Front Row: Fla. Dems wait (and wait) for salvation

by William E. Gibson

The Florida primary re-vote idea can now be put on the same shelf with the butterfly ballot and hanging chads -- symbols of well-intentioned election plans gone awry.

State Democratic leaders mercifully pulled the plug on their hazardous proposal to hold another presidential primary, this time by mail. But they have not abandoned the frantic attempt to give their delegation a voice and a vote at the party’s national nominating convention.

The short-lived re-vote plan succeeded at least in getting the attention of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who paid homage to Florida and acknowledged its importance in the November election. Some Florida Democrats say the re-vote was never a serious proposal, just a ploy to put pressure on the candidates and the hard-nosed Democratic National Committee to find a way to accommodate their misbehaving state.

Both candidates and the national party have reason to resolve the Florida question to ease hurt feelings and voter alienation before the general election. More than a few Democrats are so disgusted with the intra-party flap that they are threatening to stay home on Election Day or vote for Republican John McCain.

The only solution appears to be a negotiated settlement between the candidates, who bicker daily over the most trivial matters.

Florida Democrats had hoped to play a major role in the selection of a nominee. That’s why most Democrats were enthused about a Jan. 29 primary, though they knew it would break party rules and jeopardize their delegates. They called the party’s bluff, thinking nobody would dare offend the biggest swing state in the general election.

Well, Howard Dean and the DNC, full of tough love, didn’t hesitate to slap them down. As promised, the party stripped the state of all its 210 delegates. They have yet to relent, though Dean now is talking to Florida Democrats and has signaled that the party would go along with an arrangement for seating the delegation as long as it satisfies both candidates.

In the end, Florida Democrats may well take their place at the convention. But they are unlikely to make the crucial difference in the close race for the nomination, because neither candidate will agree to anything that puts them at a clear disadvantage.

Florida members of Congress are discussing ideas to present to Dean and the candidates, including one that would seat the elected delegates based on the January results but give them half a vote. That would give Clinton, who won the primary, a gain of 19 delegates. She likely would gather a few more from unpledged super delegates.

Would Obama agree to such a proposal? Much depends on the results in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other primary states to come. If Clinton fares well, Obama is unlikely to accept any Florida deal that leaves him with even a slight disadvantage. If Obama wins the late primaries, he could agree to such a plan because he would have the nomination wrapped up.

Most voters want Florida to be counted for its own sake, regardless of which candidate wins the nomination. Still bruised from the snafus and five weeks of recounts in the 2000 election that brought George W. Bush to the White House, Florida Democrats are especially eager to put the primary flap behind them, unite and prepare for the fall campaign.