by Mark Silva
Near the eve of primary elections in Ohio and Texas that could settle things once and for all for the Democrats, or thrust the party's presidential nomination into another month of suspense and tug-of-war among the "super-delegates,'' the prospect of a dramatic summer convention looms on the horizon like something of a back-to-the-future bad dream.
A little primer about brokered conventions past appears in the online daily edition of The Week, a compilation of domestic and foreign news.
It harks back to 1976, "when Gerald Ford entered the Republican convention with a slim lead over Ronald Reagan. Before the balloting began, both candidates were feverishly wooing delegates, calling in favors and making promises.
“We had the incumbency,” says Ford aide Stuart Spencer, “the goodies, like Air Force One rides and coming to the White House for dinner.” Ford held on, but barely.
"At the 1980 Democratic convention, Ted Kennedy tried in vain to get Jimmy Carter’s delegates to come over to him. But the most contentious modern convention was the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. The party’s liberal, anti-war wing backed Eugene McCarthy, but delegates gave the nomination to Hubert Humphrey, who hadn’t won a single primary.
"It was chaos. Anti-war activists staged massive protests outside the convention, which devolved into riots when police moved in with tear gas and batons. The debacle shamed the party, which then instituted reforms to transfer power from insiders to grass-roots voters. But for the next two elections, Democratic delegates selected two anti-establishment outsiders, George McGovern and Carter, and the pendulum swung again.
“There was a view that the Democratic Party had allowed the grass roots to become too empowered,” says Meredith McGehee of the Campaign Legal Center, “and that people whose job it was to get Democrats elected were being shut out.” So the party created a new class of delegates—superdelegates—who would be picked by virtue of their insider status.
"This year, about 20 percent of Democratic delegates will be superdelegates. They can vote however they choose, though Barack Obama, now leading in the popular vote and delegate count, has been arguing that superdelegates should follow “the will of the people.”
Has the makings a fun summer.
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Comments
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT:-)
If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary's than they had ever been before or since.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton. :-)
Best regards
jacksmith...
Posted by: jacksmith | March 1, 2008 9:55 AM
The above poster is probably Howard Wolfson posting under a pseudonym.
By the way, if you're going to tout Bill Clinton's record in support of his wife, you shouldn't blatantly lie about it - for example, talking about his military action. I believe 18 American Soldiers died under his Command in Somalia. Also, the pharmaceutical plants he destroyed in Sudan belonged to the largest manufacturer of tuberculosis and malaria medication in the country, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.
Tell the full story, pal.
Posted by: James Ford | March 1, 2008 11:10 AM
If it goes to Convention, you can count on only one thing for certain: McCain will win. There's simply not enough time between Aug and Nov to campaign. And quite frankly as a Democrat I am getting tired of this already.
Posted by: Luis | March 1, 2008 2:39 PM
JackSmith:
If you believe someone who cant even run an election campaign is capable of running a country, you just might be an idiot. Hillary had the lead from the beginning, but lost it through gross mismanagement.
We can do without that sort of judgement.
Posted by: Steve | March 1, 2008 4:28 PM