How Far will She Go? Democratic Voters Annoyed with Clinton

By Anastacia Mott Austin

While some weary Democrats are looking forward to the results of this Saturday’s Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) meeting which will – finally – resolve the Michigan and Florida delegate mess, others cynically snort that it won’t matter.

Because, they say, Clinton still won’t back down. Some political pundits predict that unless all delegates from the two disputed states are seated, Clinton will appeal the decision and just keep going. And going, and going.

Which just about everyone agrees will do nothing but damage the Democrats’ chance of reclaiming the White House in a supposed shoo-in year.

People are getting annoyed. By that I mean people who are Democrats. Republicans can’t believe this unexpected bounty brought to them by one of the most-hated individuals ever to cross into a red state. Republicans’ main dilemma these days is how to resolve the tremendous inner conflict between wanting to keep hating "Hitlery" and wanting to plant a big one right on her kisser.

Longtime Democrats are left scratching their heads wondering what the heck she is thinking. Some posit that her goal at this point is to shoot for 2012, and that by weakening Obama’s chances in November she can crow "I told you so" if he doesn’t win, thereby strengthening her chances in four years.

Because her campaign’s continued claims that she wants to bring together the party and will support the eventual nominee are ringing hollow. "Senator Clinton has twin goals going forward. One is to secure the nomination, the other is to bring the party together, regardless of who the nominee is," said Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson. "She has articulated both those goals now time and time again."

Maybe she has, but as time ticks on toward the national election, actions speak louder than words. If Clinton sources who say she will appeal anything but a full seating of all Florida and Michigan delegates are speaking the truth, then it’s only going to get uglier.

DNC party attorneys have already indicated they are in favor of awarding up to half of each state’s delegates, though the way in which the delegates will be awarded is not decided. Obama’s campaign has agreed to some compromise of seating the delegates, but has said it would leave the decision in the hands of the DNC.

Back to those annoyed people. All of the Democratic political candidates agreed to work within the electoral system in its current form. All agreed to abide by DNC party rules. When Michigan and Florida violated those rules and moved their primaries up, all of the candidates – minus Hillary Clinton – abided by the rules and removed their names from the ballots.

It is true, as Clinton contends, that it is not fair to the voters of either state, who had no say in moving up their primaries – to not have their votes counted. However, in what universe could an election be called fair when one of the candidates doesn’t even have his or her name on the ballot? Also not fair. The citizens of Florida and Michigan would do better to complain loudly to their local political representation that they do not appreciate being discounted, and elect new representatives who will follow the rules so their votes can count.

Clinton’s argument of being a spokesperson for the underdog, the "voiceless" voters of Michigan and Florida, is completely bogus.

Most of those annoyed people were willing to sit things out until May 31st, when the argument would supposedly be over. DNC decision made, let’s move on.

But if Clinton decides to persist in her plan after that, or appeal the decision, then it becomes much more clear what her motivations are, and hopefully the response will be to ignore her completely. If her efforts are clearly more about a personal agenda and less about truly uniting the party behind its nominee, and more importantly, if that agenda manages to derail the Democratic nominee for President, then people will become much more than annoyed.