The national pundits can go ahead and stop trying to figure out how to redo Florida's misbegotten primary, according to Senate Democratic leader Steve Geller.
Geller, of Cooper City, said something the talking heads don’t know is that 15 counties in Florida are already getting rid of touch-screen machines in anticipation of a move to paper ballots over the summer.
"You’ve got (15) counties that, unless you’re planning on standing there counting the votes on your fingers, there are no voting machines," said Geller.
Also, Geller said because of logistics, including mailing overseas and military ballots, it takes 90 days to do a primary. With the Democratic National Committee’s June 10 deadline for primaries, that means Gov. Charlie Crist would have to sign a bill authorizing a new primary on Monday, Geller said.
Sorry to inject reality into an otherwise entertaining hypothetical discussion, but someone had to.
I don't agree with Geller's suggestion that the Democrats should seat the delegation as-is. I've said from the beginning that the nominating process needs a good kick in the ass, and that this situation might be just the kick to get some real reform moving, even if it means that Florida has to sit this one out.
This still allows for a caucus, I suppose, even though Clinton has said she won't accept one. How she has the power to do that is beyond me, but I don't claim to know the minds of politicians. But I think the logistics of a primary can now pretty firmly be shut down.