The roll call vote

Ever wanting to fan the flames of the Clinton-Obama rivalry, the media seemed obsessed with this question.  Except for Kathy Walsh, whom I like, I generally tried to avoid the press. 

After Hillary's speech Tuesday night, however, local reporter John Ferugia stuck a microphone in my face and, after asking my reaction to Hillary's speech, asked what effect her speech would have on the on-going controversy regarding the roll call vote.  I said, "The mechanics of the roll call vote are being worked out between the Clinton campaign and the Obama campaign.  That's not the issue.  The issue is that Hillary Clinton laid out the first substantive argument against John McCain at this convention."  Which, by golly, was pretty darned astute, but not what the reporter really wanted.

The Obama campaign at first resisted even having a roll call vote.  Apparently, they saw it as reminding people of how close the primary contest really was.  This was an unsustainable position for two reasons:  (1)  We've nearly always had roll call votes, and (2)  the rules say that a roll call vote shall be conducted.

Thereupon followed several days of negotiation between the two camps which resulted in the managed--some would say contrived--roll call vote on Wednesday evening.  (The actual vote had been taken at the morning's delegation breakfast.)  They wanted to work it so that several states could have their moment in the limelight, e.g. "The great state of Idaho, home of the world's largest potato, proudly casts..." 

They managed to jiggle the call of states by having California and Illinois pass.  (I don't know what was behind California passing.)  Then, New Mexico passed to Illinois, which then passed to New York so that Hillary Clinton could move to make the nomination unanimous.

Even though Hillary had already suspended her campaign, she continued to hold a large chunk of delegates, just under 50% of them, in fact.  Hillary held a reception for her delegates on Wednesday afternoon--the large meeting room was standing-room-only--and formally "released" her delegates.  They were free to vote for Obama if they wished. 

She said she understood that some felt honor-bound to vote for her and could do so if they wanted.  This was exactly my position.  Each delegate is the fruit of a process which involved hundreds if not thousands of people.  In my own case, I was quite aware that these people had supported me because they knew my support for Sen. Clinton was absolutely stalwart.  To cast my vote for anyone but Sen. Clinton would, I felt, be breaking faith with the people who sent me here.

Incidentally, when Hillary entered the reception hall to speak to her delegates, the first thing she said was, "Gee, if I'd known I had this many delegates..."

Comments

[lillianjane]

I agree with you completely, John, about the promise you made to your supporters. The roll call was such a sham, and I was disappointed that Clinton went along with it, which confused people to no end and resulted in situations such as New Jersey unanimously backing Obama, so the New Jersey Clinton voters felt betrayed. It felt like 2000, when I had the urge to drive to Florida and count the damn votes myself. I think if everyone had understood that it was a real roll call, the results might have been different. Some of the superdelegates were wavering before the convention.

[John Petty]

I even fantasized that if Sen. Obama should call me up and ask for my vote, I'd say, "Sen. Obama, if you can't trust me to be faithful to Hillary, you could never trust me to be faithful to you."

[gormenghast]

From my vantage point (okay my couch), the whole convention, with the exception of Hillary's and Bill's speeches, had the appearance of a tightly wound, rigged, smile or we will kill you, Eastern Bloc party committee meeting from the fifties.

Only Clinton Delegate, Ann Price Mills' heartfelt, on camera comments gave an inkling that all was not as it should be.

Elected by acclamation my arse!

Oh, and please let me in a room alone with Jim Clyburn!

[lillianjane]

I watched only Clinton's speech (and listened to ten minutes of Bill's on the radio), but I got this impression from written accounts.

[John Petty]

From my perspective throughout, it seemed that the Obama campaign played hardball at pretty much every opportunity--not griping about it necessarily, but that seemed to be the way it was.

[gormenghast]

But, but.....Mr. Perry I don't understand why you are not griping about it. I don't understand why all the delegates sent to carry out the will of the constituents don't gripe about it. Why did we bother to vote? Neither candidate received the required delegate amount, putting Florida and Michigan back in play made the delegate difference even smaller. Am I the only one in the country who wants to burn down a building?

Sorry - but I am so furious about this sham of an election, I just cannot think straight!

[John Petty]

Hillary told us not to.

[redrabbit]

I feel your pain, Gormenghast.