Hillary Clinton Celebrates Win of Three Way Tie

By Carrie K. Hutchens

It was quite amusing watching Hillary Clinton celebrate the three way tie in Florida Tuesday night, as though she were somehow the winner. She isn't. She received an absolute zero just the same as Obama and John Edwards did and not a fraction more or less. So what was she celebrating? The vote of the people? Obviously that doesn't count or it shouldn't in this particular situation.

I'm not familiar with the rules the Democratic delegates play by, or if I would agree with them if I were, but if Florida did in fact "knowingly" and "boldly" break a rule and legitimately lost its delegate vote -- then the reported popular vote should likewise be counted, and reported, as zero. After all, either the vote of the people counts or it doesn't. If it does count, how can it be voided by denying its representation through the delegates? On the other hand, if the voters were involved in breaching the known agreement, even if by allowing the delegates to act wrongly, then their vote should be similarly voided.

Tuesday's vote count cannot be claimed as a fair representation of public opinion, even if provided by the citizens themselves. After all, the candidates were under agreement not to campaign in the state. To honor such agreement was, in and of itself, clearly an unfair advantage for Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton, the one who, from what I saw, only started showing she cared about Florida after she saw she wasn't going to simply walk away with the nomination and definitely after she experienced such a big loss in South Carolina. Amazing how Clinton is suddenly concerned about the voters (count), when she is in desperate need of some points on her side.

Right or wrong, Florida's vote for the Democratic nominee was either voided or it was not. If it was not voided, then the candidates should have all equally had the right to campaign in the state prior to the vote of the people. On the other hand, if it was voided -- then no candidate should receive benefit from the vote by any means, including the opportunity to spin the count to make it look like an actual "fair" win that it was not.

No matter what HIllary Clinton or any press says -- Hillary Clinton did not win a "legitimate claim" to winning Florida. Hillary Clinton may have celebrated winning, but the reality is that all she won was a zero in a three-way-tie!