The Rules of the Game

Rules? We don't need no stinkin' rules! (Photo courtesy: New York Times)

Clinton thanks Floridians, promises to get delegates seated

Posted: 10:19 PM ET

(CNN) – Hillary Clinton held a victory rally in Davie, Florida Tuesday night — even though the Democratic National Committee has stripped Florida of all of its delegates to the nominating convention, and no Democratic presidential candidate campaigned in the state.

So Hillary Clinton won the Florida primary for the Democrats, which is considered meaningless because none of the candidates campaigned in the state because they violated the DNC's rules on the primary calendar. As punishment, the DNC is not going to seat any of Florida's 210 delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

Along comes Hillary after getting a run for her money from Barack Obama, including a routing in South Carolina last week, and now she wants for the Florida delegation to be seated.

Michigan also had its 128 delegates stripped by the DNC for the same reason, but Hillary Clinton was the only candidate on the Democratic ballot, unlike Florida where all four Democratic candidates appeared on the ballot. Not surprisingly, Hillary also wants these delegates seated at the convention as well.

If it remains a close race delegates-wise and Hillary is behind by 338 votes or less at the convention, Florida and/or Michigan could decide the Democratic nomination, depending on whether or not their delegates are ultimately counted. The Wall Street Journal has this interesting story about it, which I recommend reading. The two states combined account for roughly 17 percent of the 2,025 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination. Florida and Michigan's delegates for the Democratic nomination, if they are seated, will be divided among the candidates in proportion to the outcome of the primary, as well as the superdelegates who choose candidates as they please regardless of who the voters pick.

It's going to be a wild ride between now and the convention....