Florida's Re-Vote Proposal Off The Table Already?
The Florida Democratic is urging the two presidential campaigns the DNC and Florida Democratic leaders to "consider" a proposal that would amount to a re-vote in the state's presidential primary via a combination of mail-in and in-person voting on June 3rd. Here's the statement released this afternoon:
Last night, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen L. Thurman sent a memo to the Presidential candidates, DNC Chairman Howard Dean, and Florida Democratic leaders, urging them to consider a combined vote-by-mail/in-person election.The memo, which can be viewed here, cites a poll of the 1.75 million Democrats who participated in January's primary which found that 59 percent favored a re-vote and that just 63 percent said they were "committed to sticking" with the party's nominee should Florida remain on the sidelines of the nomination battle. The AP reports that Thurman will make a final decision about going forward with the proposal by Monday but "she said based on what she's already heard, it's unlikely to happen.""Democrats are passionate, and Democrats are energized. We can capture this enthusiasm if we come together around a solution that offers the people of Florida a voice in the nominating process," Thurman said. "If this proposal isn't what the people want, that's okay. We're putting something on the table, but it's by no means a done deal."
"The Florida Democratic Party welcomes any and all suggestions about how to move forward. However, at this point, the Party has not been offered any other option that would allow all of Florida Democratic voters - whether they're fighting in Iraq, retiring in Boca, raising horses in Ocala, or entertaining families at Disney - the opportunity to participate, other than the January 29th primary that the DNC will not recognize."