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Two Florida Dems Propose New Plan For Countng Vote

Posted Mar 19, 2008 by Russell Ray, Tribune Tallahassee Bureau

Updated Mar 19, 2008 at 03:45 PM

Two Florida Democrats have come up with another proposal for divvying up Florida’s delegates, calling it “reasonable and rational,” and calling on the Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns to embrace the idea.

The plan by state Sens. Steve Geller and Jeremy Ring would allocate half of Florida’s 210 delegates based on results from the Jan. 29 primary.

The other half could be allocated based on a formula that both campaigns can agree to—possibly the national popular vote, excluding Florida and Michigan.

“You can’t have party leaders agree in a backroom,” Geller said at a news conference. “It has to be a formula that makes sense.”

The DNC refuses to seat Florida’s delegates at the national convention—in effect not counting the Jan. 29 primary—because the date was too early, a violation of party rules.

Based on the current popular vote—which will change as future primaries are held—the plan would give Clinton 114 Florida delegates and Obama 96, a margin of 18 for Clinton, counting all delegates, pledged and unpledged. That’s just under half the margin of 38 Clinton would be entitled to among pledged delegates only according to the Jan. 29 outcome, and she could get more among the unpledged delegates.

But Obama has said Clinton shouldn’t receive any delegate advantage based on the banned Jan. 29 vote.

Geller said Obama and Clinton should accept a compromise because, “Neither of the two campaigns can afford to alienate Florida.”