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Posted: January 15, 2008 5:47 PM
Michigan Democrats Marginalized in Complicated Contest
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If Michiganders request a Democratic ballot at their primary voting precinct today, their votes may or may not matter in the party’s quest to select a nominee for the general election.

The eighth-most-populous state moved its primaries ahead of Feb. 5 or “Super Tuesday” to gain national attention for its worst-in-the-country 7.4 percent unemployment rate, flagging automotive industry and other woes.

As punishment, the national Democratic Party stripped Michigan of all its 128 delegates. The national GOP took away half of Michigan’s delegates.

To show respect to Democratic Party rules, most candidates — including Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards — removed their names from Michigan’s ballot and agreed not to campaign there during the primaries.

But several names remain on the Democratic ticket, most notably Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. The others are Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, former Sen. Mike Gravel and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., who dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses. Write-in votes won’t be counted.

Obama and Edwards would prefer Wolverine State Democrats cast their votes for “uncommitted” — effectively an anti-Hillary referendum. Those delegates would be free agents who could back any candidate if they get seated at the August convention. If the delegates don’t get seated, ballots cast Tuesday in Michigan could just be largely for bragging rights.

“Clinton is certain to win the primary, but a large uncommitted vote could taint the victory,” the Dallas Morning News reported. Democrats could even request GOP ballots and vote for a moderate such as Ariz. Sen. John McCain.

Kucinich is the only Democrat to actively campaign in Michigan immediately before Tuesday’s largely symbolic primary.

“To add insult to injury, you’re told to vote ‘uncommitted’,” Kucinich told a crowd at the University of Michigan on Monday. “You can support our campaign, and no one will take Michigan for granted again.”

Obama supporter and Michigan Rep. John Conyers Jr. started running radio commercials last week asking fellow Democrats to vote uncommitted, the Detroit news reported.

According to state election rules, “uncommitted” would have to get 15 percent of the vote in a congressional district to secure any delegates.

Officials across the state told the Associated Press that they expect about one in five voters to cast ballots today.

Asked whether Michigan will achieve its goal by sacrificing delegates to move up the primary, Rick Pluta, state Capitol bureau chief for the Michigan Public Radio Network, said that depends.

“Michigan Democrats are unlikely to have a say in who their presidential nominee is,” he wrote during an online chat Tuesday morning on washingtonpost.com. But it does seem to have shifted discussions to the [economy], manufacturing and enforcing trade agreements.”

If and when Michigan’s Democratic delegates go to the convention later this year in Denver, they don’t even have hotel rooms — for now. Maybe they should see if they can crash on the floor at their friends’ dorm or find some other accommodations.

Homemaker and Troy resident Linda McGhee, 58, was undecided headed into Tuesday’s primary.

“I guess I’ll vote for Hillary,” she told the Dallas Morning News. “But I’ve got to tell you. I’ve been more confused in this election than any election. It’s been crazy.”