Democratic party insiders trying to pretend that Hillary Clinton and 18,000,000 Democrats don't exist

Democratic party insiders would like Hillary Clinton to disappear.  There is some debate about whether or not Hillary's name will formally be placed in nomination at the convention.  June Kronholz at the Wall Street Journal sums up this supposed dilemma:  "A full roll-call vote that reminds everyone how close she came to being the nominee could reveal party rifts going into the fall campaign... But keeping her name off the roll call could anger her supporters."

Donna Brazile (D-Chaos and Destruction) calls Hillary's nomination a "bone of contention."  Brazile acknowledges Hillary's right to have her name put in nomination. "But do you do it?" asked Ms. Brazile. "Politically, does it heighten tensions?"

You want heightened tensions?  Try having a Democratic convention without acknowledging 18,000,000 Democratic voters and 1600 Clinton delegates.  You try having a "nomination by acclamation" with 1600 voices shouting "No!"  How would that look on TV, Ms. Brazile (D-President Al Gore)?

Dropping the roll call would require a vote by the delegates, and would need choreographing to prevent any protests by disappointed Clinton delegates. But an unanimous nomination of Sen. Obama would send the message that he had unified the party, while allowing Sen. Clinton to ingratiate herself with his campaign.

Let me guarantee you:  If the DNC tries to drop the roll call vote, there will definitely be protests.  Secondly, by what right does Sen. Obama think he's entitled to a "unanimous nomination"--especially when more Democrats actually voted for his opponent than for him?

The problem is "there's a strong feeling" that Sen. Clinton's delegates need the chance to vote for her, (political consultant Tad) Devine said. Many are still angry with a party decision that they feel deprived her of delegates from Michigan and Florida. "You don't want a situation where anybody feels they've been cheated," he said.

Don't be fooled.  The DNC has not taken a sudden interest in fair play.

A second option would be for Sen. Clinton to be nominated, complete with laudatory speeches and happy floor demonstrations. By prearrangement, Sen. Clinton then would take her name out of consideration and endorse Sen. Obama's nomination.

"There's nothing symbolically wrong to putting her name in," followed by a scripted withdrawal, said Ms. Brazile. But the spectacle of a rapturous welcome for Sen. Clinton would be irresistible to television and could embarrass Sen. Obama.

That's reassuring.  Donna Brazile (D-Nihilism and Tortured Logic) thinks "there's nothing symbolically wrong" with placing in nomination the name of the person who received more votes for the nomination of her party than anyone in the history of the United States--just so long as she withdraws her name quickly so that enthusiasm doesn't break out.

The two camps also could agree to hold a "friendly" roll call, with the states tossing verbal bouquets to Sen. Clinton before voting for Sen. Obama. But unless lots of delegates switch their votes to Sen. Obama, a roll call would remind voters that Sen. Clinton won the primaries in such swing states as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Mexico and Florida, which could determine the outcome of the November election.

Sen. Obama would then be deprived of TV images of cheering delegates and a unified convention. "They need a roll call that looks good for Obama," said Mr. Devine. "That's what conventions are all about."

Devine unwittingly speaks the truth, unfortunately.  The nominating conventions of both parties are four-day long infomercials.  Delegates are told when to cheer, what to cheer, when to shut up, what signs to wave, and when to wave them.  Frankly, the convention is boring.  The media caught on to this long ago, which is why they''ve gone from gavel-to-gavel coverage twenty years ago to one hour of prime-time each night.

How about we all agree to act really nice to each other during that one prime-time hour each night?  The Obama campaign can do whatever it wants to in that one hour, and even us Hillary delegates will go along with it and wave whatever sign the Obama campaign wants us to wave.  We'll smile for the cameras.  We'll act all "hope and unity"! 

Then, when the cameras are off, we can go back to having a genuine political convention, which should include a fair reflection of the sentiments of Democratic voters as expressed during the nominating process.  Anything less is bogus and a denial of reality.

Comments

[Hypatia]

They're nervous.

[Frank Glenn]

Nervous, indeed. And "Hillary's Diehards" (of which I was one until 12/06) will never know (as an obstreperous child never knows when their parents "cave") whether it was because they recognized the justice their claim or just wanted them to pipe down.

[jheckerman]

They better be Nervous. Very, Very Nervous! Obama has yet to speak to us. He does not hear us. He ignores us. It is time ladies we WOMEN UP! Hold our Party accountable. Ask them to Listen to us! Hear our Voices- LOUD and silent! The silent ones are the ones you need to worry about.
We could help Obama in his Campaign- Is he going to unite his party or disregard 18 + million voters? UNITE his party... Hillary Clinton on the Ticket! We will not settle for less! If you don't believe it -watch us!

[BobL]

HILLARY'S DELEGATES HAVE ALREADY BEGUN A PETITION TO PLACE HER NAME IN NOMINATION....IF HILLARY SIGNS IT, there is nothing OBAMA or the DNC can do to stop her, because those are THE RULES!

[John Petty]

I know about the petition. In fact, I signed it!