**UPDATED**
I am no computer whiz. I screwed up the html at the bottom of the post and cut myself off.
**UPDATED**
Clinton's campaign is threatening to challenge the Texas Democratic Party on the way they run their dual primary-caucus this March 4th. This, despite the fact that Bill Clinton helped to develop those rules, those rules have been in place since at least the early 90s, and Texas is very happy with them.
From the
AP via Yahoo:
Aides to Clinton said earlier this week they were alarmed at the lack of clarity about many of the caucus rules and expressed their concerns on a conference call with Obama's staff and state party officials. Texas has a two-step voting process, with a
primary and then caucuses shortly after the polls close.
Specifically, Clinton aides questioned a provision allowing caucus attendees to vote to move the location if they choose to do so, and whether people who had cast so-called "provisional ballots" in the primary would have their votes counted in the caucus.
They also expressed concern about the automated phone system precinct chairs would use to call in the results of each caucus, saying the party hadn't yet trained anyone to use the system properly.
Clinton political director Guy Cecil said he asked party officials to spell out the rules in memo form and to send them to both campaigns.
"We want to see the results in writing, and we reserve the right to challenge something if we don't believe it reflects something that was discussed on the call," he said, insisting that if there were clear problems with how the caucuses were being run, "you are allowed to say something about it."
I get frustrated by all the yammering from this campaign. Instead of strategizing, they run against obstacles and not only want to change the rules of the game, they want to change the game itself -- in this case, it's no longer about who can build the better campaign apparatus, who has the stronger message, the best track record, is the most inspiring, or looks better on paper, now it's about who is best at wrecking havoc on the alliance of the various Democratic state parties and intimidating them into falling in line.
I hope voters of Texas and Ohio walk away from this campaign and all its rhetoric of fear. Hillary Clinton has never made me feel safer and tactics like this buttress the argument that she doesn't know what the hell she's doing and is copying someone else's homework (Karl Rove, anyone?). Come up with your own campaign slogans, stop market-testing your policies, and PLAY BY THE RULES. Might do something to convince folks you recognize what the RULE OF LAW means and have REJECTED your husband's own fast-and-loose truth-telling that ushered in GWB and the "compassionate conservates" all over the country.
Labels: campaign, Caucus, Democrats, Dirty Tricks, Election 08, Hillary Clinton, Karl Rove, March 4, Ohio, politics, Primary, Texas
