FL and MI delegations will not be seated if the nomination is contested.

[madfloridian]

I am seeing too many people again trying to defend the indefensible. What Florida leaders in the party and the legislature did was indefensible. Some are threatening Dean that he had better seat them. He can not do it. Hillary claimed she will...but that is debatable if she can. There is a process.

Here is a post at MyDD and at Convention Watch 2008 which is discussing the Hillary statement that she will seat the delegates.

How would the Florida and Michigan delegates actually be seated

Here is a summary of the 3 major steps.

And we have a vote, state-by-state, the first meaningful state-by-state roll call at a Democratic Convention since 1980. Clinton would need a majority of the delegates (not including Florida and Michigan) to approve the Minority Report.

And then reality strikes. If Clinton can get a majority of delegates to support the Minority Report, than she has a majority of the delegates supporting her anyway, and she doesn't need Michigan and Florida.

But if she doesn't have a majority of the delegates supporting her, its hard to see why delegates supporting other candidates would vote to seat the two delegations, essentially helping her out. After fighting for the nomination for 2 years, why would Obama or Edwards and their delegates give up the fight in this way. It's just not going to happen. The delegations will NOT be seated if the nomination is contested.

[sandnsea]

1. I agree with that

but I don't think the nomination is going to be contested. That's what those super-delegates are for.

[aquart]

2. Right. They won't be seated.

And they shouldn't be. But I'm not going to fault Hillary for trying. Or Obama for being pissy about it.

[joshcryer]

4. If it's so close that they can't be seated, you might as well expect a brokered convention.

[joshcryer]

3. And the likelihood of this scenario?

To Obama supporters. "Very high."