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Posted
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 2:36 PM
| By
Christopher Beam
Today’s Democratic Florida primary is a political inkblot test.
Given that no delegates are being awarded (for now), you can pretty much interpret the
“beauty contest” results however you want.
As a result, the propaganda battle between the Clinton and
Obama camps has reached fever pitch. Both sides have held conference calls
outlining their cases for why Florida’s
primary does or doesn’t matter. Here’s a quick rundown of their arguments:
Clinton: Florida is an important state that deserves
a role in the democratic process. I will do everything I can to seat its
delegates at the national convention.
Obama: Because Florida violated the
four-state pledge, the Democratic National Committee stripped the state’s
delegates. Florida is therefore meaningless.
Clinton: A record number of people are turning
out, both in absentee ballots and early voting tallies.
Obama: There’s a
controversial property tax ballot measure drawing people to the polls. Also,
the state has no delegates.
Clinton: Obama violated the four-state pledge
by running national TV ads that broadcast in Florida.
That shows he’s taking the race seriously.
Obama: Sorry, no
delegates.
Clinton: Even if we couldn’t campaign in the
state, there is tons of ground organization on both sides, suggesting that this
is a real contest with significant results.
Obama: No hay
delegatos. Comprende?
Clinton: Florida matters because I’m going to win.
Obama: Not any
delegates, you’re not.
Maybe it’s a little more substantive than that, but not
by much.
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