When he said both candidates must approve of a revote plan I just about lost it. That's a surefire way for a revote to never happen. I don't care what year, what two candidates you have, one candidate will always disagree with the conditions.

And who loses in the end? The Democratic party. Voters in these states will remember this for years. If they voted for Hillary and their votes do not count, and she doesn't get the nomination this will burn. If their votes count and she doesn't get the nomination that's a different story.

I am dumbfounded that Dean made this conditional on both candidate's approval. That makes NO sense at all. Make it conditional on that state legislature's approval.

who is afraid to have the vote play out?  Why does Dean feel like he can take a risk on that candidate as the nominee for the good of the party?  

VOTES IN THOSE STATES CAN CHANGE THE OUTCOME.

that is reason enough strategy-wise to absolutely insist that it happen.

The nomination doesn't formally occur until the votes are cast at the convention.  

The delegates will be seated.  Beleive you me. The credentials committe will authenticate and it will be done.  

Prior to that, there might be some kind of accord, but even IF not...the crendentials committee will settle it before the nomination is granted.  

Dr. Dean is through as the chairman of the party.  While I think it is fair to say that his 50-state strategy helped in '06, he has been clumsy in dealing with the '08 pres battle.  

When the dust settles on the nomination, the supporters of the losing candidate will demand Dean's head.  They'll get it too.

the impasse is a hoax, the rules are being followed.  everyone knew fl and mi wouldn't count, it shouldnt shock you that they don't.  The delegates will still be able to attend the convention im sure, its just that they will either be with the presumed nominee or split 50/50.  that is a fair way of distrubuting delegates.  if FL and MI are mad they should be mad at their state leaders who thought themselves above the rules.

I take issue with ANYONE attacking the man that, back in 2003, breathed life back into the corpse of the Democratic party -- and then just 3 years later, brought us our first majorities in more than a decade.

Howard Dean has been the greatest DNC chair of my lifetime.

The blame here lies with the FL and MI legislatures.  They both nixed any resolutions -- neither agreed to nor submitted any plan for either Dean, the Rules Committee, or the two candidates to consider.

Had they agreed on a remedy - and Dean (or Obama) rejected it, you'd have a leg to stand on.  As it stands - direct your bile towards the state leaders.

The 50 state strategy is alive and well.  2 states opted out of the primarys.  Dr. Dean warned them ahead of time.  They didn't listen.  He then gave them a chance to change their mind.  They chose not to.  He said he was open to a revote.  The states failed to make that happen.  None of this is Howard Dean's fault.

Obama will campaign in all 50 states during the GE.  Hilary thinks most of the states don't count.  If you want to call someone out as the antithesis of the 50 state strategy is should be her.

I just wish that we would quit acting like Florida is purple.  It's red in my eyes until there is some evidence to the contrary.  What party is the gov from?  How 'bout the previous one?  Which party holds majorities in congress?  The norhern part of the state is referred to by its own inhabitants as Florgia or Floribama.  The age demographic in the middle of the state (aka Heaven's waiting room) makes it a GOP leaning area.  The southern part of the state has a very large Cubano population.  That's another demopgraphic that breaks heavily GOP.  Electoral results in the state bare out what I am saying.

The 18 state strategy is what we need!

Dean's only sticking to the rules he laid out before the contests began -- and which all sides agreed to.

Having said that, it's unfortunate that two swing states that are critical to Democratic efforts are going to go voiceless in selecting our nominee.

At the very least, Florida should count. Both candidates were on the ballot, 1.7 million Democrats took time to vote, and that should count for something.

HOWEVER, at the same time, I completely understand Dean's problem that this could lead as someone put it to "primaries during Halloween." It would not be good if the national party acquiesces and gives in. It's a very tough debate, and I really do see both sides.

So does it come down to a) counting every vote, or b) sticking to a good calendar for primaries?

I don't know.

Dean has helped the Democratic Party gain control of the House, Senate, and numerous state governments.  Refusing to change the rules to help Hillary gain the nomination is not failure.  

Michigan and Florida can make no significant difference in the delegate lead.  Hillary's campaign has admitted this.  The only way this contest is "close" is if Hillary can gain a large majority of the super delegates.  The only way thats even conceivable is if she can provide justification that she won "big states".  

door while the important big states have been walking out the back.

But hey, his goal of bringing small red states into the fold seems to be working.

But at what cost?

And don't forget...the DNC and Clinton agreed to the Mich. Re-Vote, but BO - who has always claimed he would follow the rulz set down by the DNC - was the one that said no....chicken shit.

I want Howard Dean to resign now.  And I'm from NH -- one of those early primary states Dean was pretending to protect.  Guess what:  the State of New Hampshire early on put out a public statement that NH was ok with Florida's date change because the new date still came after all the early states of IA, NH, SC, and NV.

Why did Dean not have the foresight to nip this in the bud and resolve it before the primaries even started?  Is he just that stupid and that incompetent?  Why has Dean been dragging this out?  I think we all know why and we know who that benefits.

Fire Howard Dean for the good of the Democratic Party and the good of the country.  

If Dean is failing at the DNC, then I'd like to see more of this kind of failure.

Seriously, the entire premise of your diary is wrong.  Your hatred blinds you.

Dean should have resigned a long time ago because he's been a wuss from day one, and I saw Donna Brazile's bias months ago. It's not paranoia to NOTICE THINGS.

This situation is inexcusable.  If I were a disenfranchised voter in Michigan or Florida I'd be furious.  I'm furious that a few people in the Democratic party have the nuts to try to pull a coup for Obama like this!  The Democratic party should own up to the fact that they made a mistake, count the votes that have been case like they should have, and too bad if it doesn't come out for the candidate they initially wanted! This isn't up to them, it's up to the voters. Let their votes count.

This has me steamed, so I can only imagine how the voter in Michigan and Florida feel.   Hillary won those states, now grow up %$#@ Democratic party and let her have the votes that were cast for her.  Why is this like rocket science for some people? This is simple: Votes were cast. Count them. Whoever gets the most wins those states. I don't care about some party elites tantrums.