What If.....There is a close tie with the top three going into the

[monmouth]

convention. How is that decided. What if.....Joe Biden received so many write-ins, would he still be a contender? I don't know the rules and regs on these things. I'm thinking a draft/write-in approach. At this point I'm going to work on the local level, to turn Florida really blue, I have no dog with the top 3. I ask here because you're all so brilliant when it comes to this stuff....

[1corona4u]

1. I think that most people will just cave in and vote for their

2nd choice. There's not much dedication in this world anymore. We here, are the exception to this rule, and maybe a few thousand more spread out across the country.

[elleng]

2. monmouth, 'No majority' at the convention results in

the old tyme 'religion,' politics, in the lobby and on the floor. Avoiding such is the reason the Dems decided to adopt rules.

Would have no relation to 'write-ins,' tho somehow he (or anyone else) might be considered.

Here's a convention story:

'When the 1968 Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago, thousands of young antiwar activists from around the nation gathered in the city to protest the Vietnam War. In a clash which was covered on live television, Americans were shocked to see Chicago police brutally beating anti-war protesters in the streets of Chicago. While the protesters chanted "the world is watching", the police used clubs and tear gas to beat back the protesters, leaving many of them bloody and dazed. The tear gas even wafted into numerous hotel suites; in one of them Vice-President Humphrey was watching the proceedings on television. Meanwhile, the convention itself was marred by the strong-arm tactics of Chicago's mayor Richard J. Daley (who was seen on television angrily cursing Senator Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut, who made a speech at the convention denouncing the excesses of the Chicago police in the riots). In the end, the nomination itself was anticlimactic, with Vice President Humphrey handily beating McCarthy and McGovern on the first ballot. The convention then chose Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine as Humphrey's running mate. However, the tragedy of the antiwar riots crippled Humphrey's campaign from the start, and it never fully recovered. (White, pgs. 377-378; <1>)'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_1968
Much more of the story included.

[gateley]

3. Man, that brings back memories. I wasn't there, but watched it on TV (I was

15 at the time). And I remember the tear gas from the anti-war riots in Seattle I participated in.

[frogcycle]

5. yeah, 1968 - that wonderful year

MLK shot, RFK shot, Chicago riots, frogcycle got married

oops!

Bad things
MLK shot, RFK shot, Chicago riots

Good things
frogcycle got married

[gateley]

8. We felt like we were effecting change -- and we were! And you REALLY were! nt

[frogcycle]

12. One of my fondest memories

is getting teargassed at the march on the pentagon

(you get that, agent Bob?)

[monmouth]

18. My first smile of the day!!

[elleng]

13. REAL memories;

MAYBE beginning of my true adulthood. I was there, and had worked as secretary for legal services at Cook County Jail. When the cops lost it, I went out to jail to help sorting and classifying so new 'inmates' could receive medications, messages, etc. Watched 'proceedings' in warden's office!

I missed tear gas!

[WheelWalker]

15. Goddess I love the smell of tear gas in a woman's hair...sigh.

[elleng]

17. eeeeewwwwwww,

Idiot!!!

[elleng]

19. Steely,

I got into some 'old' music last night!

[frogcycle]

4. if there is no winner in the first ballot, they

talk a while, mill around, and vote again. Sometimes some of the lesser candidates "release" their delegates - sometime to another candidate, sometimes to go vote as they see fit.

I think after maybe three votes they are all automatically released, and votes can be cast for anyone. Sometimes if those supporting the top 2-3 hate each other enough, and refuse to settle on one of them, then another candidate that everyone can "live with" gets introduced and everyone agrees to vote for them; this is a "brokered convention."

If this scenario were to occur, I could see Joe being the logical choice. It is highly unlikely, but still possible. It last happened in 1952 (D) and 1948 (R). Neither of these "compromise" candidates won, of course, although the St Louis paper published its famous "Dewey defeats Truman" headline.

It may be more likely with the pugs this year. Now THERE is a party without a candidate!

[1corona4u]

6. So.....

talk to me like I'm 2...all of these delagates are from the states they win, right? What if we started a massive letter campaign about a month before the convention, stating that we all want the nominee to be Joe? Would this information have any influence at all? Would the delegates would even know, if we did? It would also give us months to get a petition going as well. Maybe if we got a few million signatures on it, it might have influence?

Just trying to think outside the box here.....

[frogcycle]

9. the delegates are generally "bound"

to the candidate chosen by their state for at least the first round - maybe two; I forget.
They don't have the option of going with someone else. But if there is no majority, then the additional rounds of voting open it up into a free-for-all.

A couple of states have chosen to permit splitting up the delegates according to popular vote; I think there are lawsuits fighting it. If that includes big states, then the prospect of no clear winner gets greater.

I don't know that any amount of petitioning would have any affect. If it is deadlocked into the night, then some wheeling and dealing will take place. likely a deal to make one pres and the other vp or something like that. Turning to a mutually acceptable alternative (like Joe) would be a last resort, and I doubt that petitions would mean much at that point. They'd be looking for a White Knight to save the debacle of a convention. I think Joe and Al are two names that would come up quickly.

[1corona4u]

10. So, basically, there's nothing we can do.....

that really sucks.

[frogcycle]

11. Get Up!

Joe won't be Pres. One of the three "viable" ones will, or else a pug will.

We need to make the best of it.

we need someone saying "I agree with Joe" a LOT!

[1corona4u]

14. Hmm...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbOa989IRYw

Seems one of them said it a lot more than a couple of the others...

[1corona4u]

7. You and I need to get together and see what we can do here....

maybe go door to door if we have to...

By the way, the Floirda democrats said that they didn't have time to do a 'caucus', which would be the only way our votes would count, like in Feb, but I have to do some research into what would be acceptable for a count...I am curious about the petition thing. If that would be legal.

[WheelWalker]

16. Please see Sir Steely's post, "I was on the phone"