Democrats play “game of chicken” but Michigan primary deal seems close

Every day seems to generate a fresh scenario for bringing an end to Michigan’s Democratic primary delegate dilemma — but it seems a resolution might finally be coming any minute.

The Associated Press reported Thursday night that anonymous Democratic officials said party leaders were close to a solution on which the presidential campaigns of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could agree. The agreement, which the officials hoped would be reached by today, hinges on approval by the Michigan Legislature, which leaves for a two-week break at the end of March.

There were unconfirmed reports that a deal was close for a June 3 primary do-over in Michigan that would be paid for privately rather than with taxpayer funds.

“There’s a complicated game of chicken happening here because of a deadline [for a new primary] set by the Democratic National Committee of June 10,” said Michael Traugott, professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan.

Continued -The prospect of a solution comes after weeks of intense interest in finding a way to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates at the Democrats’ summer nominating convention. Obama’s failure to earn a commanding delegate lead in the March 4 contests made the two renegade states’ nearly 400 delegates possibly critical to deciding the nomination.

Last Monday, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan  announced a blue-ribbon panel with other prominent Democrats to study the feasibility of conducting the primary by mail-in ballot, viewed as the most cost-effective method but one fraught with challenges.

“Someone has to pay for this election other than the state,” Traugott said. “In Oregon, mail-in ballots have worked really well. But it involves a lot of preparation and careful advance work.”

A mail-in ballot would be coordinated by the state party rather than the state government, raising concerns about security and possible fraud.

On  Wednesday, state Rep. Tupac Hunter, D-Detroit, and state Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, co-chairs of Obama’s campaign in Michigan, called the mail-in ballot proposal a “non-starter.”

“Whatever we do needs to be fair, secure, and affordable,” Thomas said in a press release. “I just don’t see a mail-in vote passing those tests.”

But such stark opposition may ultimately soften, Traugott said.

“Depending upon your view of these things, you could see [their] position as just a bargaining position that could get a little more flexible when we get into May if there’s been no solution by then,” he said.

The decision to move Michigan’s and Florida’s primary ahead of their approved dates, against the wishes of the national party, resulted in several Democratic presidential candidates, including Obama, pulling their names from both states’ primary ballots. Clinton kept her name on the ballots but agreed not to campaign in the states.

As punishment for moving the primary, the national Democratic Party said it wouldn’t seat Michigan’s and Florida’s delegates  at the August presidential nominating convention.

Besides the mail-in ballot, Democrats could decide to hold a caucus, an option that would cost less than a primary and one that party officials in Michigan have more experience with.

“The party is generally good at holding caucuses,” Traugott said. “It would require a lot of effort, but the party has had caucuses before and people generally know how to do that. But the rational thing to do is not always the politically expedient thing to do.”

Photo: Adapted from “family feud” by Mark Lorch on Flickr.com