Democrats Look for Way to Avoid Convention Rift

[Pirate Smile]

Source: New York Times

Former Vice President Al Gore and a number of other senior Democrats plan to remain neutral for now in the presidential race in part to keep open the option to broker a peaceful resolution to what they fear could be a bitterly divided convention, party officials and aides said Friday.

Democratic Party officials said that in the past week Mr. Gore and other leading Democrats had held private talks as worry mounted that the close race between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton could be decided by a group of 796 party insiders known as superdelegates.

The signs that party elders are weighing whether and how to intervene reflects the extraordinary nature of the contest now and the concern among some Democrats that they not risk an internal battle that could harm the party in the general election.

But they also provided an early glimpse at the complex set of tradeoffs facing party leaders, from their desire to make their own influence felt to their worries about offending the candidates and particular constituencies — not to mention the long, sometimes troubled relationship between Mr. Gore and the Clintons.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/us/politics/16delegates.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1203135896-E6C4a5z2sjRrDYQcPMqf/w

[DJ13]

1. "Al Gore and a number of other senior Democrats plan to remain neutral for now"

And they think thats going to help solve this problem?

Typical politicians........

[Bok_Tukalo]

2. Delaying the inevitable and hoping for a surge

I think they are hoping for a March 4 resolution but I do not think that will happen. Senator Clinton has not come this far to give up so easily and a tight race in Wisconsin is shaping up.

[DJ13]

4. ".....they are hoping for a March 4 resolution "

Yeah, Im thinking that too.

But if they really believe themselves to have to power to end this, they should throw their weight behind someone prior to then so it really would be over.

Waiting around only to further deadlock the delegates won isnt going to help.

[Bok_Tukalo]

5. But how bad would it look if it failed?

If Gore and all made a move toward Obama and Clinton took Texas and Ohio by healthy margins, that would not be in their interests (who's the insurgent now?).

I think they are waiting and hoping for a little more distance in the delegate count between the two.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Suppose they decided in favor of Hillary?

Does "irate" even begin to describe how you would feel?

I am not averse to a convention fight. Somebody has to show the GOP how sane and ethical adults behave when they fight, and especially after the fight is resolved.

--p!

[Kablooie]

9. I'd feel the same way I felt when they picked Bush over Gore.

[JeanGrey]

23. They won't.

[troubleinwinter]

17. How's about we let the VOTERS speak?

[pinto]

3. The press likes an angle on a good story. This tight race has seemed to generate

lots of speculation halfway to the finish line. It's interesting, especially for many of us political watchers, yet I see no cause for party - or public- alarm at this point. Turns out there's a way to go yet. And as mentioned later in the article the leaders realize the race may be a lot clearer come convention time.

Not mentioned here, among the anonymous sources cited, is the big interest - and turnout - this race has fostered among Democrats. I'm liking it, personally.

Also find it totally unsurprising that Gore and other party leaders are having talks, sharing opinions, checking the sense of colleagues and electorate. It's what they ought to be doing as leading members in our party.

I hope a broad consensus can be found about the FL and MI parties' delegate status, early enough to present a clear decision.

[muyojoe]

22. I AGREE

It is way too early and everybody is way too bent out of shape over what might happen. If this was the week before the convention, and nothing was clear, then I might have some angst. But not at this point. Support your candidate and enjoy the press the close race is giving us.

[Frances]

26. If we had a clear winner at this point,

the Repubs would start attacking that candidate today. This way, the Repubs don't know who to start tearing apart.

So, there is a bright side to this close race.

Personally, I think both of our candidates are far better than McCain, so I can happily support either one.

[muyojoe]

28. BOTH PARTIES

I think are keeping their races going, to keep their candidates in the news. The election season is so long this time, that as soon as one party was down to their candidate, that candidate wouldn't get on the news until there was a clear protagonist in the other party. In other words both parties are both dragging it out.

[Pastiche423]

7. I'm dreaming of a....

Brokered Convention

[earthlover]

8. I dream of a convention that reflects the will of the people's votes in the primaries & party rules

[Pastiche423]

10. Good for you

[Matteon]

11. The way I see it is

March 4 is their best hope for an easy way out. If HRC wins big in Texas, wins in Ohio, and keeps Wisconsin close she might retake the lead in pledged delegates. Then, the SD's can back her without pissing people off since she is winning in the primaries, and the DNC can still keep Fla. and Mich. from being seated without it affecting the outcome.

[Pastiche423]

13. Is there any particular reason you responded to my post?

[Matteon]

14. Well, kinda....

It was the one at the end...

[Pastiche423]

15. When you want to respond to the OP

OP = Original poster, the person that began the thread, you need to click on reply under that post.

Did I explain that so that you understand?

[ExtraGriz]

16. good follow up Matteon

theres an ignore icon under a poster, use it at will if you need to.

did i explain that so you can understand? :toast:

[Matteon]

18. :)

Thanks Griz

[lildreamer316]

31. ...and I found two good

reasons to use it!

[BuelahWitch]

27. Me too Pastiche!

:hi:

[seriousstan]

12. tHE CHICKENS HAVE COME HOME TO ROOST.....

[sofa king]

19. Um, why not disenfranchise the superdelegates?

The party has the power to not seat the delegates from Florida and Michigan? Why don't they have the power to not seat the superdelegates this time around?

[intaglio]

20. March 4 could resolve it

if BHO wins 2 or 3 out of 3 - just sayin'

[greyghost]

21. Hill winning Texas,Ohio, and PA resolves it.

[JeanGrey]

24. She won't.

[earthlover]

25. She would not only have to win them, but win them BIG....like 60% delegates

The odds are against her doing that. Where has she won 60% of the vote?

So we are to believe after 10 straight Obama victories, media coverage of Hillary's loan and campaign shakeups, Obama's money lead, and the fact that many of Obama's winning states had Hillary in the lead a couple of weeks before the election....that facing all this Hillary is going to win EACH of these states in a landslide?

Good luck with that one....

[Frances]

29. I agree with your assessment

but it is better for the Dem party to wait to see how things shake out before getting too uptight about super delegates.

The reason I like a long primary season is that there is more time for any flaws of the candidate to come out. It gives the voters more time to learn how a candidate reacts to ups and downs.

[DuaneBidoux]

30. One simple way: when impossible for one to catch up with popular vote he/she should withdraw.

I hope the superdelegates also put their votes with the will of the voting dems.