Posted on 08/26/2008 9:04:49 AM PDT by mojito
Supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton furiously circulated petitions on the floor of the Democratic National Convention last nigh, hoping to stave off a plan to hold the convention's roll call at breakfast Wednesday — out of the public eye — sources inside the delegations said.
The move being worked out between the Obama campaign and officials behind Clinton's suspended bid, would work in two parts: Delegates would cast votes at their hotels Wednesday morning; that night, at the Pepsi Center convention site, the roll-call process would rely on the votes cast that morning, the delegates said.
Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, a former state co-chair for Clinton said she knows the camps are in negotiations about what to do.
"My view is we need to come together as a party," DeGette said. "I admire Hillary Clinton greatly, but I think it would be divisive to have a vote on the floor. We need to have a unanimous vote."
The evening event would call on the delegation from Illinois, which Obama serves as the junior senator, and then move to New York, which Clinton represents.
After New York delegates applaud Clinton's long-fought and historic candidacy, a motion would be made to accept the votes cast at breakfast.
The move is being resisted by some Clinton delegates, who are busy tonight circulating a petition among delegates as the opening night of the convention, titled "One Nation," gets underway.
"We just want a roll call like you're supposed to have," said one of the delegates collecting signatures for the petition, who asked not to be named because of concern about friction within the party.
The Obama campaign denied that there would be a change.
"This is not true," Jennifer Backus, a senior advisor, said in an email in response to a question about the negotiations for the roll call change.
David Harper of Macon County, Tenn., signed a petition to ensure a floor vote in the hall surrounding the Pepsi Center.
"I came out here by God to vote for her, and I'm going to do it," Harper said, visibly angry about the news.
Kelly Jacobs a die-hard Clinton supporter from Hernando, Miss., an area that went heavily for Clinton, stood in the hall collecting signatures. She said the Clinton backers need 800 to secure a floor vote.
Anything less than that, Jacobs said, would be an insult to her candidate.
"I could have voted from home," Jacobs said. "She is our captain. We don't want to see her disrespected."
She was furious, she said, when she learned this morning that the votes may be held at the delegate hotels instead of on the convention hall floor.
"That's not what we learned in civics class," Jacobs said.
Texas delegate Tory Lauterbach said she has heard about the petition, but is unsure if she will sign it.
"I think the votes should be cast and counted the way they have been historically," she said. "But I don't think every delegate needs to stand and say something. I want a good convention."
So does Sally Phillips of Tampa, Fla. She said that although she is a Clinton supporter, she will undoubtedly support Obama because she doesn't want another Republican in the White House.
"I think the world of her," Phillips said. "I've seen the petition but I'm not going to focus on that."
The discussions come after a long summer in which Clinton delegates have argued for a chance to be heard during the convention. The party wants unity, and the announcement made by Obama and Clinton last week that a floor vote would occur was meant to provide that opportunity.
Obama seems to be doing everything he can to anger Clinton delegates.
Because that is what his nomination amounts to and he WILL be defeated. Then she can just bask in her own self righteous sense of having known this and having been the ‘best’ candidate all along. (Something tells me that is not enough for her, though)
However, she is NOT smart at all because she obviously believes that Obama has a real chance and she wants to de rail him. TWO perfect idiots and the DNC can claim them both!!!
So the Democratic party can't handle a little DEMOCRACY in the public eye during the convention? That's very telling.
For a guy pushing for "more diplomacy" and "reaching across the aisle," Obama certainly seems to be having trouble getting the basics down in his own party.
Anything less than that, Jacobs said, would be an insult to her candidate.
"I could have voted from home," Jacobs said. "She is our captain. We don't want to see her disrespected."
She was furious, she said, when she learned this morning that the votes may be held at the delegate hotels instead of on the convention hall floor.
What are TV viewers and commentators going to say if the Obama team fails to deliver on a roll-call vote?
This would be a disaster for TV coverage, and commentators would be forced to talk about it.
Oh, Team Obama decided that a hall full of screaming Hillary delegates and a close vote for Obama really wasn't in his interest. Even though he agreed to it just a couple of weeks ago.
Another disaster for Obama.
If they need to come together as a party then the hilllereeee supporters need to come to grips with the fact that hillllereee lost big time and it is time for all of them INCLUDING hilleree and old willy to step aside. Their day and time is over. They are history. This is Obama’s party and the clintins and their supporters are hanging on for some show of attention. Believe me...hillleree’s supporters will NOT vote for McCain no matter how much they mouth on about it. They will vote for their party which is Obama. After the elections the clintins will fad into the background as the Obamas and the Kennedys will have them so overpowered and overwhelmed they won’t know what hit them. Hey clintins...it’s time to fold up your tent and go home. The party is NOT about you...it’s about the future and YOU GUYS are soooooo yesterday.
"disrespected" is NOT a verb.
“Let’s just sweep it under the rug, folks!”
She's afraid of Obama's people.
They can’t even direct a Kabuki play and they want to run the country.
Team Obama has really lost its magic
Hillary’s hellions won’t be dissed by some rookie!
The “Hitler History” is beginning to repeat itself; take care everyone.
Their super-delegates are appointed, anyway. Hardly "democratic" in the first place.
Found this little gem in under 2 minutes. She is also involved in lawsuits against the school district.
Jenny Backus..... I remember this lying clown from the 2000 Albore Florida fiasco b/c she was one of the chief Gorebot spokesfrauds babbling about the Florida mess. Couldn't stand seeing her lying face on my TV because she was more "over the top" than even most other Democrat hacks. She is Paul Begala in drag. So glad she's found the opportunity to be a lying fraud once again.
I posted this article at the Intrade forum, and several others, thinking this might boost the Brokered.Convention contract and cause more operation chaos. Keyword Intrade Brokered Convention.
Open questions:
1. I thought the convention was to confirm the nominee. Why is it BO’s choice on how to count the vote? Who decides on these mechinations of which states to count and when to stop counting etc?
2. Can a state refuse to list BO as a candidate tonight and thereby deny him votes? He has to have a certain number to be confirmed right?
However the rules about how that process comes about can vary from convention to convention. It's an internal matter for the party, meaning Dean and the Obama and Hillary camps work out the details.
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