Clinton campaign advisor Ickes yawns during Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting

Harold Ickes, Senior Advisor to the Clinton campaign, yawns during today's meeting of the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee on the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Clinton campaign: Michigan and Florida are vital partners

The 2.3 million votes that would be excluded at the Democratic National Convention were highlighted in a conference call with advisers to the Hillary Clinton campaign. In reference to the Florida and Michigan primaries, adviser Tina Flournoy emphasized that the January results should count, that January results should be used to allocate delegates, and that full delegates from each state should be seated and given full votes. Flournoy said that the habit of awarding half votes is a precedent that should not be set by the Democratic Party.

To clear confusion, Flournoy said that Michigan and Florida requested waivers for their early primaries after the dates had already been set and that candidate’s decisions not to campaign in Florida and Michigan was requested by New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and Iowa, not the national party. Advisers reiterated that Clinton’s push for a re-vote was not successful and that the allocation of delegates should adhere to the available results. Advisers also stated that uncommitted delegates in Michigan should be registered as uncommitted at the convention, saying that one cannot judge the stance of an uncommitted vote accurately.

Clinton’s lead in the popular vote and her electability in other key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were given as reasons why the committee should rule in favor of Clinton. Adviser Harold Ickes said the goal of the party’s convention is to determine who can win 270 electoral votes for the Democratic Party and that the Clinton campaign, believing that Clinton is best able to achieve that goal, is a practical organization. Listeners were reminded of Florida and Michigan’s importance in the general election as Ickes said it is important to include these states as full partners in the electoral process.

When asked if the Clinton campaign is facing an uphill battle, advisers said that neither candidate can win the party’s nomination without the votes of superdelegates. Ickes and Flournoy, who both serve on the Rules and Bylaws Committee, were confident that their colleagues would agree that seating Michigan and Florida is in the party’s best interests.