Hillary Clinton and the roll call ... the mystery continues

DENVER -- With those 18 million votes during the Democratic presidential primary season that she so often mentions, Hillary Clinton has substantial leverage at the Democratic convention now underway in Denver. But in one important matter, she has little or no influence: the mechanics of the roll-call vote.

On Wednesday, delegates will formally vote to make Barack Obama the party's nominee. But exactly how that roll-call vote will unfold is still being worked out.

A Democratic National Committee member familiar with the matter told The Times' Peter Nicholas that as part of the Clinton and Obama negotiations leading up to the convention, it was agreed her name would be entered into nomination. But the Obama campaign was given full power to determine how the roll call would proceed.

Will the vote be cut short so as not to prolong the image of a party divided between Obama and Clinton? Will it play out in full? Or, as the Denver Post reported, is there a chance it will take place outside public view, at a hotel breakfast meeting on Wednesday (which won't exactly sit well with Clinton backers).

Said the DNC member: "Whether or not there will be a roll call -- and. if so, under what conditions -- is entirely up to the Obama campaign. And they have not yet decided what the roll call is going to look like."

A little matter that you'd think would have been hashed out by now.

-- Don Frederick

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Comments

[scootmandubious]

As for your last line...agreed. This should have already been dealt with. For the good of the party.

[whadsupwitthis]

Why didn't Obama help her retire her debt in exchange for whatever convention he wanted? I'm angry that Hillary has to continue to send me fund raising e-mails every other day. He's being a jerk.

[luvwknd]

Obama blew it by selecting Biden, while Joe is a great politician he certainly isn't going to bring in those million and million Hillary supporters and will most likely cost Obama the Presidency!

Get used to saying President McCain!

Get used to 4 more years of Repuklican suppression!

Get used to being hated by the rest of the world!

Get used to not being able to pay your bills!

Thanks Obama for jacking up what could have been an easy Democratic win!

[raoul]

What the polls don't show is a future where Hillary gets the most write-in votes in U.S. history come election time. Obama will lose because the DNC lost its way and Obama failed to do what was best for the party and the country. Biden is great but he is no HRC.

At this point, all is lost unless the delegates dump Obama and elect HRC as the party's nominee. And none of this will be HRC's but will be attributable to a rebellious snowball created by middle and low-income voters that like neither Obama or Mcain.

[top_sockdologer]

This couldn't have been scripted believably. Who'd have thought that, in a fit of megalomania and sour grapes, one of John McCaine's most powerful allies would be Hillary Clinton? Are any of the Convention manipulators aware or embarrassed over this?

[Robert Lowe]

Do you know what to call a Hillary Clinton backer who votes for McCain?
A Republican.
If as many as half of the 18 million vote for McCain they are and were Republicans at heart and there is no guarantee that they woud vote for Barak Obama even with Senator Clinton on the ticket. If they did they would still be Republicans, but not very good ones at that.

[top_sockdologer]

This couldn't have been scripted believably. Who'd have thought that, in a fit of megalomania and sour grapes, one of John McCaine's most powerful allies would be Hillary Clinton? Are any of the Convention manipulators aware or embarrassed over this?

[Joe buck]

Democrats for McCain

[Bill]

Just another example of old, out-dated, back room politics the Democrats are known for.

[Brian O.]

Typical democrat issues, they cant evern run a primary or convention and expect to be able to run the country?

The party is a joke

Brian

[carolyn]

Is Obama going back on his word again-? Let hillary have her roll call--Is this what is going to happen if he becomes president-We will never know what to belive from him-This really scares me--A president we cant trust----

[jefflz]

The few die-hard dead-ender Clintonites ore more interested in avenging their personal anger then in winninbg the election and ending 8 years of a nightmare.. They know that McCain is Bush warmed over and are willing to play into Karl Rove's hands.. . What is shocking is that McCain himself presumes that intelligent women can be so bitter about Clinton's loss of the primary that they are willing to vote against their own personal interests. Even if they aren't enthralled with Obama and feel cheated by the bizarre primary process, how can these women support a man who will overturn Roe v. Wade?, a man who has demonstrated his contempt for women through his coarse remarks even to his own wife? a man who promises to send their sons into more illegal wars? a man who has brought in Karl Rove the Cheney/Bush attack dog,, Ralph Reed the corrupt Christian Coalition leader and Phil Gramm of Texas/Enron fame to run his campaign?? Get real, recognize PUMA as a bunch of Rove stooges and move on -only Republicans could stomach a vote for McCain/Bush. It is simply the worst possible formula for the advancement of women's causes.

[Cody]

What that really means is despite the fact that less than 6% of the US population actually voted for Mrs. Clinton, she is more concerned about leveraging her position to make another run in 4 years than she is about the good of her party and more importantly HER COUNTRY.

[Harry The Cat]

I'm afraid this convention may spell the end of the Democratic Party. I feel as though my vote for HRC was meaningless, and that John Edwards, by not coming clean sooner, basically stole my vote along with 18 million others. Then for BHO to dis Hillary like he has, I've had it. I'll have to decide between now and November if I'm going to vote for McCain or just stay home, but I'll never vote for BHO.

[damien]

Somehow I think the media thinks Clinton is a more important 'person' in the convention that she really is. Except that she's hoping to scratch out some kind of special position for herself, she is a total outcast from the process. A very few number of her former followers are in agreement with any process that makes her look more important that she is.

The one audience that does think she's important is the media esp the boys over at ABC that have been working hard to make her a candidate for the last 15 months.

Ms. Clinton should have done the correct political thing and bowed out with full support the day after she lost the last primary. That would have been the "manly" thing to do. Perhaps is a good example why this country is not ready for a female president.

[Nick]

to all the HRC supporters who are still mad about how the primaries turned out...

chill out and think about this rationally. i was an HRC supporter too. but i'm voting for Obama. why? because a mccain presidency is the LAST thing our country needs.

if mccain wins the presidency and it's because HRC supporters didn't back the DEMOCRAT, we will have no one to blame but ourselves for the next 4 years of complete agony.

[BJ]

There is something brewing about papers that have been released regarding Ayers and the Obama connection. I saw something about it on Fox News.

The DNC better wait this out before they proclaim Obama their king only to be de-throned.

I would not be surprised if Obama manages to suppress Clinton supporters in the role call. He is cunning and manipulative!

[Mike in Sac]

Right on Nick!

To all of you others. Listen to Nick. If McCain wins then we will continue to send our young men and women to die in war, the rich will keep getting richer on our dime, another cold war is likely, AND McCain will overturn Roe v. Wade.

McCain will be able to impose his old world image of what women should be in this country. At home bare foot and pregnant. Making babies to feed his war machine.

The choice has never been so stark.

[scootmandubious]

luvwknd wrote:
Obama blew it by selecting Biden, while Joe is a great politician he certainly isn't going to bring in those million and million Hillary supporters and will most likely cost Obama the Presidency!

Get used to saying President McCain!

Get used to 4 more years of Repuklican suppression!

Get used to being hated by the rest of the world!

Get used to not being able to pay your bills!

Thanks Obama for jacking up what could have been an easy Democratic win!
--------------------------------------------
Anyone who writes such garbage, under the pretense of wanting a Democratic victory, is a fraud.

You are either a Republican operative trying to stir up discontent, or you are self-absorbed beyond belief.

I happen to think it's the former, but maybe a combination of the 2.

No true Democrat would work so hard to shoot down Obama's candidacy without having some sort of an agenda.

[scootmandubious]

BJ wrote:
There is something brewing about papers that have been released regarding Ayers and the Obama connection. I saw something about it on Fox News.
-------------------------------------------------
After looking at this, along with some of your other postings, I must congratulate you on having the most suitable moniker to go with your posts.

Really? You saw it on Fox News? Then it must be....faux.

[John Quimby]

Clearly there are those in the Party who would rather switch than fight for a better America.

We're talking about a former First Lady and one of only 100 currently serving United States Senators. As Senator from New York she has plenty of power and influence in an elite club. I hope she'll continue to do a fine job in the Senate and run again for the White House if she chooses to.

Beyond that, I don't owe her a thing and I wish her supporters would stop trying to saddle all of us with her failed campaign of coulda woulda shoulda. If you support her you can help her pay the bill. And next time - you might send the check early.

My time and money ought to go toward winning in November, not whining in August.

[Connie]

Why didn't Obama help her retire her debt in exchange for whatever convention he wants? That sounds like blackmail to me. Are you crazy, Hillary got herself in debt by trying to beat Obama, so it's her debt not his. You're angry because you don't want to put your money where your mouth is. You supported Hillary's foolishness now pay the piper or shut up.

[BJ]

Well now, they're planning to relegate the Clinton delegates to voting in their hotel rooms!

What a joke! They won't even let them do the roll call from the convention floor! Are they scared Obama will get out voted by Clinton?

Apparently so, if this is what they'll do.

[Will]

I'm afraid this convention may spell the end of the Democratic Party. I feel as though my vote for HRC was meaningless, and that John Edwards, by not coming clean sooner, basically stole my vote along with 18 million others. Then for BHO to dis Hillary like he has, I've had it. I'll have to decide between now and November if I'm going to vote for McCain or just stay home, but I'll never vote for BHO.

Posted by: Harry The Cat | August 26, 2008 at 12:14 PM

I find it hard to believe that all these people watching all this television and pundits that say that the party is divided and that obama stole it from hillary...well it is a little known fact that the majority of edwards' voters were more inclined to vote for obama and not hillary so this case against him is null and void secondly if you can vote for mccain and go against all of what makes you who you are is beyond me. i cant believe how easy it is to suck up some of these people into believing things that are and have been proven to be lies..i will not vote for mccain and if he is elected i am going to have to move to another country one that is atleast in some senses further along than we are....the jobs are leaving, as go the jobs so go the professional class, the working class and so on then what are we left with, nothing but a third world country that was once the most powerful force on the global scene. i cant understand how some one can go against everything they believe in and the future of millions of lives just to get some kind of personal satisfaction, if john mccain is elected and this bush police state continues it will be all of you "sit on your hands do nothings" that will be to blame for it...i just sure hope none of you are planning to bring a child into this world anytime soon...god help u if you do it's going to be rough for you people

[John Quimby]

Our future and our individual liberties are at stake in this election. That's a bit more important to me than convention theater and media clowns.