Floor Vote in Denver

[August1991]

The US political cycle is entering another interesting phase: the Conventions. Many feel that the Conventions are relics of the past but I don't agree. People like to meet face to face.

I find this debate about a floor vote with a roll call fascinating. It's apparently about face but there's more involved. Clinton wants to show her strength, I suspect for 2012. If I were Obama, I'd grant it.

Supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton are furiously circulating petitions on the floor of the Democratic National Convention tonight, 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 say.

...

"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."

...

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.

Link

Behind the scenes tonight Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton are still seeking to hammer out a compromise plan over the former First Lady's demand to have an open roll-call vote on the convention floor, a move that would highlight the fact that she won nearly as many delegates in their primary battle.

Times of London

IMV, the public roll call matters less to Obama than the efforts to hide it.

PS. If the roll call is public, I wonder what the numbers will be. I suspect that Obama will do better and Clinton will do worse than some imagine. Obama only needs 50% +1 and he has that.

[August1991]

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, standing on a packed convention floor electric with anticipation, moved to halt the roll call in progress so that the convention could nominate Mr. Obama by acclamation. That it did with a succession of loud roars, followed by a swirl of dancing, embracing, high-fiving and chants of “Yes, we can.”

NYT

I guess that this was an honourable compromise. Clinton made her point and Obama showed that he's got an ego. Then again, Clinton didn't have much of a choice.

Churchill, IMV, had a better take. Obama should have been "magnaminous in victory".

Politics - what a game.