Why do they continue to say these things about a roll call?

As a lurker on some anti-Obama sites run by purported Democrats, I've noticed that they are still claiming that Dean and others have not committed to having a roll call vote.  This is the source of great outrage, as the same people who thought a primary ballot without Obama on it was just fine, now say that this would be undemocratic.

However, there's a big problem with this claim -- Howard Dean says that of course there will be a roll call vote.  And in the roll call, any delegate can vote for any candidate -- just like always.

Here's what Dean said a few weeks ago:

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?dia ryId=7006
"When asked about the ads criticizing him and Speaker Pelosi for Clinton supposedly not being on the ballot at the convention, he scoffed. Clinton will be on the ballot at the convention, and will be speaking there. Dean indicated that the rules were so clear on this matter, that the groups running these ads and spreading these rumors must be associated with the other internet rumors going around, such as Obama being a Muslim. He also speculated that McCain supporters might be behind these rumors."

So why are folks repeating this?  Have they not heard the news? Are they confusing a roll call with having one's name placed in nomination (something Dean has no say over)? Or what?

Any insight you have would be most appreciated.



Display:


Re: Why do they continue say these things about a (2.00 / 2)

make no mistake when a Clinton supporter, more importantly a PUMA talks about roll call

for some reason they believe deep down, you get a vote at the convention and enough will switch to make Hillary the nominee.

will this happen ofcourse not, but hey has PUMA ever been rational?


Dream for tomorrow but fight for it today.
by TruthMatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 09:41:07 AM EST

Re: Why do they continue say these things about a (none / 0)

Not sure if ALL of them believe that, but a certain number done.

I have seen posts on this site claiming just that.

Which is, as you implied, part of why they are SOOOOOO convinced Howard Dean and the DNC are conspiraring to keep the vote from the floor...


Our long national nightmare is over...in 17 days!
by WashStateBlue on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 11:19:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue (2.00 / 2)

You're right that some think Clinton could win a roll call.

But why do they keep claiming that there won't be a roll call when there will be? That just seems so bizarre to me?


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 09:43:42 AM EST

Because they are not rational human (none / 0)

beings with a strong interest in describing reality.


by Geekesque on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 09:46:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Via Politico (2.00 / 1)

Here's the link: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/080 8/12386_Page2.html

And here's the quote:

Texas delegate Linda Figueroa, a 53-year-old paralegal from Corpus Christi, said the pledged Clinton supporters were told in a delegate conference call this week that they would not get to vote for her. She said the senator's scheduled speech on the floor of the Pepsi Center Tuesday evening Aug. 26 was "not enough."
"We (the Clinton delegates) are really having our ups and downs," Figueroa said. "She deserves more than what she's going to get."

Other Clinton delegates said privately that they were afraid to speak out against the Democratic National Committee or Obama, for fear of getting their credentials yanked at the convention.



by dbrown04 on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 09:58:45 AM EST

Re: Via Politico (2.00 / 4)

That delegate is deluded.  She CAN vote for Clinton at the convention.

From the same article:

Rules of the convention require a roll call vote, and stipulate that "delegates may vote for the candidate of their choice whether or not the name of such candidate was placed in nomination."


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 10:06:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 1)

PM -

Not going to completely to dispute your read of the situation, only partially.

1) Yes there will be a roll call. There has to be those are the rules. No ifs ands or buts.

2) Now here's where it gets tricky. For Hillary to be included in this roll call she must submit, in writing, that she wants/ willing to have her name to put into nomination. This she has not done yet and is something the two camps are working out.

Obama yesterday acknowledged that a roll-call vote, with Clinton's name placed in nomination next to his, is still in play for the convention. The vote is to be Wednesday, the day before Obama is to deliver his acceptance speech at Invesco Field.

"As is true in all conventions, we're still working out the mechanics, the coordination," Obama said yesterday. Asked if he's amenable to a roll call, he said, "I didn't say that."

In a Web chat yesterday, Clinton evaded a question from a supporter about whether her name should be placed in nomination. "I know that there have been a lot of questions on this subject," Clinton said. But her answer was, in effect, that she and Obama are working on it.

"I want to assure everyone we are working together with Senator Obama's campaign and the DNC," she wrote, "and I am confident we will have a successful and unified convention in Denver."

The biggest point. It is not the DNC, Dean or anybody else blocking her name being put into nomination. It's strictly up to her and the Obama campaign how they want to play this out.

Not trying to stir the pot here. We have had enough of that over the past 24hrs. Just want to get the facts out there.


Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.
by jsfox on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 10:25:58 AM EST

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 2)

No, that's not true.

No one has to submit their name in advance to have folks vote for them at the roll call. In the past, people voted for their state's Governor, or even for their father-in-law.

The signatures are needed to place someone's name in nomination, which then leads to having nominating speeches for that candidate.

But there's a roll call with any delegate voting for any candidate whether or not there's one person formally nominated or fifty.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 10:52:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 1)

One of is misreading the rules and it's probably me :)


Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.
by jsfox on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 11:10:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 1)

Yes, I believe they are conflating it with the concept of Hillary's name being placed in nomination.  They are looking for a real roll call vote where Obama's delegates vote for him on the first ballot and Clinton's delegates vote for her, not a sham where everyone votes for Obama but "in theory" they're all free to vote for Bozo the Clown if they like.

Depending on how rational you are, the point of having such a roll call vote is either (i) recognizing the level of support Hillary got in these primaries as a way of paying tribute to her and her supporters, helping those supporters to move on, or (ii) hoping that Hillary might magically win the vote.

I think too many people take the view that, because there are some small number of deluded PUMAs in the second category, we must therefore crush their dreams right now by mandating that Hillary's name will not be in nomination.  I don't think these people should be relevant to our thinking, and I'm pretty sure they are not the driving force behind the Obama campaign's decisions in this regard.

I think the distinction you're pointing to in this diary is little more than a technicality.  Let's face it, if every delegation around the room is casting all of its votes for Sen. Obama, and one lonely delegate gets up and insists on voting for Hillary, it would be seen as an act of protest, something destructive of unity.  That delegate would be harshly criticized for stepping out of line.  So the technicality that even if everyone in the room votes for Obama, they were legally free to vote for whoever so it's still a roll call vote, isn't really compelling to these people and I tend to see their point.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 10:26:35 AM EST

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 1)

The roll call is real no matter how many people are formally nominated.

Any delegate can vote for any candidate on the roll call.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 10:53:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 1)

Was my comment really that unclear?

People want a roll call vote where Obama's delegates  vote for Obama, and Clinton's delegates vote for Clinton.  They believe this will be a feel-good moment for Clinton's voters and a great way to achieve party unity.  That is what this is about.

If everybody, including Clinton's delegates, votes for Obama all the way down the line because doing otherwise would be perceived as a protest vote, that's not the same thing, regardless of the legal technicality that they could have voted for whoever they choose.  Clinton's delegates know the outcome, and they are not going to disrupt the convention.  They will vote for Hillary so long as the atmosphere is such that a vote for Hillary is welcome.

I frankly do not understand why there is such opposition to this concept.  It is a complete no-brainer, with no conceivable downside for anyone.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 11:35:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 1)

Huh? There will be a roll call "where Obama's delegates  vote for Obama, and Clinton's delegates vote for Clinton" - any delegate can vote for any candidate in the roll call that is planned.

Why are you implying that there won't be such a roll call when Dean and the rules say there will be?

BTW, I know a Clinton delegate who is a high party official in my state and she's planning on voting for Obama.  I'm sure there are plenty of others as well.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 11:43:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (none / 0)

We are not communicating because you are living in the rulebook and I am living in the real world.

Clinton's delegates will do as they are told to do.  If, for whatever reason, Obama and the party leadership decide that it would be a bad thing to have a real roll call vote, they are not going to go against that.  Hillary will ask them all to cast their votes for Obama and they will comply.

I am not sure what part of this is so hard to understand.  What matters is what actually happens out there on the floor, not what it says somewhere in a rulebook.  Of course there will be a vote, but if the vote is 100% down the line for Obama because the party leadership wanted it that way, that will be a lost opportunity for a feel-good moment that recognizes Clinton's voters.

You wrote this diary claiming to want to understand what Hillary's supporters are talking about, which I've now explained several times.  Now it seems like you want to argue that you, yourself don't care about the difference that they care about.  That's fine, although I wish you could see why they care.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 11:58:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (none / 0)

I still don't get what you mean by a "real roll call." A roll call is a roll call.  People vote in a roll call. There will be roll call. What makes the promised roll call not "real"?


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:10:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (none / 0)

For the fourth time now, what makes the difference is a tangible expression of the votes Hillary Clinton received in the primaries.

If you voted for Hillary, then it's a special feeling for you when someone from your state stands up and says that your state has X number of delegates for Hillary.  If that same person stands up and says that all the delegates go to Obama, then you don't have that special feeling.  On some level you feel like your vote didn't get counted.

What you fail or refuse to understand is that the feelings of that person watching on TV are not impacted in the slightest by what it says in the rulebook or whether, technically, those delegates all had the right to vote for Hillary even though they were discouraged from doing so.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:19:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (none / 0)

OK, but you're assuming that a Clinton delegate voting for Obama doesn't want to do so and that is just not a valid assumption.

Most delegates are party regulars who AlWAYS end up voting for the presumptive nominee at the convention. I know several Clinton delegates who fit into that category and they worked hard for Clinton but plan on voting for Obama.

The delegates who want to stick with Clinton are perfectly free to do so and their numbers will be included when their state is reported on live tv.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:29:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The difference is between (none / 0)

A real roll call that reflects the delegate count from the primaries, and a "real" roll call that reflects an agreement made this month whereby everyone votes for Obama.

I don't care either way.  I don't think that a real roll call will actually do anything for unity or be cathartic, but nor will a "real" roll call.


by JJE on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:21:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The difference is between (none / 0)

Can you find one historical example when the roll call vote matched up with the delegates won in the nominating contest?

I can't.  Clinton supporters are asking for something that never happens. Never.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:58:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The difference is between (none / 0)

That's a bit too broad of a brush.

Some Clinton supporters may be asking for that. But the vast majority of Clinton supporters are now Obama supporters who simply expect there will be a roll call like all other conventions.


by LakersFan on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 02:11:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

True enough (none / 0)

Like I said, I don't really care one way or the other.  I was just explaining what they want.


by JJE on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 02:25:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (2.00 / 1)

THERE WILL BE A ROLL CALL VOTE.

Get it through your deluded skulls kitties.


Welcome to a landslide WITH white working class, latinos, women and holding on sweeties!!!
by spacemanspiff on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 11:45:05 AM EST

A place for answers (none / 0)

Ok here's a decent resource:

http://www.demconvention.com/ask-phil/


Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.
by jsfox on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:23:57 PM EST

Re: Why do they continue to say these things about (none / 0)

These idiots are trying to reconcile their belief that Clinton won with reality.  Since she didn't actually win, she must have been robbed, and they're trying to imagine how.


I come here for the lulz.
by username on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:46:49 PM EST


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