Confusing and manipulative.

I dont get this whole thing. Why doesn't CNN explain the effect, not just the actions these states are taking. Is this good for Repubs or Dems?

It's natural for Craig's children to want to believe him. What's not natural is for a "father" to drag his children into his deception and to use them to try to manipulate public opinion. Craig is gay or at the very least bisexual and he just needs to admit that first and foremost, to his family. Now Craig knows first hand the persecution he has so willingly laid on others in the gay community. Craig should at least be honest with his family. Where is he going to find his bathroom laisons now in Idaho…and better yet..keep them secret?

Go ahead Mr Dean - show contempt for State's rights in the democratic process and pursue a course to deny Michigan voters of representation in your party.

Florida + Michigan = 44 electoral votes for Republicans in the next Presidential candidate.

YAHOO! it is about time somebody has the courage to stand up to these party elits who seem more intrested in telling states what to do than getting our kids out of iraq - i am so tired of my party being so stupid picking the wrong fights with the wrong people - with this the governor is saying along with most democrats - "pick on somebody your own size DC DEMS!"

To heck with them all! Bunch of babies!

I think for the first time since I voted for JFK I will not vote in 2008. Then I can enjoy life and not be bombarded with crap like this.

Why can we have a national election primary date intead of this crazy schedule and countless changes

As a native Michigander who moved away because it is one of the worst economies in the nation, I wonder if this brings any economic incentive to the state? Or is it just another in a long line of political distractions that does nothing to help the people of Michigan. My bet is on the latter.

It looks like Donna Brazil is gonna cost us another election…when will the dems learn that these old farts can't win and they most certainly can't beat the states - the dem look real stupid fighting one another right now it looks like florida all over again this time we can again blame donna brazil and her loser democrat friends who keep following her to at our peril.

I agree completely with the above poster.

Why are these states jockeying to move up the dates. I want to know what the heck they are up to, there's obviously a good political reason to do so and I want answers that the press seems anxious to avoid giving.

My personal feeling, without more info, is that the primaries are being moved up by Hillary Clinton supporters who are afraid of giving Barack Obama too much time to canvass their states. In any state where Obama has spent signifigant time, his poll numbers go waaay up, more than Clintons who stay static. He's the unfamilliar candidate and earlier primaries would surely benefit both Clinton and the Republicans because it would give less press to Obama.

Give me a better reason, please, somebody. For now, that's my best guess.

This is ridiculous. The primary season is headed for chaos. My state is already stripped of its representation because our dumb democratic party won't give up fighting for the Jan 29 deadline.

It's obvious that Michigan won't be allowed to do this, but maybe if enough states push forward and the DNC strips them of representation, there will only be a handful of delegates at the convention. And that's not very democratic…

Hey xtina(???)
Guess what???? Republican's are doing the same thing. You probably think it's not so manipulative now do you?

the dems should just let the states due what they want - they are states for a reason meaning they are the ones who realy get to decide! Go Mi Gov down donna barzil

As a Florida Voter I liked the idea of my vote counting in the primaries and not coming after everything has already been decided, but I think this all a little silly.

Just make everyone vote on Super Tuesday, and let New Hampshire have their day. They only get to be in the spot light once every four years. That being said I think Dean and the DNC are over reacting by saying they won't count Florida's votes, and Possibly Michigan's votes as well.

yes i agree Donna brazil is a loser! why havent they fired her tired butt yet?

The DNC is a private club which shows the ultimate in chutzpah when it purports to overrule matters of state election law. It is arguably guilty of RICO racketeering violations by its attempts to control elections. Its two "frontrunners", by the way, cannot win a general election, and this game seems calculated to reinforce the Clinton and Obama candidacies.

It is all just a bunch of political game playing so that a particular state can have an "affect" on the primaries.

I say a national primary - just like we do the general election. Everyone in every state goes to the polls on the same day. I am sure that a lot of the traditional politico's/game players don't like that but it seems to me like that is the best answer for all. This way everyones state and everyones vote counts equally.

Whatever happens this will be the last time it goes about like this. These states are sounding like spoiled brats cause they arent getting their way.

Take the delegates away from them they dont speak for Americans either. We will have regional primaries in 2012 and all this is just build up for such a cause.

The reasons the primaries are continually moved up are simple: The first primaries are the most important in determining presidential candidates. As a result, states which have earlier primaries get significantly more attention by those candidates, in the form of visits, speeches, and promises.

Additionally, state citizens and governments want to be heard by the future president. State governments with late primaries feel ignored and abandoned by candidates who often never even visit.

All of the candidates have taken a pledge not to participate in Michigan or Florida if they have primaries in January. How is it going to look if one of the candidates wins big in Michigan and is not there to accept the win? Are they going to campaign in Iowa and NH those days and pretend Michigan and Florida don't exist? This could hurt the Dems in the general election.

As an African-American who realizes that Michigan and Florida are far more a reflection of the diversity of the Democratic Party and the country for than matter than both Iowa and New Hampshire…I applaud these states for their decisions

I just hope that none of the campaigns are trying to influence these states to move up their primaries to take advantage. It is clear that there are those candidates that are ahead right now in the opinion polls and they may want to have this done so that they can reap from this. My thought is, some campain somewhere might see this as a good way of prventing lesser known candidates from catching up with them. Hmmmm…any coincidence that the Governor of Michigan is a woman. Read the lines.

Hillary Clinton and the established powers that be are orchestrating ALL this primary moving around stuff. They are using political pressure, promised favors and getting favors paid back to them from these politicians who are voting to move their primaries. With her name recognition and known husband Bill. A shorten primary season can only help her as it will give little time for voters to get to know the others. Once Obama out raised her in the 1st quarter her camp had to go to plan b. Rig and stack the race. Every other election year’s primary schedule was fine until now. Ask yourself why? The media is right on the bandwagon with her. For every 10 stories ALL glorifying Hilary as though she walked on water. You might hear 1 Obama story that’s always down played. All of a sudden the media is qualified to tell us who is naïve or inexperienced to run the country. Mind you this is the same media that bought the crap about WMDs in Iraq. Just how important is this so called experience when you’re so easily hood winked. (Their hood winking us now)It won't work in the end cause Obama already knows he has to work 10 times a hard to win and he will WIN!

It is distinctively adventageous to the Republicans. The Dems started this whole game early leaving the GOP very little time for mud slinging preparations. So…by influencing state officials to modify the primary elections date, they are able to manipulate the length of time needed to promote their always belittling and juvenile criticisms along with there distorted "fact" models. Such as FUZZY MATH!

Further evidence of the breakdown of civility and cooperation in America. Our new motto is: "Me First!"

It is the nomination votes, not electoral votes that are stripped.

In my opinion, the delegate method of choosing a candidate is a dinosaur and should be gotten rid of. We should just have a national primary, all on the same day.

I think it is clear that having early primaries is a sure way to nominate the person who has highest name recognition.
Talk about a rush to judgement. Fortunately, since it will be impossible for candidates to campaign in Florida and Michigan, since those votes might not even count, they will be able to spend more time in the later voting states. I think it is cool that Texas will determine the democratic nominee.

[...] CNN.com  - Governor Granholm, not happy with wrecking the Michigan economy, is now moving on to wrecking the primary process.   You go girl! Filed under: Michigan Governor by — Dave @ 9:25 pm [...]

Anonymous wrote, "It is the nomination votes, not electoral votes that are stripped."

Do you think the voters in those primaries will have "warm fuzzies" knowing their votes in the nomination process were dismissed? Human nature would likely cause most disenfranchised voters to ignore the Presidential election since their party didn't feel their nomination vote was very important.

Primaries dates for all States should fall on the same day. This would prevent one candidate from buying the delegates by one way or another and result in an open convention instead of a bought convention.

Like the history of the concentration camps are pressed in the minds of Jews, the history of the Black Codes should be pressed in the minds of Black American. Their is a generational war going on in the black community. My generation is still begging for acceptance of white society. (The sharpton/ Jackson generation) We still function like run-away slaves. The young generation don't fear white folk. They just need guidance
Control the politics in America, and you will control your fate, a lesson that Black Americans have yet to learn. We are far more loyal to the Democratic Party than we are to ourselves. We have made our vote valueless because Republicans don’t need us to win; and Democrats don’t want us until they need us to win. We, on the other hand, will always follow anyone who will promise us civil rights. How sad? We are the only ethnic group that has come to depend on someone to lead us, to articulate our dreams, and negotiate with White folk for our rights. We fail to remember how potent we almost bec ame as political force when Jessie Jackson ran for President. The political establishment was fearful that 12milliom blacks would vote as a block, instead of voting in lockstep with the Democrats. I never understood why Jessie Jackson did not continue to lead us as the powerful voting block that we had become, instead of leading us back to the Democrats. We must learn to set the agenda of our representatives, not the reverse. So far, our so called leadership has only succeeded to lead us off a cliff. That’s not their fault, it is ours.

For Donna Brazil, Thank you Donna for being there, you have practical and insightful and great principles, God Bless you.
At the moment I am praying that God will allow McCain, to be our leader on that very first day. I know many wish him ill, because they are bias and want to only have their way. I am a Republican the last time my family and I voted Democratic was for Kennedy, But if McCain does not win, my family and I will vote for HILLARY. Hopefully it will be MCCain or Hillary. Many friends think this way also. If Huckabee wins, there is no way he will win Hillary or OBama.