What Clinton will do about Michigan and Florida

POSTED BY Alexandra Steigrad, 27 March 2008

I was flipping through the channels last night, and I saw Hillary Clinton being interviewed by Greta Van Susteren. In the interview, Clinton addressed several issues, (Bosnia, Rev. Wright, her policy differences with Obama), but the most interesting part came when she was asked about Michigan and Florida. Essentially, Clinton will go to the convention and fight the credentials committee if the two states are not counted/seated. Because the entire country was able to vote, so must Michigan and Florida, else the nominee won't be "considered legitimate." For full transcript and video, click here.

CLINTON: Well, this is a really close election. You know, despite what, you know, some might say, it is a very close election in the popular vote and in the delegates. We have 10 contests ahead of us, plus don't forget Florida and Michigan.

You know, I keep beating this drum, we cannot disenfranchise two of the most important states for Democrats, Florida and Michigan. I don't think we can win if we don't win Michigan and Florida. So.

VAN SUSTEREN: You mean, you can't win?

CLINTON: I don't think a Democrat can win.

VAN SUSTEREN: You mean, in November.

CLINTON: In November. And we are essentially saying to the voters — we, the Democratic Party, is saying to the voters, your votes don't count, we are not going to have a re-vote, you are out of luck. I don't think that the nominee of the party will be considered legitimate if we don't figure out how to count those votes for Michigan and Florida.

So we have these 10 contests from Pennsylvania to Puerto Rico. We have Florida and Michigan. So there is a lot to be done. Millions of people are going to be voting in the next three months. And I hope that will include Florida and Michigan.

VAN SUSTEREN: You say you hope it will, but what is the — I mean, right now it looks like Michigan — I don't see any movement that that is happening.

CLINTON: Well, but look at what happened, the Democratic National Committee and I and my campaign said to the leadership of Michigan, we are willing to have a re-vote. I don't know how that would have turned out. I have no prediction.

We wanted to go ahead and let the people actually exercise their franchise, one of the most precious rights we have in our country. Senator Obama said no. He basically turned his back — I mean, here is somebody, you know, who runs a campaign about empowerment and all of that.

Well, hello, what about giving the people in Michigan a chance to have their voices and votes heard? Nobody knows how it would turn out. We know he has got a lot of resources. He could run a very vigorous campaign. But he doesn't want to give the people in Michigan that chance.

Similarly, we have been trying to support what is going on in Florida, because the people there want their voices and votes to be heard. And again, you know, Senator Obama doesn't want to support that.

But Michigan is really the clearest example of getting right up to the brink of doing the right thing and having Senator Obama say, no, I won't do it.

VAN SUSTEREN: And if he says, no, I won't do it, that leaves Michigan and Florida out. And does that leave you out?

CLINTON: No. Not at all, because we are going to make sure those votes get counted, one way or another.

VAN SUSTEREN: How?

CLINTON: Well, you know, you can always go to the convention. That is what credential fights are for. You know, let's have the Democratic Party go on record against seating the Michigan and Florida delegations three months before the general election? I don't think that will happen. I think they will be seated. So that is where we are headed if we don't get this worked out.