Rules and Bylaws

A meeting of the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee is not the sort of thing that will ever make for good television, but due to the prolonged ridiculousness of this campaign today’s meeting is being covered by all the major news outlets as if it was. I’m an addict for this stuff, I freely admit that, and in spite of myself I have looked in on the process a few times this afternoon. And each time I have been struck by how incredibly arrogant and unapologetic are the representatives from the states of Michigan and Florida. Who are these people to demand anything when they knowingly and willfully broke party rules for no other reason than a childish desire to cut the line and be first? If they had any shame at all then they would be mortified to stand up and argue that the results of their non-sanctioned primary contests should be honored.

The Democratic Party needs to make nice with two states that will surely impact the outcome in November—but the rest of us do not. A compromise is sure to be reached by the time the committee adjourns this evening, but any such compromise is a slap in the face to every voter in every state that followed the rules and voted in turn.

This is not a question of Clinton vs. Obama despite that being exactly how the battle lines have been drawn. This is a question of order and an example of the necessity of the rule of law. Chaos will reign in 2012 if the full delegations from Michigan and Florida are seated in Denver. Only two states jumped the line this time around. If there is no repercussion then that number will grow in four years.

These are the days that remind me exactly why it is that I am an independent.