The Democratic and Republican parties have both decided to punish Florida voters. The Florida Press goes along by rtbohan
(libertarian)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Democratic and Republican National committes have both decided to punish Florida voters for disrupting their plans to have two small states play a prologue to the campaign followed by a one day primary involving the largest states. The Democrats were far more vindictive, stripping Florida of all delegates, the Republicans contented themselves with reducing the Florida delegation by fifty percent. The Florida Republicans were defeated in a court challenge a nd the Democrats are waiting to fight it out at the convention.
The Democrats were not content to punish their constituents. They decided to punish the entire state by forbidding their candidates to campaign in the state, to have paid staff there or to purchase advertisements in any Florida newspaper or radio or television station. The candidates abided by the rules since the party promised punishment for them as well as Floridians if they disobeyed.
The Republicans did campaign. Mayor Giuliani, for practical purposes, moved to Florida. While his competitors were campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan, he brought his support in Florida to forty per cent. This support receded as the other candidates, some briefly, some for a long time, brought their own appeals to the state.
The Democratic candidates abided by the party's ban until after the South Carolina primary. The rules for the primary had been set when the primary season was regarded as a coronation tour for Senator Clinton. When the coronation parade hit a detour, Sematpr Clinton tried to turn the prohibition on her opponent's ads into a national ban. She first tried to have Senator Obama sanctioned by the party for running an ad on CNN, on the grounds that someone in Florida might see it. She then reportedly tried to get cable and DSL companies to block the CNN signal from Florida outlets. She then went to Florida to campaign, with Senator Obama and Senator Edwards in hot pursuit.
Ptobably because the two national political parties decided to punish Florida for holding an early primary, a number of the larger Florida newspapers decided to ignore the presidential popularity contest and make endorsements only on State and local issues and candidates. The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonsville} explained its non-endorsement by saying that "The Republican race is Too Peculiar to Call and the Democrats Can't Fight." The Miami Herald contented itself with recapping the ads of all candidates (except, of course,, Ron Paul).
The Palm Beach Post, Orlando Sentinel, Sun-Seninel (Fort Lauderdale) and the St. Petersburg Times all endorsed John McCain in the Republican primary for the standard reasons: "Straight Talk, experience and the feeling that he is not as bad as the other candidates. The Orlando Sentinel broke rank with the other papers to support Hillary Clinton onthe basis of experience. All the others endorsed Obama as the candidate most likely to bring change to the government
The lateest polls in Florida show McCain and Romney leading the other Republicans with 32% and 31% of the vote with Giuliani and Huckabee in a close race for third. In the Democratic primary, the vote shows Clinton leading Obama by a margin of 20 points.
We will know tonight if the newspapers' endosements have any effect on the voters.
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