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Subject:
From:
Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:28:28 EST
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So I suppose you wanna have your votes and eat them too? Somehow I knew you  
understood me Paco and you just love them votes. To wit:
 
 
Masoud wrote: You probably missed what I was saying in my pioneer  
commentary."

[Au contraire, I have read it and suprise, suprise agreed  with some parts of 
your argument.] Mori.
 
And you did not state thusly. But you were adamant about the supposed  
disagreement which is non-existent.
 
"I responded to your subsequent post to challenge your meme that Obama  and 
his supporters are trying to change the rules regarding the role of  
superdelegates." Mori.
 
That was me sharing the intent of Obama-heads to insult the intelligence  of 
superdelegates and armtwist them into voting for him because of fosse  
numerical advantage.
 
"Nothing could be further from the truth." Mori.
 
How so?
 
"Moreover you are comparing apples to oranges when you compare the rule  that 
bar the michigan and florida delegates from been seated to the rule that  
super delegates can vote for any candidate." Mori.

 

I don't understand Mori. They are both rules as you admit. They were both  
agreed to prior to the campaigns, the superdelegates for umpteen years and the  
MILF rule more recently. Change of either now means changing the rules  
mid-contest.
 
"DNC rules do not obligate super delegates to thwart the popular will of  
Democratic primary voters and caucus goers. Just as DNC rules allow for super  
delegates to thwart the popular will of Democratic primary voters and caucus  
goers, those same rules allow for super delegates to ratify the popular will of  
Democratic primary voters and caucus goers. Both are well within the rules. 
The  decision is up to the super delegates." Mori.
 
Exactly. I agree with you Ousman. And you agree with me on the  superdelegate 
rule. In other words the character of the rule of superdelegates  is the 
discretionary nature of their votes.
 
"Whilst in the case of Michigan and Florida, the rule specifically said  they 
won't be counted." Mori.
 
Right. The character of the MILF rule says that having thwarted the  schedule 
of the party, the states' delegates will not be seated at the  convention or 
counted toward either candidate's fortunes. So we agree again  Mori.
 
"The difference is that if super delegates decide to ratify the popular  will 
of Democratic primary voters and caucus goers, then super delegates are  
upholding both the rules of the DNC and the principle of democracy. In other  
words, voting to thwart the popular will upholds DNC rules, but not their  values, 
while voting to ratify the popular will upholds both DNC rules and  values." 
Mori.
 
This is where I think you tried to manufacture disagreement. You are  
addressing the UNDEMOCRATIC value of the superdelegate structure but you pretend  to 
be oblivious to the undemocratic nature of the MILF rule. The MILF rule is  
UNDEMOCRATIC because the desire of the DNC to schedule primaries and caucuses of 
 states to fit into a certain calendar is inconsiderate of the states and 
their  voters. Why would tradition and authority of the DNC trump the value of 
freedom  of will and association for industry???? A simple negotiation prior to  
campaigning would yield compromise. But the DNC, given to some authoritarian  
posture, did not anticipate such a contentious contest. So unless you believe 
 the DNC bieng biased to IOWA and NEWHAMPSHIRE in primary and caucus 
schedules,  you would agree that all states are equal in the schedules of their 
primaries  and caucuses. What'll it be Paco??
 
"I have a feeling that at the end of the most superdelegates will vote to  
uphold both the rules and values." Mori.
 
I understood. You like votes. And you will arm-twist the superdelegates to  
vote against their consciences as long as that means votes for Obama.  
Intimidation. Browbeat. What says the value of popular will in an ethnically and  
sexually-tinged election trumps the value of the conscience of a  
superdelegate???? Besides, the superdelegates are ethnically diverse also but  numerically 
disadvantagious to Latinos, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, and  Pacific 
Islanders. You get the dichotomy don't you?????

Therefore, save  for the manufactured difference, the two arrangements are 
rules of the DNC,  agreed to prior to campaigning. You can offer argument as to 
character of the  two rules. RULES nonetheless. And if you are purely averse 
to CHANGING RULES  MID-CONTEST, you wouldn't change either now. You quibble 
about it after the  contest having licked your DEMOCRATIC chops.
 
Good speaking with you. This was the engineer in you. In fabrication mode.  
And you didn't even know it.
 
Masoud. MQJGDT. Darbo. AL Mu'Umin. Wa Khaalal Mala'a min khawmihee  Lletheena 
Khafaroo Bi-Likhaa'El Akhariti wa-Atrafnaahum fil hayaati Ddunyaa Maa  
Haathaa Illaa basharun mithlukum Ya'akulu mimmaa ta'Akuloona minhu wa-yashrabu  
mimmaa tashraboona. The strict constructionist lacks panoramic  perspective.
 
Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Mori,

You probably  missed what I was saying in my pioneer commentary. I present  
it 
here  again:

Haruna Darbo   wrote: It is agreed that the agreement  adopted  by  the 
democratic party to  discount 
Michigan  and Florida  delegates  because their respective state parties  
veered from the  primary and  caucus schedules is UNDEMOCRATIC and  it should 
not 
have  been  considered in the first place. However,  it was considered and  
adopted prior to campaigning and the decision  should stand. Whatever affect  
it has 

on Democratic party fortunes  for this year's presidential  elections  must 
be 
absorbed and the  party can reconsider the  arrangement for  the next  
elections.

It is also agreed that the  idea of super delegates  determining the nominee 
in the event of a tie  or when  neither  candidate achieves the requisite 
number 
of  primary  and   caucus delegates, is UNDEMOCRATIC. And it should not have  
been adopted  by the democratic party in the first place. However, it  was   
adopted 
and all competitors for nomination knew and   implicitly  accepted that 
arrangement  prior to campaigning for  the  nomination,  and the arrangement 
should 
stand. Whatever  affect it has on  Democratic  party fortunes for this year's 
 
presidential  elections  must be  absorbed and the party can  reconsider the 
arrangement for  the  next elections.

Fair  is fair, and quit whining yourselves  to defeat Democrats. If the  
Michigan and Florida delegates are to be  counted, then the  superdelegate 
structure 
must be squashed.  Alternatively, if  the  superdelegate structure is to  be 
squashed,  then the Florida  and  Michigan delegates must be counted. That is 
what  I see to be  the  essence of Hillary Clinton's argument. It makes 
sense,  it 
is  honourable, and it is fair.

Now then my friend Ousman, and I see you're  still here with us.

Haruna wrote: "I understand how you or another can  read greed into  it. 
Trust 
me when I first heard Hillary wishes to have  Florida and Michigan  delegates 
be seated and counted, I looked at the  rationale behind it. I came to  find 
out the Obama-heads wished to  disenfranchise her delegates from those  
states 
and whip up a  groundswell of chatter about the undemocratic nature of   
superdelegates. The two are astute lawyers and they have lawyers managing  
their  
campaigns. There is a  subtle trick in lawyering and I will  explain  later."

Mori wrote: [Not so fast my friend. How did you  arrive at the  conclusion 
that Obama heads are trying to disenfranchise  delegates from the two  
states?] 

See the maiden note  above.

"The Democratic National Committee with the approval of both  campaigns  laid 
down their rules." Mori.

Exactly. The rules for  both Michigan and Florida delegates and the  
superdelegates. I agree  with you Ousman.

"Michigan and Florida broke the rules."  Mori.

Exactly. Not the voters, but the party apparatchik.

[Your  solution? Rules don't matter as long as your candidate benefits  from  
breaking those rules.] Mori.

NO. My solution is: Michigan and Florida  delegates don't count and the  
superdelegate structure stays. The two  can be revisited after the elections 
and  
when they are, the  superdelegate structure will be ammended for more 
democracy  
and the  DNC would leave scheduling of primaries and caucuses to the state   
parties as long as no two primaries or caucuses conflict in date only. There  
is  
another drawback to that but that is comparatively insignificant. I  said 
that 
if  the Obama folk insist on revamping the superdelegate  structure prior to 
the  convention, then Florida and Michigan delegates  must be seated and 
counted. 
I  think we are on the same plane now  Ousman.

"Granted, Michigan and Florida are particularly important states  in the  
general election," Mori.

For me, Florida and Michigan  are not any more important than Maine and  
Hawaii.

"but their  party leadership screwed the states by breaking DNC rules. So  
the  
states -- who could've been influential in the regular calendar --  held  
potemkin contests and are now nothing more than pawns in the  
Clintontonista's  
efforts to gain an unfair advantage." Mori.

NO  Mori. They are not pawns. The voters voted their wishes. The Party   
Apparatchik screwed up, not the voters. Hillary Clinton did not force   
anyone to 
vote for her. Neither did Obama force anyone to vote for him. I  know  the 
blacks 
and Arab-Americans did not vote in the numbers they  would have if  their 
votes 
were to count, and that is precisely why I  say Michigan and Florida  
delegates ought not be counted or seated in  this nomination race. I think 
you  agree 
with that don't  you?

"So what to do?" Mori.

See immediately above.

"Well it  is not easy, but for the sake of the party, I think they should  
split  the delegates from Michigan and Florida 50/50. Give Clinton half the   
delegates, Obama the other half." Mori.

No Mori. I know you like  votes but if you were to split the votes  (doesn't 
matter however you  would split it) you will have counted and honoured  the 
delegates  somehow, correct? You would therefore renege on the prior  
arrangement  
between the candidates and of the DNC not to honour the delegates.  An  
arrangement, signed, sealed, and delivered prior to commencement of  the  
campaigns. I 
understand that you want this cockamayme and  seemingly  "compromising 
arrangement" because you have your eyes set on  Hillary's  superdelegates. 
New 
Gambians!!! I think PDOIS should make  you their campaign  strategist. Call 
uncle 
Suntou. He knows people in  PDOIS. Maybe you can help them  wake up from 
their 
sleepless slumber.  No not you Mr. Jobarteh.

"The states get representation at the  convention, but we don't have to  
change the rules of the game  mid-contest in a way that impacts the race  
unfairly."  
Mori.

Mori, if we do what you suggest 50/50 split, we WILL HAVE  CHANGED  THE RULES 
OF THE GAME MID-CONTEST. Forget the  impact.

"Sure, the Clinton partisans wouldn't like it, but if the issue  is  
enfranchising those state's Democrats, this is the fair way to do  it."  Mori.

No. Hillary and Obama will be more than happy to yield  to my solution.  
There 
is no other solution worth considering and they  know it as astute lawyers.  
Your solution is partisan, biased, and  disingenuous. Run it by Obama along 
side 
my solution and see what he  says.

"Remember, those states didn't have real contests. Many Democrats  stayed  
home because their vote wasn't supposed to count. Seating the  delegations 
based  
on the delegates Clinton won isn't representative of  the state's will."  
Mori.

I agree with you Mori. Believe it or  not.

"If we can't have a new contest to determine the real apportionment  of  the 
delegates, then let's simply seat them, but in a way that they  don't impact  
the race." Mori.

NO. We are not having a new  contest and we are not seating the delegates.  
We 
are also not  revamping the superdelegate structure now or at anytime prior 
to 
the  nomination. If we do it, I will personally file a lawsuit againt the DNC 
 
in  district court.

OK. Bye! Masoud. MQJGDT. Darbo. Al  Khairawan.

Haruna Darbo  wrote: Mo,

How are you  again?  Good to see you.

I understand how you or another can read greed   into it. Trust me when I  
first heard Hillary wishes to have  Florida  and Michigan delegates be seated 
and  
counted, I  looked at the  rationale behind it. I came to find out the  
Obama-heads  wished to  disenfranchise her delegates from those  states and 
whip up a   
groundswell of chatter about the  undemocratic nature of superdelegates. The  
two  
are astute  lawyers and they have lawyers managing their campaigns.  There is 
 
a  
subtle trick in lawyering and I will explain   later.

Now the Obama-heads like Ousman had counted on momentum from   Obama's series 
 
of potomac wins and serial-endorsers to maintain a  lead  over Hillary and dam
pen  any hopes of Texas, Pennsylvania,  Ohio, etc.  yielding the comeback 
kid. 
Like  Husband, like wife.  And if that held  true, then they wish to attack 
the   
conscience of superdelegates. They  are not really worried about the  
undemocratic 
nature of the superdelegates  so much as affecting the  latter's conscience 
in 
their favour. The  superdelegate structure has  been there for decades 
without 
challenge as my  friend Erskine Bowles  would testify. To hedge against this 
bet,   Hillary argues that  she wishes the Florida and Michigan delegates be  
included.   Publicly, Hillary's camp had been silent on the  superdelegates 
matter  
but they  have been campaigning as if the  structure is immune to  revamp at 
this 
late hour.  That is where I  derived the  implicit argument of Hillary that 
she 
wishes the    superdelegate structure remain intact. I have sent my own 
comments to   the  DNC.

Now the two candidates are playing the trick of ask for  a  pound and should  
you receive an ounce, you will remain  victorious.  Neither of the candidates 
are 
terribly interested in  the fortunes of the  Democratic party at large at 
this 
point. They are  both understandably  selfish for now. The matter will come 
to 
haunt  them when either faces John  McCain. All of a sudden, John McCain  
appears  pleasing. Unless of  course the matter of Clinton V Obama  is 
settled 
prior 
to the   convention which is what I think  will happen so they can go into 
the 

convention  unified and  stronger against the Republicans.

Modou,  I like you a lot that is  why I shared some proprietary information   
here au  gratis.

Masoud. MQJGDT. Darbo. AL Mu'Umin.


In a  message  dated 2/15/2008 10:54:33 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,    
[log in to unmask] writes:

Haruna,
I think Hillary  Clinton's  argument is that superdelegates  should remain 
AND 
that  Florida and  Michigan delegates should be seated. Please  review her  
statements on  both issues...

Full Disclosure: I am also a   hopemonger  :-)

best,
Modou

Haruna Darbo    wrote: It is agreed  that the agreement 
adopted by  the democratic  party to  discount  
Michigan and Florida delegates  because  their respective state  parties  
veered 
from the primary  and  caucus schedules is  UNDEMOCRATIC and it should not   
have 
been  considered in the  first place. However, it was  considered and adopted 
 

prior to  campaigning and the decision  should stand. Whatever affect it has  
 
on  
Democratic  party fortunes for this year's presidential  elections  must be   
absorbed and the party can reconsider the  arrangement for  the  next  
elections.

It is also agreed  that the idea of  super  delegates determining the nominee 
 
in the  event of a  tie or when  neither candidate achieves the requisite 
number   
of  primary and  caucus delegates, is UNDEMOCRATIC. And it  should  not have 
been   
adopted by the democratic party  in the first  place. However, it was  
adopted 
and  all  competitors for  nomination knew and implicitly  accepted that  
arrangement  prior  to campaigning for the nomination,  and  the arrangement 
should stand.  
Whatever affect it has on  Democratic  party fortunes for this year's  
presidential   elections must be  absorbed and the party can  reconsider the  
arrangement 
for the  next   elections.

Fair is  fair and quit whining yourselves to defeat   Democrats. If the   
Michigan and Florida delegates are to be  counted,  then the  superdelegate  
structure 
must be squashed.  Alternatively,  if  the superdelegate structure is to  be 
squashed,  then the  Florida and  Michigan delegates must be counted. That is 
 

what  I 
see to be the  essence of Hillary Clinton's argument. It  makes  sense, it  
is 

honourable, and it is fair.

Masoud.   MQJGDT. Darbo. Al  Mutawakkil.



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