Cheryl A Blog

What would have happened if Dean and DNC had properly handled Michigan and Florida

Cheryl/Michigan — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:17:22 EDT

If the DNC and Dean had properly handled the problem with Michigan and Florida it would have been resolved several months ago. BUT THEY DID NOT.

Instead, they have relied on the candidates to agree on what to do, which will never happen.

This has changed the entire outcome of the election. Clinton would have won both states - with or without Obama's name on the ballot. It would have been a bigger victory for her if they had campaigned.

She would have had the momentum. She would have picked up the early endorsements and both super and pledged delegates and she would have picked up the contributions and most of all she would have had a strong lead in the popular vote and delegates. Obama would never have caught up with her.

The fact is the rule only calls for 50% being unseated. Not 100%. The rule is bad and should never have suppressed even one vote - but 100% changed the outcome of the election and cheated Clinton out of her lead and possibly millions of voters from all 50 states out of their candidate.

The groundwork to correct this problem was set by Dean 18 months ago. It is ridiculous that it is now very near the end of the campaign and one of the candidates (Obama) has been given the power to all but shut down any way for Michigan and Florida's voters to be heard.

This has punished not only Michigan and Florida voters who DID NOT violate any rule but all voters from all states along with candidates. The only ones it did not punish were those officials who violated the timing rules and pushed the dates ahead without any concern for their constituency.

This whole situation has favored Obama as stated by Axelrod on MSNBC and CNN. He said they were not going to do anything to count the vote in either state because it would hurt his candidate. So much for Obama's concern with the citizens of this country.

illioismel - Do not know an answer to your question but need experience, not just words

Cheryl/Michigan — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:44:49 EDT

This world is a dangerous mess and millions are following a dream based on words only - no experience. It takes experience to make a dream into reality.

How exactly does Barack Obama think he is going to ride into Washington and change everything.

There are those who say Clinton could never be his vice because it would contradict his ideals of change - well what about Kennedy, Kerry, Daeschle, Hart, Richardson, Edwards and every other superdelegate who has been a part of washington over the years. Does his change include changing them too.

I just don't get how they can support someone who says they are part of the problem and have to go.

That is another reason why I do not believe Barack Obama. Is change is only a dream - it cannot possibly become a reality, unless he is wiling to throw over all those who supported him he is no more about complete change than Hillary or anyone who ever ran for office.

I prefer the slower, realistic plans to change the problems in washington of HIllary Clinton - she recognizes that our country was founded and has been successful on a systems of checks and balances and it made us the greatest nation in the world. She has not ever pointed a finger at washington and said washington is bad - as obama always does. She says the current administration is bad. Maybe she can remember a former better time, like the 90s while Obama was very young then.

I don't believe in his change or his dreams - I do not see how they can become reality without the support of all those insiders he claims to want to get rid of - yet they have supported him.

No thanks, I'll take experience as the way to turn dreams into reality over idle words of inexperience any day

THE POPULATION/DELEGATES OF ALL CAUCUS STATES EQUAL

Cheryl/Michigan — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:20:25 EDT

The population of the caucus states that are Obamas claim to fame is less than 1 million. Iowa, which supposedly sets the trend for the primary season way what - 1000 votes.

The super-delegates should also consider that these caucus states are nothing compared to the results in other states. Of course Clinton doesn't do as well in them - the discrimate against her base - eldery, handicapped, hospitalize, blue collar workers who can't leave work to go to the caucus, young couples or single parents who cannot attend the caucus.

COUNT MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA AS CAST OR SPLIT THE DEMOCRAT PARTY

Cheryl/Michigan — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:06:38 EDT

DNC: YOU ARE WRONG NOT TO COUNT MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA EXACTLY AS CAST. YOU WILL SPLIT THIS PARTY WIDE OPEN. IF MY VOTE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE PRIMARY - IT WILL NOT BE GIVEN IN THE GENERAL.

YOU are wrong to punish people who DID NOT violate any rule. You should have punished the officials who violated the rules. They way you did this punishes the entire country because it has changed the dynames of an election and possibly the outcome. If Hillary Clinton loses because MIchigan and Florida did not count you have cheated millions of voters from all 50 states. You have effectively put in office another president that is not legitimate. You have played games with the votes worse than anything the democrats did.

Barack Obama chose not to run in Michigan. He purposely took his name off the ballot by affidavit so he has no real claim on votes there.

I believe the DNC is hiding behind the candidates by making both candidates responsible for agreeing on how to count both states. This is ridiculous.

It is also ridiculous to barter or manipulate the outcome of the two states. How is it right to change official results to meet the needs of the DNC to hand the win to Obama.

The Party will pay greatly for this - especially if voters from all over the country wake up to realize that your very unjust rule has cheated them out of their candidate.

would the super-delegates please stop endorsing just to end the primary

Cheryl/Michigan — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:23:28 EDT

there are still millions of people to vote who will have a real say for the first time in decades. Please do not try to cut them out.

I know you are under immense pressure to end this primary but it is not right. Let it run it's course.

Letting down millions more voters and preventing their participation in a meaningful campaign - like michigan and florida voters, is far more harmful to the unity of this party than a few more weeks of campaigning.

PLEASE TO NOT USE YOUR ENDORSEMENT AS A TOOL TO STOP THE PRIMARIES.

If Obama is the nominee you could lose more state and national democratic seats

Cheryl/Michigan — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:44:39 EDT

Why do I say this? Other than the fact that I believe it - he is going to be so attacked by the republican party. They are not going to play nice. They are not going to throw people off of the campaign staff for saying something Obama does not like, they are not going to be party to race bating and do not have to worry about being condemned by their own party for pissing off Obama.

Alot of the media is going to turn on Obama - you know, all those republican pundits and newsshow hosts that have sang his praises. They will start to tear into him and help the republicans shred him apart.

They are going to connect the dots on his past associations and just how good or bad his judgement and character are. They don't even need to be really sure of the facts - they will take pleasure in it. They do not have to worry about holding a party together if they get down and dirty.

And they will have help - you have already seen the ads running against Obama from other than the republican party.

If there is one thing to really worry about it is that those state and national candidates running for office this year will get caught up in this attack.

John McCain may have been a prisoner but I can bet that intends to take no prisoners this fall. He and the republican party will go for the jugular. And obama is th perfect candidate to run against - so unknown, so fresh, so new, so many dreams that he does not tell us how he will turn to reality.

I pray that I am wrong but I believe that Obama will be far more damaging to our party and to a democratic victory in both the state and national legislatures that Clinton would be.

THE SUPER-DELEGATES NEED TO KNOW

Cheryl/Michigan — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:03:23 EDT

The super-delegates need to know the feelings of the majority of the people on this website who are stating that they will not vote in november or will vote for mccain or will write in Clinton.

They need to know that it has nothing to do with their candidate losing and everything to do with not trusting Obama because of either his inexperience of his association with questionnable people. They need to know that people fear his character and judgement which he has said is his reason why he should be president.

They need to know how many people will not vote democratic because their votes have been stripped away from them and thrown in the gutter.

From reading these blogs there are many, many people who seriously doubt that Obama will be good for this country. There are many that fear he will make it worse.

SO HOW DO WE GET THE SUPER-DELEGATES TO KNOW ABOUT HOW SO MANY OF US FEEL. HOW DO WE REACH THEM.

I would email everyone if i had a list of there email addresses but my email alone would do little.

There is one thing you can do

Cheryl/Michigan — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:11:34 EDT

If you do believe that the votes from Michigan and Florida should count as cast there is one thing you can do.

you can go to www.seatourdelegates08.blogspot.com and sign a petition requesting the DNC to count the votes as they were cast.

First let me present my stand on this.

Refusal to count the votes punishes not only the voters who did not violate a rule, but the candidates and every voter in every state. If the results of this primary season are different than they would have been had both states been counted, every single voter that voted for the candidate who does not win because of this will have effectively been cheated out of their candidate and their votes made worthless too.

Taking away the votes is a little like sendind a person to prison for life for stealing bread to feed his family. No, actually it is more like sending his wife to prison even though she did not even steal the bread.

I do blame the DNC. Why? Because any rule that ever takes even one vote away in punishment for any rule violation is an unjust, undemocrat and just plain bad rule. It defies their very agenda on the fundamental tenets of democracy as stated on this website under agendas.

Also, the actual convention rules found under challenges, section 20C (also on this website) call only for the automatic loss of 50% of the delegates - not the 100% that they took. This whole mess would have been avoided has they only taken 50%. Even though it is still an unjust rule

There is a way that they could and still can undo this grevious mistake. Those saying you cannot change a rule midstream are wrong. The DNC could have changed that rule by resolution to sanction those officials who actually violated the timing rules instead of the citizens who did not.

I find it dispicable that those officials are standing by watching the voters take their punishment and have done nothing to say - hey DNC, you go the wrong guys. If you have to punish someone for rules violations, no matter how unjust the rule, then punish us!

The DNC could have changed the rules fine the committees, suspend the members of the DNC from both states, withold campaign support of financing from those who were elected or whatever else.

AND BARACK, yes Barack. He turned his back on the people of MIchigan. HE WAS ON THE BALLOT AND SIGNED AN AFFIDAVIT TO REMOVE HIS NAME. HE CHOSE NOT TO RUN IN MICHIGAN. Now he cries that his name was not even on the ballot. This is like Rudy Guiliani saying that McCain should give him votes in the states that he did not run in because his name was not even on the ballot. IT MAKES NO SENSE! He technically shouldn't even receive one delegate but he has already run people for those uncommitted spots and will probably have all 45 delegates regardless of how the delegates are diviied up.

What is the purpose of this blog sight

Cheryl/Michigan — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:33:09 EDT

It seems to me that anytime I present a strong argument about Obama or the role of the superdelegates, or his campaigning in Michigan and Florida in violation of his agreement and the DNC rules I am called names and insulted. I'm told I am wasting space and spamming.

I believe I have as much right as anyone to come on here and support my choice of candidate and present my reasons why I support her.

I believe that I have a right to state that I do not believe the super-delegates should endorse either candidate just to end the primary - cutting out the rights a millions of voters to participate.

The DNC established the length of this primary - they could have restricted the dates to end earlier. They could have also scheduled the convention to take place earlier - BUT THEY DID NOT. For once in decades every voter in every state will have their vote mean something and I believe it is wrong of anyone to try to cut them out. (hopefully this includes Michigan and Florida too).

This has not hurt our party - on the contrary. Millions of new voters have participated for both candidates. It is the best thing to happen to this party in years. Not to mention if Obama is the nominee (and I believe it is wrong that he has already assumed this) he will have addressed issues that the republicans will bring up. It will only help him in the general. Does anyone here belief that the republicans did not know about wright, rezko, ayers and wife, khalidi, farrakhan, etc and that they will not connect the dots for us?

WHY IS OBAMA ALLOWED TO CAMPAIGN IN MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA

Cheryl/Michigan — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:12:15 EDT

Under the convention rules, section 20 C6 candidates cannot campaign in any state that has violated the timing rules. He has further signed as agreement to this effect.

These primaries have not been settled. They are still open. Obama is in clear violation of the rules of the DNC and the agreement that he signed.

This is not the general election just yet. He made be the self-proclaimed nominee but he has not yet received the official nomination.

He should not be permitted to campaign in either state until the issue is resolved.

let's take our own poll

Cheryl/Michigan — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:40:39 EDT

How many voters from states that voted prior to Pennsylvania and the advent of Reverand Wright and the bitter comments have changed their minds about their support for Obama and would change their vote if they could.

Please just list the state you are from and whether or not you would change your vote.

The super-delegates are charged with the responsiblity of considering all information from the beginning to the end of the primary season - not just through the date their state voted.

I would seriously like to know how recent developments on issues have affected people's opinions of Obama and their support of him.

MESSAGE FOR SUPER-DELEGATES

Cheryl/Michigan — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:45:37 EDT

I would ask that our super-delegates read the following message and that anyone who has an email address for any of them forward this message directly to them. Please also link this to any website that you know of. Our message is urgent and it is clear. Please stop interfering with the democratic process of choosing our democratic nominee for president.

Please do not endorse either candidate for the sole purpose of ending this campaign by forcing one candidate out.

For the first time in decades every single vote from every single state will be meaningful (if counted). People are excited to be involved and we are registering record numbers of new voters. For too long our democratic candidate has been decided long before many, many voters even had a chance to choose.

If either candidate stops, that stops.

This has not been bad for our party. It has been great. It has brought out issues that would have been brought out by republicans anyways and allowed the voters to hear them now, not in the general. This has watered down the negative effect of those issues.

PLEASE - DO NOT ENDORSE EITHER CANDIDATE UNTIL EVERY SINGLE STATE/TERRITORY HAS VOTED. PLEASE, CALL ON THE DNC TO COUNT THE VOTES FROM MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA. IF THEY REFUSE PLEASE CONSIDER THEM IN YOUR THOUGHTS ANYWAYS WHEN YOU DECIDE HOW YOU WILL VOTE AT THE CONVENTION.

You should not be deciding on which candidate to support only as a means to end the primary. Neither candidate will reach 2025 or 2210 in state delegates and it will come down to your vote. Be patient. Let the system work for every single voter who chooses to cast a vote this year. Let us all be part of the election process. Then, and only then should you decide because that is the earliest that you will have all of the facts together.

I am from Michigan and I want my vote to count. I never ralized how much it meant to me until it was taken away

DNC RULES MEETING ON MAY 31ST IS OPEN TO PUBLIC

Cheryl/Michigan — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:02:41 EDT

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ANYONE FROM MICHIGAN OR FLORIDA WHO CAN POSSIBLY MAKE IT DOES SO. WE NEED TO GET OUR VOTES COUNTED AND OUR DELEGATES SEATED AS THEY WERE CAST.

DO NOT LET THE CANDIDATE WHO CLAIMS TO WANT TO UNITE EVERYONE AND INCLUDE ALL IN HIS DREAM LEAVE YOU OUT. OBAMA DOES NOT WANT THE VOTES TO COUNT BECAUSE HE IS AFRAID TO LET THEM BE COUNTED. I REALLY DO NOT CARE WHO IT HURTS OR HELPS - I CARE THAT MY VOTE COUNTS AS I CAST IT. I CARE THAT IT NOT BE MANIPULATED, TRADED OR BARTERED BY THE DNC OR OBAMA AS THEY ARE TRYING TO FORCE CLINTON TO DO.

IF YOU GO T0 www.seatourdelegates.blogspot.com YOU CAN PROBABLY GET DETAILS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE PLANNING TO GO FROM FLORIDA.

TO THE SUPER-DELEGATES

Cheryl/Michigan — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:29:49 EDT

Please do not endorse either candidate for the sole purpose of ending this campaign by forcing one candidate out.

For the first time in decades every single vote from every single state will be meaningful (if counted). People are excited to be involved and we are registering record numbers of new voters. For too long our democratic candidate has been decided long before many, many voters even had a chance to choose.

If either candidate stops, that stops.

This has not been bad for our party. It has been great. It has brought out issues that would have been brought out by republicans anyways and allowed the voters to hear them now, not in the general. This has watered down the negative effect of those issues.

PLEASE - DO NOT ENDORSE EITHER CANDIDATE UNTIL EVERY SINGLE STATE/TERRITORY HAS VOTED. PLEASE, CALL ON THE DNC TO COUNT THE VOTES FROM MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA. IF THEY REFUSE PLEASE CONSIDER THEM IN YOUR THOUGHTS ANYWAYS WHEN YOU DECIDE HOW YOU WILL VOTE AT THE CONVENTION.

You should not be deciding on which candidate to support only as a means to end the primary. Neither candidate will reach 2025 or 2210 in state delegates and it will come down to your vote. Be patient. Let the system work for every single voter who chooses to cast a vote this year. Let us all be part of the election process. Then, and only then should you decide because that is the earliest that you will have all of the facts together.

I am from Michigan and I want my vote to count. I never ralized how much it meant to me until it was taken away.

Does this website belong to Obama?

Cheryl/Michigan — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:15:38 EDT

Earlier there was a post that said that all Clinton supporters should leave this website. I would like to ask that person why.

Is she not a candidate for president? Has this primary season ended? Are all the votes counted? Has the convention taken place and the delegates - all of the delegates cast their final votes in Denver?

I believe the answer to all of the above is no. So how can anyone tell us that this sight is only to honor and sing the praises of Barack Obama.

It just so happens that there are still two democratic candidates and this site does not belong to Obama.

trouble supporting Obama

Cheryl/Michigan — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:11:52 EDT

I just wish the media and DNC would open their minds and see what they are doing to our party. They are destroying the very fundamental tenets of democracy that they claim to protect.

Obama is a joke. I am sorry. Anyone, anyone who thinks it is ok to suppress votes in our democratic country, anyone who refuses to encourage his beloved media and followers to shut up and let ALL 50 states and PR vote is a shame.

Super-delegates who are endorsing Obama claiming no other reason than it is time to end this are a disgrace and discredit to our party. How dare they short even one state their right to have a voice in this extraoridarily close race.
How would they like it if someone in their state just decided not to count a few districts - or even worse, after an official count was taken they manipulated and bartered the votes and changed the outcome

What the DNC has allowed to happen is disgraceful and will destroy this party.

People are not refusing to vote for Obama because they are mad that their candidate lost. They are refusing to vote for him for many reasons, probably the least of which is that he has stolen an election.

How many people in Michigan and Florida will refuse to vote for him because he has refused to help count their votes. If their vote is not good enough in the primary why should he expect to be there for him in the general.

How many millions of people all over this country, from every single state are beginning to realize that it is not just two states who are being ripped off of their choice of candidate - it is every voter in every state. Because of the action of the DNC and the cowardly way they have laid resolving this problem in the laps of the candidates it is very likely that the candidate who will win is not the candidate who might very well have won - and that means every single voter in every single state who has voted for Hillary Clinton has been robbed of their president.

And now, without Michigan and Florida being resolved. With the votes not counted and the delegates not seated and negotiations to do that still underway - OBAMA IS VIOLATING THE DNC CONVENTION TIMING RULES (SEC 20 C6 CHALLENGES) AND CAMPAIGNING IN BOTH STATES. HE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS. THIS IS NOT THE GENERAL AND HE IS NOT THE NOMININEE. NOT ONLY HAS HE NOT REACHED THE MAGIC NUMBER BUT EVEN IF HE HAS HE IS NOT THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN THE GENERAL UNTIL THE CONVENTION IS FINALIZED. Getting the magic number is nice but every single delegate is fully able to change their vote at the convetion and some of those early voting states - before Wright, before Obama's bitter comments, might just decide to do that.

Again, the DNC has his back and is allowing him to violate rules - just like campaigning in Florida.

No, sorry people, I do not support Barack Obama for president because I do not trust him and I believe his lack of experience is dangerous for this country - especially in matters of foreign policy and affairs. I am sorry but his living oversees at 10 years old does not quite equal experience in my mind.

Obama in violation of DNC rules? Again!

Cheryl/Michigan — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:05:49 EDT

Isn't Obama's campaigning in MIchigan and Florida a violation of his agreement, and the DNC rules, NOT to campaign in in either state BEFORE their primaries? It has not yet been established when a re-do primary will be scheduled, but there is the possibility that it still will be. His agreement was to not campaign - even though he considers it campaigning for the general. He is NOT the legitimate candidate yet.

It seems to me that that while the state is still considered in violation of timing rules - meaning an agreement has not been reached - the rules that prohibit the candidates from campaigning there should still be in force - along with their agreement not to.

He is taking unfair advantage in the event a redo election is scheduled.

Also, one of his people mentioned that he was not even on the ballot in Michigan - which is an everyday statement but continued to say that how could he get votes. I have not heard it said quite like that before. HOW COULD HE GET VOTES? HE WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT. Of course - He did not compete in Michigan so how could ANY of the uncommitteed votes go to him? Not that it matters, his people won all of the uncommitted seats at our delegate convention. That count should not even be legitimate though.

What is the difference between his not being on the ballot in Michigan and Guliani not being on the ballot in states that he chose not to compete in? Nothing - except Guliani is not running around crying that McCain should give him some of his votes in those states because HIS NAME WAS NOT EVEN ON THE BALLOT.

I am getting sick and tired

Cheryl/Michigan — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:10:19 EDT

I am getting sick and tired of being told that if I do not vote for Obama in November I am being racial. It has nothing to do with race.

I will tell you why I do not support Obama and will not support Obama:

1. He has no real experience. It is amazing how he managed to make this a good qualification to be president - to have no experience.

2. He has too many connections and associations with too many people who are anti-american, racist, hate filled etc. Look at the list, Wright, Rezko, Ayers, Khalidi, Farrakhan, etc etc. These are people who he socializes with, raises money for and has accepted contributions from.

3. His runs on his character and judgement. Well, number two questions this.

4. He has sold millions on his dream. What dream - who is included? I'm not. I'm from Michigan.

5. He claims he will unify this country - he has yet to do that. He has personally refused to cooperate in counting two states and agreeing to re-vote. He is, in fact, the divisive candidate.

6. He increasing says that everything about Washington is bad, our system is bad. How any senator or congressman listens to him and doesn't realize that he is knocking them is beyond me.

Most of all, if my vote is not good enough for him in the primary he will not have it in the general.

My reasons for not supporting Obama have nothing to do with Clinton and everything to do with I do not feel comfortable that he will be a good president. I believe that he is the weakest of the three candidates. I am concerned with his attitude when he does not get his way. He is absolutely igniting when he speaks to a crowd but stumbles through a private conversation. He will not have his crowds with him when he deals with world leaders. He will not be able to whine and throw an attitude when they do not agree with him. He needs alot more experience and maturity to take on this job.

I am sorry but I am entitled to my opinion.

While we are on the subject of Obama's connections

Cheryl/Michigan — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:46:29 EDT

Why has he and Michelle never been investigated by the ethics committee? Any other congressman or senator would have been investigated if they had the large circle of friends with the anti-american, racist and terrorist ties that he has.

Many would have resigned when these 20 relationships came to light. Why has his link to these never even been officially investigated.

We are about to make this man our president. If he had one friend who had been a slum lord or anti-american, hate filled person or former terroristic bomber maybe it could pass - but to have several.

According to Axelrod $1000 rebate to be taken from Social Security

Cheryl/Michigan — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:48:55 EDT

On morning Joe the question of how Obama's $1000 rebate came up and how he would fund it. It was stated that it would come from the social security fund. Axelrod was on the show, very briefly acknowledged it and then went on to another subject.

I want to know more. I want to know if this is true. Our social security system is fragile at best and cannot withstand this.

Those youth who blindly follow the dream may not understand the nightmare that will unfold when they need the system and it is spent.

If he intends to touch that system to get a jump on the gas tax break then I sincerely hope it becomes public and he loses big time. I hope people wake up.