As you can see below the jump, we're nearly wall-to-wall coverage on the unfolding Michigan do-over primary/caucus/whatever-you-call-it at Michigan Messenger. We've even got folks in our affiliated DC office working on this; there's at least two more stories in the works.
It looks like it's going to come down to time and money, and mostly money. It will probably not be a primary, since they are legislated by Michigan's state government and would require the MI state house (Dem majority) and MI state senate (Rep majority) agreeing on terms and financial terms, in a state that's virtually bankrupt. A caucus-type event, closed to and paid for by Dems, is more likely, structured like the caucus of 2004 (which emptywheel has pointed out is a snap). Who will benefit most from this? Hard to say; there were a number of cross-over voters who cast for Republican candidates during the misbegotten early primary on 15-JAN. Will the cross back over the aisle for a second vote? There are a lot of very angry voters who stayed home the first time; will they come out to vote? And which way will either of these groups vote, if they do?
No matter how they vote, it certainly sounds as if we are simply talking about money -- who's going to pay for this and how, especially if DNC chair Howard Dean has already told Sen. Nelson (D-FL) that the DNC will not pony up a dime for a do-over in Florida.
We'll be keeping an eye on this carefully as it unfolds. Here's our current news offering, just in time for your lunch hour:
Be sure to check in with us through the day as there will be more stories on the primary/caucus/whatchamajigger.
Got a news tip? email us at michiganmessenger at gmail.com.