in (democracy, one vote one person).  The willingness of states to entertain a revote has at some level vindicated Dean.

Had Obama publically got Hillary on a plan for an Obama/Hillary and Hillary/Obama ticket with the understanding that there be no politics as usual hurt the other candidate stuff in Feb then he would likely be the nominee now.

Obama's team lacks the political instincts needed and their attempts on Michigan may have backfired as one very fair reading of Michigan is that Hillary won something like 127 delegates there.  Obama will have a very tough time politically arguing that he should get delegates in a state where no one voted for him by name (at least no percent even if there were some write ins).

And because Obama's surrogates have being pushing Hillary's failed inevitable meme counting the votes now presents a MASSIVE momentum shift for voters in Hillary's favor.

On the other hand Dean may have a super delegate line up to COUNTER the effect of counting Florida and Michigan lined up so that this offer is easy for Obama to make with the belief that it won't really count.

Problem is the last decider in situations like this is the partys belief going into the convention.  If the party thinks Hillary won this on pledged delegates after Obama has made such a stink about pledged and then the supers break for Obama THAT will be a problem too.

Strike 1)  Resisting revote
Strike 2)  Presenting yourself as front runner who is unbeatable
Strike 3)  Selling a metric as the only metric not realizing it supports your opponent if all the delegates are counted


by DTaylor on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:13:40 PM EST

Re: Karl Rove Proposes a Solution (2.00 / 1)

Yes, but the problem is that Obama ISN'T magnanimous.  He's very selfish and wants everything his way.  If he doesn't get it, he stomps his wittiw foot and his little helpers fan out and attack whoever is asking for fairness.

Obama reminds me a lot of George Bush.

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com


by Caro on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 05:14:04 PM EST


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