Sanders' New York delegation is threatening to sow chaos on the convention floor

[dlwickham]

Call them Hillary’s home-state haters.

A group of rabble-rousing Bernie Sanders supporters from New York is headed for the Democratic National Convention next month as hand-picked, at-large delegates -- and they’re threatening to make trouble for Hillary Clinton at the very moment she hopes to make history as the first female nominee of either party and unite Democrats for the coming battle with Donald Trump.

The disgruntled Sanders delegation, heading to Philadelphia with deep reservations about Clinton’s brand of center-left pragmatism, serves as a reminder of how contentious the four-day meeting could become, and a warning to Democrats of the importance of bringing Sanders happily into the fold.

Some 20,000 protesters are reportedly planning anti-Clinton protests outside of the convention hall. But interviews with members of Sanders’ New York delegation reveal that supporters of the Vermont senator are also considering bringing some of those protests inside the Wells Fargo Center itself — raising the prospect of an embarrassing spectacle on prime-time TV.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/bernie-sanders-convention-delegates-223848#ixzz4AXDdrE4J
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook

[CrowCityDem]

1. Sore losers, proving they don't care about the Democratic party actually WINNING.

[dlwickham]

2. pretty much

[SFnomad]

3. BS cheerleaders feeding on sour grapes ... it's going to get worse, before it gets better n/t

[J_J_]

4. Excellent!

I agree with this....

Wells Fargo Center itself — an embarrassing spectacle on prime-time TV.

[LiberalFighter]

5. So 23 at-large delegates are going to stage a protest against Clinton?

Will have to wait and see what happens.

[MineralMan]

6. I doubt very much that major disruptions will be tolerated

at the national convention. I think they'll be enforcing the Rules of Decorum at that one, unlike what happened in Nevada.

Those rules exist, and call for the immediate expulsion of disruptors. All that's required is for the Chair to order the Sergeant at Arms to remove them from the convention floor. They'll make a real mistake if they try that. Alternates will also be at the convention, and can take their places.

People who don't really understand how those things operate are going to the convention as delegates for the very first time, in some cases. They may be in for a surprise or two.

[Demsrule86]

32. Throw their sorry asses out

They can ;assemble' or perhaps riot outside...nasty group but then they have a sore loser candidate who care nothing about this country or he would not help Trump.

[LisaM]

56. One of the rule changes the Sanders supporters wanted in Nevada

was to eliminate the rules of decorum. They wanted it stricken entirely. They thought they could shout louder and just eliminate any attempt at civility. They clearly have never attempted to run an event, they clearly aren't the people who have to stay around until it's finished and clean up afterwards, and they clearly don't respect the hard work of people who have been in the party for years and who look forward to conventions as both a place where they can get things done and be rewarded for all their past hard work.

[MineralMan]

68. It's a matter of working within an organization.

People disagree, so some sort of rules of how to deal with that are necessary. Some people cannot agree that compromise is always required for a group to decide on any course of action.

[kiva]

72. You probably believed that chairs were thrown too, didn't you?

Bernie supporters at the Nevada convention wanted Robert's Rules of Order to be used...to paraphrase Erin Bilbray, we wanted Robert's Rules, not Roberta's.

[annavictorious]

80. They did use Robert's Rules of Order.

And they used the actual rules as they're outlined in the handbook, not some special bernified version.

https://nvdems.3cdn.net/ea5a7f0df495b0cf4c_z2m6bnqh5.pdf

[kiva]

83. No, read that again.

Parliamentary Authority
a. The 2016 Democratic State Convention shall be governed in the following order of authority: The Charter and The Bylaws of the Democratic Party of the United States, the Nevada Delegate Selection Plan for the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the Charter and Bylaws of the Nevada State Democratic Party, the Rules of the 2016 Nevada State Democratic Convention, and the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Meaning that Robert's Rules of Order is at the bottom of that stack. This is what allowed Roberta Lange to take control and end the convention before the business of the convention was completed.

[LisaM]

81. Well, that was an unnecessarily snarky remark.

I read their proposed changes. One of them was to completely strike out the section on decorum. I've been to plenty of Democratic conventions over the years, and people are generally nice to each other and the work gets done. That's as it should be.

I also read - but can't verify - that at some of the earlier Nevada caucuses, they were using noisemakers and vuvuzelas. Who wants to deal with that? It's not Chuck E Cheese. It's a convention with things that need to be done.

[kiva]

88. Seriously, you call my post snarky after you wrote this?

They thought they could shout louder and just eliminate any attempt at civility. They clearly have never attempted to run an event, they clearly aren't the people who have to stay around until it's finished and clean up afterwards, and they clearly don't respect the hard work of people who have been in the party for years and who look forward to conventions as both a place where they can get things done and be rewarded for all their past hard work.

So Bernie supporters are uncivil, unprofessional, and slackers. If you had been there you might have seen that large numbers of Hillary supporters bailed early. Clean up? Actually, that's why they paid the $$ to the Paris - trust me, no party people were vacuuming and taking out trash.

It's a convention with things that need to be done.

So why did Roberta Lange gavel the convention closed at 10:30 (though the rental for the room went to midnight) despite the fact that convention business hadn't been completed? For example, the at large delegates had not been voted on, but that didn't stop Lange from deciding that the convention should end.

[pnwmom]

82. You probably aren't aware that part of the rules fight was that Sanders people

thought they should be able to scream at people through megaphones inside the convention center.

Robert's Rules don't call for random delegates interrupting with megaphones.

[kiva]

92. I'm very aware of what happened.

I was there, were you?

Do you have a link regarding the megaphones? I've seen one reference to one delegate using a megaphone and being told to stop...and they did.

I did not see any megaphones, but will accept a credible (i.e. not Jon Ralson) source that they were present.

[pnwmom]

94. Supporters were fighting for a rules change

to allow megaphones on the floor. You knew about that, right? They wanted to be able to disrupt the proceedings at will and to interrupt with noisemakers. They threw a tantrum when they failed to force their proposed rules changes through. Their idea seemed to be that the loudest people should win.

Here is an original rule, followed by the Bernie delegates' critique of it.

(Can you explain what they mean by saying that voters are, by definition, dissenting voices? The majority of voters in the caucuses supported Hillary, and did not dissent from the rules.)

http://kernlawoffices.com/NSDP/Final%20Draft%20Rules.pdf

V. a. “Any intentional disruption of any convention activities may result in immediate ejection from the convention, including the forfeiture of any fees paid for the convention or other convention activities.”'

c. “Guests invited to speak to the convention shall not have their remarks or presentations interrupted or interfered with in any manner, including auditory or visual distractions from the floor. Violation of this rule may result in immediate ejection from the convention, including the forfeiture of any fees paid for the convention or other convention activities.”

d. “Noisemakers of any kind are prohibited at the convention.”

e. “Conversation on the floor should be kept to a minimum out of respect for guests, delegates and speakers. Those delegates, alternates, and guests wishing to

converse should exit the floor.”

f. “The Sergeant(s) at Arms shall have the authority to enforce these rules with the approval of the Convention Chair.”

PROBLEM: These rules are stifling free speech, they are discriminatory to excited and passionate voters, and they have the effect of keeping voters (who are, by definition, dissenting voices), from participating in the state convention. These rules, as written, are a SMACK IN THE FACE to democracy and are discouraging people from participating in the democratic process. Section e is especially egregious, encouraging convention attendees to not even converse with one another. If they wish to halt conversations on the convention floor, what is the purpose of having a convention? WHAT COUNTRY ARE WE LIVING IN?

SOLUTION: Section V should be completely removed from this plan.

[reformist2]

60. Yes, they may be surprised at how few opportunities for "democracy" there will be.

[MineralMan]

70. Democracy is how large groups resolve individual differences to

enable action as a group. Rules for decision making groups come from that need. It's very simple, really. Sheer determination by individuals or minority groups do not decide for the group. Democracy is about rules for resolving differences. The majority, not the minority, rules.

Dissidents from the majority are often disappointed by democratic decisions. There it is.

[JDPriestly]

107. That will make quite a TV news story.

Are we really going to redo 1968, or is the Party going to welcome Sanders' supporters and treat them with respect.

[One Black Sheep]

7. *shrug* well, not surprised

there is a lot of anger out there among Bernie supporters about how this whole process has went down.

[Andy823]

10. A lot of anger

Stirred up by right wing trolls. Karl Rove would be proud.

[Demsrule86]

34. You mean the fact thet lost and acted badly?

Made up all sorts of conspiracy theories which are groundless. I blame their sorry candidate for pretending anything happened except for the fact , he lost...and I sincerely hope he is punished to the max in the Senate. he has it coming.

[Lord Magus]

110. The anger has less to do with the process and more to do with the outcome.

And the understanding of the actual nature of the process is often lacking.

[frazzled]

8. It's solely within Sander's purview and power to ensure that

his delegates (and supporters outside) behave properly. He need only instruct them to do so. I sincerely doubt he will (he has not in the past). Therefore, short of any attempts to prevent such chaos in advance, any disruption at the convention will be Sanders' disruption, and falls squarely on his shoulders.

I totally expect this to be the nastiest convention ever. You can't go around selling ugliness and contempt and then expect good behavior.

[Andy823]

12. I agree

Bernie can stop this, and he should start right now. If he allows this to go on without talking these idiots down, he will do more damage to himself than the party.

[Andy823]

67. Well I guess, according to you

Bernie has to work against the rest of his colleagues because he is the only one that can get any thing done. That seems to be a common misconception by his loyal followers. Bernie was rated as the most biased Senator in congress, with Ted Cruz coming up in second place. He does not seem to play well with others. If he allows his "supporters" to come to the convention, know full well they plan on causing problems, he is not going to help his cause of some political "revolution". I don't think that Democrats are going to be welcoming him back with open arms, and all kinds of choice committee positions. He would do much better, and get more accomplished by stopping any kind of disruption at the convention by his followers.

I know a lot of his so called supporters want to see trouble at the convention, but it will reflect badly on him, and if he doesn't real care, that's his problem. I had a lot of respect for Bernie, he was my second choice behind O'Malley, but not anymore. I have no problem with him staying in till all the votes are cast, and if by some miracle he were nominated I would vote for him, but he has taken the low road lately and I don't like what I see.

[Ned_Devine]

77. You certainly aren't the only one

[Joe the Revelator]

123. That's actually exactly how 'revolutions' are waged...

not by sitting on your hands and watching the party sell its soul.

[Demsrule86]

35. In some ways Bernie Sanders

has done what right winger radio people do...sown discord and hatred with unwise words. and conspiracy theories . He lost and is unable to accept the fact he has no one to blame but himself.

[Number23]

97. His legacy is on the line and right now his legacy is that states with caucuses that he won are now

chomping at the bit to have primaries, and probably closed ones at that.

Minnesota moves to presidential primary in 2020 - http://www.twincities.com/2016/05/22/minnesota-moves-to-presidential-primary/?version=meter+at+1&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democraticunderground.com%2F12512113399&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click

And I agree with you, he's shown absolutely no ability or willingness to encourage better behavior from his supporters which is why so many have made such spectacular asses of themselves at Democratic conventions, on web sites, on social media, Democratic rallies, on people's cell phones, home phones and at multiple other venues across the country.

[larkrake]

118. His legacy is not on the line,it has been quadrupled and will reach far beyond the next Presidency

some cant see further than their nose, dont worry, thats not fatal, all the other sheep are as afflicted

[Number23]

124. You are absolutely right. It will reach far beyond the next Presidency.

Especially as the states that he won all move to closed primaries and the Democratic Party will probably never allow an avowed non-Democrat to ever run for president in their name again.

Heckuva legacy, Bernie!

[AtomicKitten]

9. OccupyNY! That's what happens after dodgy exit polling and purging 100,000+ voters.

[hrmjustin]

23. The purge hurt both candudates.

[Demsrule86]

37. She won New York

by a landslide and any voting issue cost her votes not the bern it up.

[trueblue2007]

11. Sanders' New York delegation should be kicked out of the convention.

If they throw a fit and fight, they should be removed as violent persons. AS SHOULD ANYONE.

[reformist2]

58. What if they just loudly protest Hillary's coronation? Is that not allowed???

[pnwmom]

85. How is it a coronation when she was chosen by 3 million more voters than Bernie?

[Lord Magus]

111. Coronation?

[TimPlo]

115. You did not even read the article?

Yet felt need to paint someone as violent person. In article one leaders of the delegates said that they did not want a violent protest.

[larkrake]

122. they dont bother to read- they jump to conclusions, rabid assumers

of course they blame Bernie

[KingFlorez]

13. They'll only be thrown out

[msongs]

14. well bernie predicted the convention could get "messy". by design nt

[DCBob]

15. Bernie and his rabble rousers

Sounds like a new rock band.

[LuvLoogie]

52. More like an aging cover band that plays the local carnival circuit and can't play for shit.

[DCBob]

62. Hehe..

[brooklynite]

16. Wait till they find out what their hotel rooms will cost...

I'm guessing $800-$850 per night, based on the rooms I'm being offered

[morningfog]

26. You think they are incapable of advanced planning?

Or cheaper places? Or that, you know, they could afford it?

[Gothmog]

59. I am told that you need to stay with your state delegation

There will be buses for delegates from each hotel that are the easiest way to get into the convention.

[Hekate]

61. Given how many times BS people flubbed simple things like registering to vote on time...

...and in the right party when it comes to primary elections (as opposed to the less democratic caucuses) -- yeah, it is just possible advance planning might not be their strong suit.

I'm sure a bunch of folks will show up to cause trouble for the Democrats, but will they bother to protest Trump, who is actually a threat to our nation and our planet?

[brooklynite]

89. Well, let's see:

Advanced Planning: delegation hotel arrangements were just announced, and since these folks are all new to politics, I DON'T expect them to be prepared for the cost.

Cheaper Places: the Convention and Host Committee control ALL hotel rooms as far out as Lansdale.

Could afford it: Perhaps they can afford $1600 (4 night minimum); but that would likely make the, a 1%er like me.

[morningfog]

90. I appreciate your concern for the lowly plebeians. They'll be there.

Don't lose sleep on your silk pillow.

[brooklynite]

108. Not at these prices...

looks like I'll be staying at the Marriott.

[Gothmog]

57. I am getting similar quotes

[QC]

93. Maybe they have rich wives who fund their dabbling in politics. n/t

[B2G]

17. Who said conventions are boring?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Good. Makes for an actual convention rather than an informericial.

[Cheese Sandwich]

20. ^ This. It might be a nice change for some actual democracy to happen at the Democratic Convention

probably hasn't happened in a while

[Renew Deal]

27. The democracy happened at the voting booth

The convention is an infomercial.

[MohRokTah]

19. And they will be promptly thrown out and their credentials rescinded the moment they pull that shit.

They are NOT Democrats if they pull that shit.

They should be stripped of their credentials merely for threatening such shit.

[larkrake]

119. nope, they cant be removed-this is a recurring theme of your- heel Moh, heel

[Mz Pip]

21. Trump will be so pleased

What a mess. This is so unnecessary. What do they think will happen after their tantrum? Do they really expect everyone to just capitulate and hand Bernie the nomination?

[NurseJackie]

22. It's not clear to me what productive thing they hope to accomplish.

[LonePirate]

30. They obviously think stroking their egos and screaming for attention is a productive use of time

[Demsrule86]

38. It is a tantrum

And I guess they figure they can scare Dems into nominating Berni it up...but we won't.

[NurseJackie]

49. A tantrum, yes, exactly. The message is ...

... "I'm unhappy. I want everyone to know I'm unhappy. And I want to make everyone else unhappy too."

Charming.

[hrmjustin]

24. That is just being a sore loser.

[Nye Bevan]

25. Great. More stuff like this?

[Raster]

54. did that chair get thrown? Do you have the pic or the footage where the chair was actually thrown?

Do you have anything to substantiate your "stuff?"

[Hekate]

64. The verbal violence was worse, as you are well aware.

But I guess you can't have a "revolution" without breaking a few eggs.

[Raster]

79. Nice deflection, and NO I am not aware.

It seems much of the "reporting" on the various "incidents" tended to be over-blown and one-sided.

[okasha]

95. If someone waves a gun under your nose

but doesn't shoot you, you have been assaulted. The person with the gun has commited a felony.

If someone waves a chair over your head but doesn't strike you with it, you have been assaulted. The person who waved the chair has committed a felony.

In both cases, the prosecutor would also list terroristic threats among the charges.

The asshole with the chair is fortunate that others present apparently restrained him, and that no one, apparently, filed a complaint against him.

Moral: If you can't control your own behavior, leave. Otherwise someone else will get you under control, and you will quite likely leave in cuffs.

[Raster]

96. REPEAT: NO ONE THREW A CHAIR.

Snopes: Media Accounts of Sandernista Chair Throwing at Nevada Convention 'False'

jon Ralston, the dean of political reporting in Nevada, has spread nothing less than a pack of lies about what went down at the state’s Democratic convention. No chairs were thrown at the convention.

Ralston reported live from the convention for most of the day, but decided to leave before tensions boiled over. Nevertheless, it was taken as a simple fact that he had observed Sanders supporters throwing chairs when “Roberta’s Rules” were enforced with finality at the end of the proceedings.

As it turned out, Ralston finally admitted that he hadn’t seen this himself but was relying especially on local reporter Andrew Davey. Davey first said he had still frames showing the chair throwing which he would publish. He has not produced the stills in question, but did retweet a still image of a chair held high that was initially posted on Reddit.

In spite of the fact that the whole thing was filmed live from multiple angles, no one has any images or video of even a single chair, let alone chairs plural, being thrown.


go ahead and stretch, okasha, reach for it... DID NOT HAPPEN.

MORAL: If you have to spread lies to try and make your point, shut up.

[okasha]

98. I did not say he threw the chair.

I said he committed assault when he threatened others present with the chair. He contributed to the threat of violence at that meeting, whether he actually struck anyone or not.

That picture appears to show someone restraining him, for which he should be thankful.

[Raster]

100. There is no indication WHATSOEVER from any source that anyone was threatened...

...with the chair. If you have a link to such information, then post it.

He "brandished" a chair...far, far cry from committing assault. He did NOT aim the chair at anyone. There is no indication that he intended to threaten anyone with said chair.

Enough of this... It did not happen.

[okasha]

101. "Brandished"

As in "brandished a sword."

The word suggests threat or violent intent. Why you feel the need to defend that jackass in the picture escapes me.

It wasn't you, was it?

[Raster]

102. No, and I resent your passsive-agressive bullshit...

...just as I resent your attempt to color a non-event for your own purposes.

It could have been you, couldn't it?

[okasha]

104. Nope.

1. I'm a woman.

2. I'm not bald on top.

3. Unlike you, I make no claim to have been present and in fact was not present.

Resentment will give you acid reflux. OTC Nexium is now avilable.

[Raster]

105. Never made a claim to be present.

and Nexium....depletes magnessium.

You have a nice day.

[okasha]

106. :My bad. Will edit.

[B Calm]

28. I look for all hell to break out at this convention. We can thank the DNC for

the turmoil!

[LonePirate]

31. Sounds like you're blaming the victim rather than the perpetrators

[B Calm]

36. I blame the DNC. DNC was never the victim, they created this mess they call

a primary.

[Lord Magus]

112. Disliking the outcome doesn't make it a mess. -nt-

[larkrake]

120. you are right

[AgingAmerican]

39. Yeah, the DNC are victims of their own actions

Poooor babies!

[LonePirate]

43. State legislatures and state parties set most of the rules for primaries, not the DNC.

Oddly, the DNC is responsible for the superdelegates rule, which is the only chance Bernie has left of obtaining the nomination, albeit an infinitesimally small chance. I don't see people thanking the DNC for that rule, however.

[Lil Missy]

29. If they cause a rukus like they did in Nevada they need to be escorted to the paddy wagon

and thrown in jail. Threatening and intimidating tactics aren't going to change the outcome of the election. Hillary will be our nominee and Bernie is still a loser. (Because Clinton GOT MILLIONS MORE VOTES!!)

[AgingAmerican]

40. Good luck with that

[Starry Messenger]

41. They need to threaten to yank their credentials.

[Gothmog]

63. All delegates are subject to the same rules and these delegates can be removed if they misbehave

[Starry Messenger]

69. That doesn't mean that there aren't any rules and they can just do what they want.

This isn't Montessori. Delegates from both campaigns were told in another state that if there were any threats of misbehavior at the convention, their credentials would be pulled. Both campaigns agreed this was fair.

[Starry Messenger]

74. This isn't the olden days.

I know you guys are aching for the glory years of 1968, but here is what is going to happen: the DNC is going to meet with all of the other state party delegates and also tell them that threats of civil disobedience at the convention will get their credentials yanked.

Both campaigns will agree willingly, because they are both run by adults, not children.

Then the proceedings will occur, just as planned. What happens after than is on the leadership of each campaign to keep things running smoothly.

[Lord Magus]

114. This is the age of democracy.

The nomination goes to the candidate chosen by the voters, no matter how aggressive the losing candidate's delegates might get.

[larkrake]

121. me too

[Lord Magus]

113. Why? Because they're threatening to riot on the convention floor, that's why.

I don't care who they are, that is unacceptable behavior from anyone.

[joshcryer]

109. Don't worry, 90%+ of national delegates...

...are either party insiders or people willing to keep the party together. It's not the idiots holding chairs up and having to have them forcefully taken down. It's not idiots yelling at children. It's people who volunteered, canvassed, and worked their asses off for the party. Even the people that the caucuses selected are not going to be crazies.

[MrMickeysMom]

42. Correction... Hillary's home state haters would be Arkansas after Illinois...

And then, I think you'll find the disgruntled evenly distributed among the voters of NYState, also.

[Skink]

44. The peasants are revolting

[NurseJackie]

50. HA! :-P

[MyNameGoesHere]

45. Will they wear purple band-aids?

Reminds me that other group

[Gothmog]

51. Philadelphia looks like it will be fun if I make it.

Seriously, the Texas convention is coming up and hopefully we will have fewer problems. Here is an e-mail that I received from the heads of both the Texas Clinton and the Texas Sanders delegations.

Fellow Democrats,

As we near the State Convention, we feel it important to address the growing tensions that have begun to divide our party. As Texas Democrats we must stand together against this sort of divisiveness and remain a party united in inclusion. Fortunately, in Texas we do not have the potential squabble over national delegates. The Clinton and Sanders campaign have been awarded delegates proportional to 65.2 and 33.2 percent of the vote, respectively, each received on March 1 and those numbers will not change at the convention. It is this dynamic that will allow us to focus on electing Democrats at every level and strengthening our progressive message.

To our Hillary supporters new and old, we too will continue the fight for each vote. Senator Sanders and his campaign have done a great deal to grow our party. As the campaign enters the final phase of the primary we must work in a positive and energetic manner. Donald Trump must never be allowed to assume the Presidency and we must all come together to prevent that nightmare from becoming a reality.

To our Bernie brothers and sisters, this is not a call to take our foot off the gas—we will continue this campaign until each and every voter has the opportunity to have their voice heard. But we will do so in the spirit of compassion that has guided this campaign from day one. We will continue to grow the tent under which this party sits and push the progressive agenda that has defined our movement. We can never lose sight of the fact that the things that unite us are far greater than those that divide us.

At the end of the day, we are one Democratic Party, united in inclusion, acceptance and cooperation. A party that fights for working families, for women’s rights, for black life's, comprehensive immigration reform, and for equal protections for the LGBTQ community. The future is bright for Texas Democrats, but only if we take this opportunity to come together.

Let’s do this,

Garry Mauro, Fmr. Texas Land Commissioner
Texas Authorized Agent
Hillary for America

Jacob Limon
Texas State Director
Texas Authorized Agent
Bernie Sanders for President

Hopefully the Texas state convention will be less messy but then again the Sanders delegates will be outnumbered two or three to one

[Hekate]

53. 20,000 protesters outside? How many of them are going to bother going to the RNC to protest..

....or is that too hard a concept?

I know, kids, let's put on a show in the old barn! Get that high powered fan behind the big manure pile and plug it in! We'll be famous!!!1! (With thanks to Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.)

[Lord Magus]

116. 20,000? Be surprised if there's 200.

Bernouts seem to have taken up the Tea Party's habit of massively exaggerating their own numbers.

[pmorlan1]

55. LOL

This whole thread looks like a tantrum.

[aikoaiko]

65. Democracy can be messy.

[geek tragedy]

66. tough call for them, temper tantrum inside or watch Bernie's speech, which

will be to the street protestors outside, since he's not getting a convention slot

[pnwmom]

86. Do we know he won't be speaking?

[geek tragedy]

87. If the nomination is being contested, neither candidate will be allowed to address

the convention before the vote. The winning candidate will of course give an acceptance speech.

[beachbum bob]

76. Revoke credentials and Escort them from the convention...

The message should be clear...act like children be treated like children.

[Meteor Man]

78. Call them American citizens

Nobody said it was gonna be easy.

[BainsBane]

91. Amazing how many oppose electoral democracy

Because that is exactly what they are protesting: that the majority had the nerve to vote for Hillary rather that recognizing the sole purpose of their inferior lives is to serve the self entitled. Everyone gets one vote, and that they are furious that the majority refused to obey them. They've been working tirelessly to try to force super delegates to overturn election results and install Bernie in power against the will of the people. Angry that hasn't worked, they show their outrage at the electoral majority. That the voters they seek to disenfranchise include millions of historically disenfranchised groups should be lost on no one. Of course their candidate has fed into their sense of self-entitlement by insisting they are more important than lowly Democrats, particular those in the "confederacy," Southern blacks who aren't "smart" enough to vote as they are told. Or women who are "vagina voters," who dare to think policy and competence matters more than simplistic rhetoric and empty promises.

Protesting the voting rights of people of color, women, the disabled, and the elderly who voted for Clinton is quite the cause. They must be desperate to see us subjugated. Let's cut the pretense that such open contempt for equal voting rights is Democratic or leftist. Working to turn the clock back is the very antithesis of progress; it is regressive and reactionary. This is the most anti-egalitarian, anti-democratic movement in my lifetime. It seeks to impose rule by a select few over the many, and now they are determined to turn their rage on the non-white majority into a 1968-style scene, doubtless working for the same result those protests produced: A GOP presidency, only this time it isn't Nixon but Trump, who is dedicated to stripping away the rights of that same majority those protesters resent. Only the 68 protesters didn't have the benefit of historical hindsight, and they were protesting war, not the rights of a non-white male majority to choose their elected officials by the ballot box.

[leeroysphitz]

99. Oh no, not chaos. n/t

[tandot]

103. I hope they'll reconsider.

I can't believe that anyone would think that there is no difference between Clinton and Trump. That just reminds me of Gore vs Bush and people deciding that voting for Nader would teach a lesson to Democrats. We got 8 years of GWB, wars, the economy in shambles, poor people suffering, allies laughing at us ...

I was sure that people aren't stupid enough to vote for that idiot ... I was wrong ... it would be unimaginable to have the same thing happen with Trump

[larkrake]

117. Goody, I like to see a good fight, conventions can be so damned boring

I cant imagine who the key note speaker will be, but he/she wont lift the pall over the event. American viewers drool over rough demonstrations and might actually tune in to see the gore.

In reality, there are radicals who like violence and will demonstrate. That is democracy on speed. The majority of Bernie folks will accept the outcome and focus on state races, they wont be demonstrating the nomination- they may get loud and God bless them. The only embarrassing thing will be the behavior of the Party. They have already embarrassed themselves.