Top state Democrats are taking action to ensure a smooth convention for Barack Obama, but some Hillary Clinton supporters aren’t happy about it.
The state party’s director, Mary Isenhour, sent an e-mail to all Pennsylvania delegates relaying a message from Governor Rendell asking them not to sign petitions nominating Senator Clinton for the first ballot of the convention.
Some delegates, such as state Senator Connie Williams, bristled at the party’s apparent effort to stifle Clinton supporters. In an e-mail to delegates, Williams offered Clinton petitions for delegates to sign. She cites the first ballot of the 1980 convention, where delegates were able to vote for Sen. Ted Kennedy despite general agreement that President Carter would be the nominee.
Williams believes that the first vote is an important step toward healing the rift between Obama and Clinton supporters.
“Those 18 million votes count for something; it would be untraditional to not have Clinton on the first ballot,” said Williams. “People want to be able to vote for her, then they’ll vote for him in the second round.”
Responding to upset delegates, Isenhour emphasized that Governor Rendell’s request was a plea for patience, not an attempt to smooth over any disagreement between the supporters of the two candidates.
“This isn’t a demand. It’s nothing more than a request from the Governor as chair of the delegation,” said Isenhour.
Isenhour cited ongoing negotiations between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton and asked delegates to wait to see what the two camps agreed upon prior to the convention. Sen. Clinton would have to sign a declaration at the convention to make her eligible for nomination, but it is not yet known whether she’ll do so.
“As the author of the memo, I can assure you that we’re doing nothing more than asking delegates to wait and see what Senator Clinton wants to do,” said Isenhour.
The real question is why
The real question is why the Mainstream Media did NOT report on Edward’s affair during the Iowa caucuses, choosing instead to ignore it in lockstep.
They must have all decided to drink the Obama Kool-Aid.
Wonder who makes those decisions? Some wacko leftist at the slowly going broke NY Times?
Huh?
How does ignoring a scandal involving John Edwards help Barack Obama?
Who’s drinking the Kool-Aid here?
Why?
The primary is OVER. Those 18 million votes don’t count for squat now. The choice now is between Obama or McCain. Vote for whomever you wish, but this constant re-hashing of HRC’s PUMAS’ hurt feeling is getting old. If you are old enough to vote, you are an adult – try acting like one for a change! Additionally, if all you HRC supporters out there are so concerned about her, why have 18 million people not ponied up some $$$ to retire her debt? I think that would go a long way to make HER feel better. Put your $$$ where your collective mouths are. james in fort worth
Remembering 1980
The 1980 Convention is not something worthy of replication. All that the Kennedy nomination did was to reinforce doubts about Carter, with a disastrous result in November. It is important to remember 1980 as a reason to do the opposite of what Sen. Williams is proposing.
Rob Byer
I don’t think the
I don’t think the convention or the primary were the problems that caused Carter’s re-election. I won’t blame Carter, either, though I think he stumbled a lot; instead it was a confluence of domestic and international circumstances that made it especially hard for any incumbent to win. But really, it seems to me that the convention had very little to do with it.
—Greg
1860 Convention
If you think the 1980 Democratic Convention was divisive – check out the 1860 Democratic Conventions.
Heh.
Heh.
GET OVER IT!
It is time for HRC’s supporters to stop complaining and start fighting to get a Democrat in the White House.
Hillary was not owed the presidency just because she put up with Bill’s shenanigans.
Hillary was not owed the presidency just because she was the first viable female candidate.
Hillary supporters should stop blaming Obama for Hillary’s loss and start blaming Mark Penn and the rest of her campaign staff.
Sour Grapes?
So is that all this is – sour grapes?
My sense as I was reporting this story (and it is original reporting – something we want to do more of!) was that most people saw it as a sign of respect rather than an attempt to hijack the convention.
I’ve heard it both ways though – that this might be a national attempt to create turmoil at the convention. My sense from PA delegates is that they’re not interested in that and would be upset if they unwittingly played a part in it. They’re not PUMA folks for the most part, just interested in seeing a sign of respect from one candidate to another.
It’s a distraction a
It’s a distraction a Democrats just don’t need. This is not going to be the sweet ride into the White House we all hope it will be. The Republicans will surely put up a bloody battle and they can and have run successful races by bring out real trash. We all know what Swift Boats can do and they WILL use it again. The party and the people have chosen Obama and it’s so very important that HRC supporters jump in line behind him. Even if you have a very big problem with Obama, you have a civic duty not to vote for Bush…oops…I mean McCain.
GET OVER IT!
Ditto….ditto – HRC has lost my respect; never had
my vote.
dt
HRC Game Plan
Iagee with Greg’s reply to my earlier comment-the Convention did not cause Carter to lose. But, it certainly started him on a bad course. In other words, it did not help him, and even if the wound was not itself what killed his campaign, it was a wound nonetheless and reinforced the image that Reagan’s camp was spinning that Carter was weak and not liked even by Democrats.
That is why Blackrobe is so correct-anything that is not calulated to build Obama’s strengh going into this election helps McCain.
Blackrobe also is right that HRC was not owed a thing. Indeed,she stands for more of the past, while what we need is change of all sorts, not just another change of a Bush for a Clinton.
Great piece in today’s New York Times by Maureen Dowd, who really nails what actually is goiing on here. The Clintons want Obama to lose so that Hilary can run in 2010 They are disgraceful enough of these self-centered, “me first” politicians!.
Rob Byer
In the time before the Iowa
In the time before the Iowa Caucuses, the mainstream media followed orders and ignored both Edward’s dalliances AND they ignored the Jeremiah Wright racism, leaving Obama with credibility he did not have.
Hillary supporters have ever reason to be bitter and angry about that; they were royally shafted by a cabal of far-left Democrats/environmentalists/ socialists who never have enough taxes and regulations and who thought Obama would provide them.
Time for HRC to act like a gentleman
There is no reason to place HRC’s name in nomination for POTUS at the Democratic Convention.
HRC could gain the respect she desires by putting a stop to the request of her supporters.
IT IS TIME to support – wholeheartedly – Barack Obama!
It is not time for HRC’s distraction.
right. We should just
right. We should just ignore that they stole the election from her to get their own man in. they should have let the media report about edwards’ endless fling and rev. wright’s extreme, hateful views.
they stole the election from her, so we should embrace the thieves? is that what you’re saying?
Nobody stole anything from Hillary
She lost the election, fair and square. The memos that came out recently showed that her campaign staff were fighting among themselves. The elections is Michigan and Florida should not have been counted because those states did not follow the scheduling rules set out by the DNC and RNC.
- blackrobe
Fair & SQUARE?!
Well, the DNC apparently felt those elections were fair enough to give someone’s vote for Hillary in Michigan and Florida to Obama rama…What gall…what if they decided your vote should be dedicated elsewhere, your’d feel okey about it, right!
Carol…oh yea…post baby boomer, so what can you expect!
The only reason she lost
The only reason she lost was that the media was told to hide the truth about Edwards adultery and Obama’s supporting Wright’s hate-filled rants for twenty years.
That’s the ONLY reason she lost.
Now, Clinton supporters are supposed to come to heel like well-trained dogs.
Looks like someone didn't get their rabies shot
Yikes. Never let the facts get in the way of your argument, right?
The Rev. Wright story was covered, discussed, analyzed ad naseum by the media.
The exit polling from Iowa showed that the people who voted for Edwards would have voted for Obama had Edwards not been in the election.
Hillary supporters can’t get over it because they cannot fathom that someone who is not a Baby Boomer might occupy the Oval Office.
Once again the Republicans
Once again the Republicans might get away with putting a blithering idiot up for the White House and win while the Democrats fight over some bullshit.
Read the Constitution
Standing up for one man, one vote, is not idiotic…its just a forgotten priority of the voting public…and its hard to say which of the two currently running is the more blithering of the idiot choices.
Carol
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