Mistaken Presidential Candidates Snub Michigan

According to a story in the South Bend Tribune, no write-in votes will be counted in the January 15 Michigan Primary.  Candidates had until Friday to file a form indicating they would accept the votes.  None did.

Republicans didn’t need to as they are all on the ballot.  However, Democrats John Edwards, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, and Joe Biden are not, as they took their names off the Michigan ballot to appease Iowa and New Hampshire.  Those states were less than pleased about Michigan attempting to usurp their early status in the primary process.  Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and Christopher Dodd are still on the ballot.

All this is important because if one is not on the ballot, a supporter may vote for another candidate, thus giving the other candidate delegates at the national convention.

Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer on Friday urged Democrats to vote in their own primary and to vote for “Uncommitted” if they didn’t have a favorite on the ballot.

“For the supporters of … John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson, I recommend that you vote uncommitted. If you vote uncommitted, and “Uncommitted” receives sufficient votes, delegates will be sent to the national convention who will be free to vote for whichever candidate they like, including one of those four,” Brewer said in a video posted on YouTube.

In addition;

The Michigan AFL-CIO, which has not endorsed a candidate, said in a Friday release that Obama and Edwards may have made a tactical error by not competing in Michigan’s primary.

“The organization has reminded its affiliates that it was the decision of the Obama and Edwards campaigns to remove themselves from Michigan’s ballot. Both campaigns may now regret this decision,” the union organization said.