DNC Denver – The “Don’t Nap on Clinton” Convention
This drama has not played out its’ final scene yet. I expect the last shoe to drop tomorrow as Senator Hillary Clinton’s name is placed into nomination for President of the United States.
Last week I had the opportunity to speak with Will Bower who is one of the core members of the group P.U.M.A. I wrote about their efforts to still elect Senator Clinton a few weeks ago, and I thought he would have some interesting insights into the last-minute maneuverings in Denver. Here is what I have learned:
According to DNC Convention rules, a candidate has two avenues of having his or her name placed into nomination: the Democratic Party chair (Howard Dean) or from a petition of 300 signed delegates from the floor by 12 p.m. noon tomorrow, the 26th. Bower told me that P.U.M.A and the Just Say No Deal coalition “doesn’t trust Howard Dean to do what is right by Senator Clinton so we will have the 300 signatures, just in case.”
The latest estimate is that Senator Clinton has 1886 delegates and would need a switch of 231 (or about 5%) of the delegates to switch to her. This seems an unlikely scenario but the delegates in question are the super delegates, not the ones who are committed via the delegate primary system.
Bower stated that he “thinks that some super delegates were paid off to support Obama because of the money given to them by his campaign. Some super delegates voted against the overwhelming wishes of the voters of their state. For instance, Senator Byrd supported Obama even though Senator Clinton won his state by forty points because of the money he received from MoveOn.org.” Bower has a point here because Obama has given three times as much money to super delegates than Clinton, and OpenSecrets.org shows that Byrd has received more that $88,000 from MoveOn political action.
Finally, Bower brought up an interesting point of Clinton’s situation in Denver that has a historical precedent – the Chicago convention of 1932. FDR was running for his first term and had won 11 out of 13 primary contests. However, he was not the favored candidate of the business establishment or the Democrat Party. Bower states, “Like FDR in 1932, Senator Clinton has the will of the Democratic voters behind her. It took four roll call votes for FDR to beat the party machine. We are here to make sure that Senator Clinton has a fair vote.”
I have maintained that this primary fight was far from over. Here is a friendly hint to Senator Obama…watch out for falling objects. By tomorrow afternoon, we shall see how far and fast the last shoe will drop.
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21 Responses to “DNC Denver – The “Don’t Nap on Clinton” Convention”
[...] in the News Posted on August 25, 2008 by heroesforhillary The Moderate Voice: (Will) Bower states, “Like FDR in 1932, Senator Clinton has the will of the Democratic voters [...]
Will Bower, like the rest of PUMA, is displaying his tinfoil hat qualifications.
Bower is delusional if he truly believes that Clinton “has the will of the Democratic voters behind her.” Does he think the 20 million people who voted for Obama were tricked into it? That the party members who have since decided to support him were brainwashed into switching allegiances? Clinton has the will of a bunch of obsessed crazies behind her. Crazies who haven't even donated enough to retire 10% of her campaign debt. If they truly believed in Hillary Clinton instead of just blindly opposing Obama, they would follow her lead in supporting the actual Dem nominee and they'd help her pay off her debt.
This week should prove to be as exciting, if not more so, than the Olympics were.
This is the best chance the Dems have had to step up in a very long time. Can they actually do it?
Supreme.Court.Justices. should be on the minds of every P.U.M.A. if they push McSame into the WH.
Ahh Will Bower and the, ahem, 18 million PUMA supporters. Of which only about 60 showed up for the PUMA convention. The same Will Bower that boasted of raising 10 million dollars to retire Clinton's debt, when the actual amount was less than $100,000.00. Great source for your story. He's sooooo credible.
I dunno, I really liked beach volleyball.
Beach volleyball notwithstanding, it will be interesting to see which pundits will end up with egg on their faces. Will the Clintonistas really try to stage a coup or will they strangle themselves in tin foil? Will Bill deliver a lukewarm speech through gritted teeth or will he soar? Will Hillary shed another tear, and for what? Will the clouds part above Invesco Stadium and a beam of light come down to lift Obama up?
Nah, that could only happen in the Bird's Nest. Where are the Chinese when you need 'em? Lol!
Amanda,
The entire democrat primary system is designed to prevent the unenlightened from nominating the wrong person. That is why you have super delegates who have votes equal to 10,000 actual citizens.
If a sufficient number of super delegates are offered enough in money and position, Hillary could be the surprise nominee.
Um Tony, why all the attention to the PUMA's? Did you have a formal break with Republicans for Obama? I mean that's fine if you did, but it would be nice to state that sort of thing up front. I noticed you had some pretty harsh things to say about Biden. Is there a hidden agenda here?
Here's a deal, if Hillary or a major staffer (i.e. a Carville) will go head to head with Bower on CNN or any other “head fest”and point out to him how much the damage the PUMA's are doing to their beloved Hillary's career, I'll make a sizable donation to the campaign to pay off her debt. Anyone want to match?
I'm wondering how easily Obamabots would lay down if the DNC had instead shoved Hillary Clinton down their throats and denied two pro-Obama States full delegate count because of a petty infraction of starting out of turn; even while Obama got the majority of votes, as was the case with Clinton.
We'd be hearing cries of RACISM!! from every hilltop. And you damn well know it.
Sexist comments flew right and left with a silent Obama standing by with his patented smooth and slient “concerned” smile. If Hillary stood by while comments like “that boy oughta keep his place” or “who wants a darkie in the Whitehouse” flew all around (believe it or not these are tame comments compared to some of the blatantly sexist comments that fly even today towards Clinton, comparing her to a bitter old shrew for insisting the Will of the People who backed her be accounted for), Obamabots would be denouncing her from here to eternity.
And yet even while Obama stood silent and watched the press crucify his opponent with sexist slurs and passsively or otherwise supported the suppression of FLA and Michigan voter will, Hillary Clinton is STILL getting up and speaking on his behalf. An amazing thing considering if the situation were reversed.
It has never occured to many people that the reason Clinton is speaking and “being allowed” a vote is because that is her right and due. This primary process has been more about suppression of women's voices and rights as equals, than it has been about anything else. It has been derogatory towards women in the most wounding way: to nominate a younger, less experienced male over a CLEARLY more qualified woman. A woman who no one will argue would bring overwhelming success in the Fall for democrats should she have had any part of the ticket.
Which of course was not even offered to her, nor was her expertise tapped in any way by the young, underqualified usurper of the majority of democratic voters.
Welcome back Silhouette.
I assume you're purposefully continuing to ignore the realities of the Florida and Michigan non-elections. It doesn't reflect well on you or your argument.
Obama went with the even more experienced Joe Biden. You should be happy.
I noticed you didn't take me up on my offer Silhouette. I think if you were a true Hillary Supporter (and not a McCain “ratf_ker), you would be happy to have her start her 2012 campaign debt free.
I would also think that you would consider just how bad a reflection this is on Hillary, either she is weak and can't keep these people in line or she is actively undermining the Democratic nominee, and yes this will be noticed. If Senator Clinton can't get people like Silhouette in line, she can kiss her career good-bye. The fact that Silhouette could care less about that makes me believe she (if she is a she)is leaving something out.
Nothing wrong with supporting the other party Silhouette but do it honestly and spare us the crocodile tears. These Rove-Segretti techniques are truly over the line.
silhouette, educated and /or enlightened blacks would complain and vote for her, just like we have voted for every other white person whether qualified or not. the others wont vote as usual , when will this country , come together?
Kathyrn,
I am still connected to R.F.O. but I knew that R.F.O. would have to be connected to the official Obama campaign. At that point, the freedom to “call it like it is” would vanish and I prefer to stay independent in my thinking. I still think Obama is the best candidate. However, I am not going to look at this election with rose colored glasses. I worked advance for Bill Clinton for two years and I know that they (Bill, Hillary and her supporters) will not go away quietly.
As far as PUMA? It is a story that I think is intriguing and it may actually have an impact this week. Bowers exaggerates a bit but I did fact check his claims and some of them are factual.
Biden was a terrible pick. Sebelius, Kaine, or Clinton would have been better choices. Not a personal attack on Biden; it is a political opinion that faults Obama's selection team on a botched opportunity.
“I assume you're purposefully continuing to ignore the realities of the Florida and Michigan non-elections. “
He or she is probably delighted that Florida and Michigan have been given full voting rights. The Democratic Party displaying its true self in all openness:
Rules Don't Matter.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalin…
And we know what the Clintons, stalwart Dems, have treated rules and laws before.
Here, kitties, kiddies, kitties (PUMA crowd)…
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/0…
Say what you like. But don't be so bold to blame Obama's failure on Hillary Clinton. It is because he falls short of her resume' and not anything she did to him.
True, it's not what Clinton is doing. It's what the people like Silhouette are doing. She pays no attention whatsoever to Obama's qualifications or lack of same. The entire point is attack, attack and attack some more. I'm not even going to mention the slime that has “graced” TMV from Sil's posts. I think you all remember it. Should the PUMA types continue on their current course they should quit pretending to be Democrats because no one else in the party will consider them Democrats again.
PUMA planned a major demonstration in Denver. They got 36 people to show up. That's it.
There were more anarchist losers than PUMAs.
Late to the game, but for some reason this post reminds me of J. Geils' line from the namesake band's live album “Full House” … “Take out your false teeth momma, I want to suck on your gums!
It's hilarious, and at the same time, utterly ridiculous.