While pondering the dilema that is Florida and Michigan redux, I came up with a novel idea. As opposed to taking Carville's bait and agreeing to some kind of revote, there may be another card for the Obama camp to play.
In a diary about Obama's path to the nomination, DHinMI lays out an argument that Obama can't fight the drive to seat Florida and Michigan.
Don't fight against Michigan and Florida: Don't get in to a fight against new contests in Michigan or Florida. Clinton probably can't gain enough delegates even if she won both states to make much of a difference in the overall delegate count. Nevertheless, it's probably not in Obama's immediate self-interest to have a new vote. However, he can't be seen as working against seating the two delegations. Therefore, in objecting to seating the delegations under the proportions of their unsanctioned votes in January, he should simply fall back on the DNC rules, but say if both states want to have DNC-approved contests, he'd support them. Make Clinton go through the contortions of justifying the unsanctioned votes as the basis for going against the DNC rules and seating the MI and FL delegations. Take the high road.
But it seems to me, that there might be a way to avoid a lot of mud and simultaneously put Clinton in a box...
What if Obama publically offered to seat both Michigan and Florida, and allocate the delgates in direct proportion to the greatest single state victory Clinton has to date?
My quick search says that's New York, with a 57% Clinton, 40% Obama tally. If I've missed something please advise. But whatever the margin is, just give it to Hillary.
Here's my logic - Obama "works with MI & FL, and does not go "against them" and he takes the high road and cuts off the BS. I see it happening like this. He comes out with a public gesture that says something along the lines of:
We want Florida and Michigan to be seated. We will give Hillary Clinton the maximum benefit from this seating. And we will still have the most delegates. We can save time, money, and energy for Florida and Michigan and give them a place at the convention. But we will not accept any more spin from the Clinton camp. The charade has gone on long enough. We have followed the rules and we are winning. We will be gracious here and we will still be winning. We seek party unity, but will not accept a Clinton constructed media circus. We will not allow Florida and Michigan to be the sites of destruction for our party. At the end of this primary season we will have the most delgates, the most wins, and the greatest support within the Democratic Party.
If Hillary Clinton refuses to accept this offer it will be clear that her intent is not to play by the rules and win delegates honestly, but to spend more time in front of the cameras inflating her campaign and seeking a back door entrance to the White House. We will not allow it. To heal this country and make the changes we so desperately need, the Democratic nominee will need to take the Presidency through the front door.
Or something like that...
I'm sure such a concept would have risks, but it would be consistent with Obama's 'new politics' and it would take the microphone out of Hillary's hands. Which can't happen soon enough.