There is a little reported story out of the Democratic National Convention where two Sanders delegates have been barred from attending the event. The problem was not their credentials or their conduct. State Sen. Tim Ashe (right below) and Ken Dean are men and the DNC ruled that there were simply too many of that kind in the delegation. Vermont was ordered to replace them with women, any women, so long as the delegation was equal. Ashe and Dean have filed challenges for good reason.
Coupled with a growing controversy over the determined effort of the Democrats not to release a list of donors to the media, this is hardly a good story to trigger days before the opening of convention. The national party appears to be imposing a quota system on delegates based on gender despite the fact that such delegates can claim that they are qualified through the democratic process. After all Dean and Ashe were elected as delegates on June 11. Then, on July 5, the state party was ordered to remove them due to their gender deficiency.
Of course, the infamous superdelegates remain untouchable. It is just those elected by the people that can be negated solely on the basis for their gender. Notably, eight of 10 Vermont superdelegates are men.
The Democratic party leadership appears to be moving away from the fight against gender discrimination in guaranteeing equal opportunity to the fight for gender equality with the use of quotas to force gender balance. Ironically, it was Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in United States v. Virginia (1996) who warned that “Today’s skeptical scrutiny of official action denying rights or opportunities based on sex responds to volumes of history.” Not only are these delegates saying that they are being denied position due to their gender, but the DNC is negating the choice of Vermont voters — male and female. There is such a thing as individual achievement and choice. The Vermont voters are allowed to select people on the basis for their individual merits rather than categorical exclusions based on race, gender, religion, or other immutable characteristics.
This point was made by the Supreme Court in University of California v. Bakke (1978):
[R]ace, like gender and illegitimacy, . . . is an immutable characteristic which its possessors are powerless to escape or set aside. While a classification is not per se invalid because it divides classes on the basis of an immutable characteristic, see supra at 355-356, it is nevertheless true that such divisions are contrary to our deep belief that “legal burdens should bear some relationship to individual responsibility or wrongdoing,” . . . and that advancement sanctioned, sponsored, or approved by the State should ideally be based on individual merit or achievement, or at the least on factors within the control of an individual.
Those concerns are heightened in my view when alleged gender discrimination negates the results of a democratic process like delegate selection.
What do you think?
An oldie but goodie from Will and Mike “Hillary Clinton is a Liar. Period”
slohrss29
RE: “They’ll explain to you their enlightened view of things, and then cash in on the TPP”
The TPP is the big unifyer for Jill and the Donald.
Autumn, I do not understand how people can look at all these actions and explain them away to support their own team mentality. The “ors” just keep coming. Sometimes these things can go over the top due to politicizing, but not this quantity. Sadly, the next defense will be for someone to look back to historical events and say, “well… they did x-y-z…” surprised we haven’t seen it coming yet. I guess that is the sad part, even after the DNC marginalized its own members, they will still support it. Very sad for everyone.
RandyJet
I agree – people should focus on the Clinton Foundation scandal – follow the money it received after she brokered arms deals with Saudi Arabia, etc. Or on the rigging of the primary with DWS. Or on voter fraud. Or on Bill hanging around the polling stations in MA. Or or or. There are plenty of REAL scandels.
I think Hillary has plenty of documented scandals at this point that no one needs to make any up. The largest being Libya and Syria. The tens of thousands of the dead don’t get a voice in the discussion. We’ll hope Jill is correct and the emails will come flowing during the convention.
Didn’t watch any convention as I am an independent. Hillary can shake hands and try to smile all she wants, but her deeds persist.
I am frequently struck as curious why this event happened. Still trying to good for Hollywood? Still shows the Democratic party is out of touch. I also guess the sins of Wasserman-Schultz are all forgiven as well. They’ll explain to you their enlightened view of things, and then cash in on the TPP.
Randjet,
“Will Turley seek to become the special prosecutor if Trump wins and puts Hillary on trial”?
Feasibility study of HRC prosecution is possible.
By the way, Breaking news out of Germany:
Multiple deaths at shooting rampage in German shopping mall July, 22 2016 35 minutes ago.
The shopping center is next to the Munich Olympic stadium, where the Palestinian militant group Black September took 11 Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them during the 1972 Olympic Games.
“…it is normal for GOPers to call for imprisoning the opposition candidate.”
Only when she is a proven criminal, like Hillary.
“Will Turley seek to become the special prosecutor if Trump wins and puts Hillary on trial?” randyjet Maybe Ken Starr will come out of retirement and help with the impeachment hearings. Sorry, folks, even if the republicans hang on to the senate, there is no way that they will have two thirds. Maybe that is why they are calling for her to be lynched now before she is elected. And these people claim to care about the rule of law.
As a delegate to our county convention, I find this to be perfectly NORMAL since the national delegate rules are very CLEAR as to selecting delegates. It appears that the VT party decided to violate the rules, and thus there is no foul. The only problem in this is the super delegates selection since it limits the other delegates and skews their selection to even out the delegation which results in a disproportion when as in this case, almost all of them are male. Try finding a REAL scandal instead of MAKING ONE UP, as is normal when discussing Hillary. How about Turley discussing the lynch mob attitude at the GOP convention. I guess that the GOPers think that it is normal for GOPers to call for imprisoning the opposition candidate. Will Turley seek to become the special prosecutor if Trump wins and puts Hillary on trial? Of course, you will have to move her trial to Alabama or Mississippi to get the right result. Or you can say she already had it at the GOP convention and just throw her in prison ASAP. HOW ABOUT IT FOLKS?
I juts heard she will be picking Rachel Dolezal as VP pick, a woman and a minority – I think??
A typical Clinton day in office, Wash DC. You call & hit voice mail….Leave a message. Bill makes lunch for Hillary, but she takes off in limo.
@SWM
Well, there you go, swallowing the Democratic Party kool aid again! I guess you have built up a resistance to it. Anyway, I did this for my BFF, Penelope Dreadful, last night:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cn–ps6UIAILTLZ.jpg
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
http://www.vtdemocrats.org/2016-dnc-convention-delegates Alll sixteen delegates are pledged to Bernie Sanders no matter what sex they are. This was set the night of the caucus.
Horuss,
“Meanwhile the girls get to enjoy their tea party with the Queen & who will be dictating Clinton’s policies as President”?
Slick Willy? Girls, girls, girls. Love is in the air at the White House.
If it were a rule in advance it would be one thing. Imposing the rule after the fact to make the Democratic coronation of Her Majesty look more female is just petty political maneuvering. There will be plenty of symbolism for women to coo over at the convention. An artificial, undemocratic 50/50 split after the voters have chosen the delegates is just pure Bullsh*t gender politics. If Clinton manages to get elected we’ll have 4 years of this symbolism nonsense and no substantive changes for the corrupt system of big money politics in DC. Meanwhile the girls get to enjoy their tea party with the Queen while more jobs disappear, the poor and the working classes are left to fend for themselves and the nation’s economic vigor is sucked dry by the parasites on Wall Street (all men by the way) who will be dictating Clinton’s policies as President.
.”A distinct majority will eat feces and vote for the lesbian Satan” nick S. Here I thought some of the Trumpkins were doing LGBT outreach. You and squeekiy are not among those.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are both unpopular. Most people don’t want either. I think it will come down to how many people can stomach voting for a man that David Duke strongly supports. It remains to be seen. Third party candidates will do much better.than they usually do. Johnson will do better than Stein. They give people options. Some will vote their conscience and write someone in………
@JT
What is it with all the “appearsto be moving away from the fight against gender discrimination” language???
Sheeeesh, man up and come right out and call it what it is! Being politic has its place, but so sometimes does brutal honesty. Would you have written in 1936 that the “Nazi party appears to be anti-Semitic”??? C’mon, add some testosterone to your writing!
Give ’em hell!!!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Fascism, it’s what’s for dinner in the USA. Pick your legacy party. Behind door one is tyrant 1. Behind door 2 is tyrant 2. Democrats like to think they aren’t crazy like evil Republicans but they will vote murder, torture, immigrant deportation/killings, universal war, corporate rule and a police state any day. They voted Obama and this is how I know they will do it again. Tyranny is no more repulsive for most Democrats than it is to most Republicans.
Wikileaks is ready for Hillary with her e-mails leading up to the convention. Check this out on Twitter.