Let other states have early say in picking nominees
Published November 13, 2003
Re: Iowa, New Hampshire do their duty, by David S. Broder, Oct. 29.
Broder extols the civic virtues of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire who take the business of sizing up presidential hopefuls very seriously. Yet many other states have little or no say in the nomination process. Every four years, Iowa and New Hampshire folks get up close and personal with the contenders without the filter of pollsters and television. This is supposed to give lesser-known candidates the opportunity to emerge while simultaneously separating the wheat from the chaff. Often, however, the pundits measure results not by number of delegates captured but rather by whether a candidate has met or not met the expectations of the media. By the time Floridians get to cast a primary vote, Iowa and New Hampshire voters have accomplished the early scrutiny, the pundits have told us how to interpret the votes and some of the early entrants have folded their tents.
Consider that this early assessment of presidential potential has been done by voters in relatively small Northern states with a population that is about 95 percent white. There is a value in having candidates in voters' living rooms, but we don't need the same living rooms every four years. At least move these early nominating processes around. Two different states for 2008; another two for 2012, etc. Let's see what voters in Florida - a state with 14.6 percent black and 16.8 percent Hispanic origin populationhave to say. We can subject candidates to rigorous scrutiny as well as anyone.
Some Florida Democrats, understandably frustrated because our primary comes on March 9, likely too late to influence the nomination, are supporting a straw poll of delegates at the Florida Democratic Party's state convention in December. A straw vote will enliven the meeting and maybe attract some candidates and national press. But a straw vote is just a measure of the sentiment of some 3,000 party activists present.
Let's throw out a more than 50-year-old tradition in New Hampshire (1952 for the first "modern primary") and 30 years in Iowa (1972), and mark 2004 as their swan song until other states have had similar opportunities. Let's also throw out a straw vote because at this late date it cannot reflect the choices of the broad base of Florida Democrats.
At the Democratic Party State Convention, Dec. 5-7 in Orlando, delegates should pass a resolution instructing our Democratic National Committee members to form alliances with other states to effect immediate change in the presidential nominating process.
If Iowa and New Hampshire will not change their dates, the Democratic National Committee must sanction earlier nominating processes in other states. The time has come to have a procedure for selecting candidates for president that better reflects American voters in the 21st century. Florida Democrats need to lead the way.
-- Suzie Wrenn, St. Petersburg
Straw ballot: democracy on display
The Democratic National Committee is getting an enormously painful wedgie over a possible straw ballot of delegates to the Florida Democratic Convention, Dec. 5-7 in Orlando. The people at the DNC are so lathered up about this that they are telling the nine presidential candidates to stay away from the convention if there is a straw ballot.
My guess is the DNC officials already know which candidate they want (electable Joe Lieberman?) and they're afraid that a candidate they don't want will make a strong showing. For instance, imagine their dismay if someone like, say, Dennis Kucinich won in a landslide. Not to play with what ifs, but what if delegates got to say which candidates they preferred at conventions of both parties in all the states?
The DNC should get over it. It's a straw ballot. It's not a primary. It doesn't count. Or does it? The fact that the DNC so strongly opposes it suggests that while a straw ballot may not count, it does matter. Democracy like this, breaking out all over, could shake up the leadership and control in both major parties. Democracy in the Republican Party? What would Karl Rove do?
The DNC may think a straw ballot is a red-headed stepchild, but it is democratic and democracy is never pretty.
-- R.E. Hersh, Boca Raton
An unwanted vote?
Re: Howard Dean's Confederate flag remarks.
I have pondered long and hard the remarks Howard Dean made concerning Southern voters displaying the Confederate flag in their pickup trucks and the ensuing firestorm that has swept through the politically correct establishment. His belated half-hearted apology did nothing to atone for or assuage the offense and hurt caused by his pandering for the votes of these hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Southern voters. The only way he and the other candidates can set things right is to make it clear they do not want the vote of anyone who displays the Confederate flag.
Oh, well. Mine is getting tattered and frayed anyway, and I really don't have to vote for anybody.
-- Larry Travis, Tarpon Springs
Another insensitive stereotype
Re: Dean's pickup line, editorial, and Integrity died when CBS caved on "The Reagans," and other letters, Nov. 7.
I found it very interesting that in your editorial referring to Howard Dean's reference to Southern voters and pickup trucks, you wrote, ". . . Dean unnecessarily perpetuated an insensitive stereotype . . ."
I found it interesting because on the next page four letters were printed complaining of CBS' not running The Reagans miniseries in which I feel CBS, to use your words, "unnecessarily perpetuated an insensitive stereotype" of President and Mrs. Reagan.
-- Raymond A. Hansen, Clearwater
Avoiding networks might be good
Re: The Reagans miniseries.
I note that a few of your readers are vowing to boycott CBS after it canceled The Reagans miniseries because it was biased.
Perhaps the right wing has inadvertently done these readers a favor. If they could be convinced to boycott all network news then perhaps they might start to think for themselves rather than mindlessly regurgitate the liberal slant with which almost all news is delivered by the mainstream media.
-- Tom Booker, Oldsmar
Not all revere Reagan
Re: Ronald Reagan movie.
Since Sean Hannity of Hannity & Colmes gets to sit there nightly and paint negative pictures of people who don't agree with him, everyone should be allowed to see the movie about the Reagans. All is fair in love and war.
As for Bonzo's dad being one of the greatest presidents we ever had, all I have to say is, more times than not, only Republicans feel that way.
-- Jane Kukla, Spring Hill
Political pressure and photo-ops
Re: Lynch criticizes military in interview; doctors don't think she was raped, Nov. 8.
The hypocrites who made CBS cower to political pressure by claiming The Reagans had misleading scenes have been, not surprisingly, silent regarding the likely fiction of the Jessica Lynch story. Considering all the other lies from the Bush administration and the conflicting reports on her "rescue" in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian (United Kingdom), the British Broadcasting Corp., etc., this so-called rescue looks like nothing more than another Bush administration photo-op. Worse yet, since the reports say the Iraqi forces had abandoned the area, this soldier may have been kept in the Iraq hospital for days after the hospital staff had arranged to transfer her to the U.S. military - all so this staged rescue could be captured on cameras by soldiers, not journalists. Even Jessica Lynch herself now says the military used her to sway public support for the war in Iraq.
All Americans should be concerned about CBS cowering to political pressure. And all Americans should be concerned that it is likely that this soldier was a pawn in the Bush administration's photo-op strategy.
-- Daniel Favero, St. Petersburg
Return to military health care
Re: MacDill draws a crowd for medicine, Nov. 9.
It is shocking that the MacDill Air Force Base hospital has only 12 inpatient beds. But it does not surprise me.
If the Pentagon and Congress had their wish, those 12 beds would have been dumped into Tampa Bay a long time ago.
A battle cry being heard in the military medical community is "Recapture Military Medicine." It is time we return military medicine to the military and dump the Pentagon's HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) that are destroying what was the world's finest military health care delivery system!
-- Robert F. Sawallesh, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army, retired, Valrico
In need of new leadership
Re: Going soft on dirty air, editorial, Nov. 10.
The Clean Air Act was changed so that electric power companies could spew out dirty smoke into the air without using costly air cleaners - making their profits higher. How did this help the economy? Did your fuel bills go down? The Clean Water Act was also changed back to what it was in pre-Nixon days so that the mining companies could dump waste water into streams - making profits higher for them.
These changes are just a small example of what has happened to aid and protect the companies that fund this administration's re-election fund.
Why do so many important announcements and signings happen on Friday? Because fewer people watch the news on Fridays and do not read the newspapers on Saturdays. Thus almost everything that happens on Friday is under the radar, so to speak.
It is time for a person who is not an underhanded politician to become the leader of the free world, a man who has no agenda other that making the United States what it should be. The people need a person who cares and wants to make us all equal: Help create jobs, bring us all affordable medical benefits, fund schools, provide child care, elder care and environmental protection, someone who will bring back "the American dream" and create a true foreign policy.
The Democrats can and will do better. This current Republican administration is putting every American in danger for generations to come.
-- Kathy Evilsizer, Crystal River
All should have clean air
Your editorial, Going soft on dirty air, was so complete and so necessary at this time. I hope lots of people digest the facts that you have pointed out. Both Republicans and Democrats should have the luxury of breathing clean air, and I hope both groups read those facts. There is enough money in this country to pay for power plants that use the latest and best filtering equipment.
-- Doten Warner, Lutz
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