Opinion: California takes a pass on the Democratic roll call

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DENVER -- As the roll call for nominating its presidential candidate got underway at the Democratic National Convention, the huge California delegation created a stir by ... passing.

The assumption was it made the move so that Barack Obama wouldn’t reach the magic number too soon, preventing another state -- like say, New York -- from having its say.

Illinois -- Obama’s home state with another large delegation -- also took a pass.

Arkansas, identifed by a speaker for the delegation as Hillary Clinton’s ‘adopted state’ (that would be after Illinois, her birthplace, but before New York), cast all its votes for Obama ‘in the name of unity.’

In Hawaii, Obama’s birthplace, unity wasn’t quite achieved. Obama got 26 of its votes, Clinton 1.

-- Don Frederick

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