Isn't there something to be said IN FAVOR OF a deadlocked convention?

[MrCoffee]

Think of the television audience a deadlocked convention would draw. Forget the network spin, people will be watching Democrats giving impassioned speeches on Democratic ideals, Democratic principles, and Democratic plans.

A deadlocked primary season going in to the convention could be the grounds for a revival of how we talk about politics in this country.

[Alexander]

1. Yes. It means Al Gore may be our nominee.

I'd take that over a nasty convention fight any day of the week.

And I support Obama.

[Fovea]

2. we love/fear democracy

it is our joy and delight, as long as it keeps its undies on.

[IndieLeft]

3. Here's the problem...

If it comes down to it, you will have politicians picking our candidate, rather than the people.

Just look at the current results.

Obama leads in pledged delegates (our votes) but hillary got around 90 more superdelegates, so she's in the lead.

I'll make this arguement again... Why the f**k are they picking our candidate?

I swear, If the person (regarless of the candidate) who wins the popular vote does NOT win the superdelegate also, I'm done with politics.

No more voting, no more blogs, nothing; because it will mean that what we vote for doesn't really matter. It's disgusting. You put all your effort into something, and in the end, despite what they tell you, if it's close, you don't get the decision. They take it away from you; regardless of party.

[angie_love]

7. Agreed, if this is the way she wins then I won't vote for her. Period.

If our vote doesn't count anyway then why bother?

[smalll]

4. Nope. There will be no Goreus Ex Machina.

Everything else about no nominee all the way to the convention is Bad News.

[MrCoffee]

6. I wouldn't expect a dark-horse candidate to emerge with the nomination

But the extended press coverage of the convention, coupled with actual interest on the part of the electorate, seems like a good thing over the long term.

Our ideas are better than their ideas. Don't we scream in here constantly about how the M$M silences our message? Don't we bemoan the fact that politics has devolved into the art of the sound bite?

I think that a national platform from which we can proclaim Democratic (as in, the Democratic Party) values can be an immensely powerful means by which we can prove that our ideas are better than their ideas.

[smalll]

14. Except, what would the media cover?? The ideas, or the conflict?

The conflict! And also, to be fair and honest, the battle between Obama and Clinton, or Obamans and Hillarites, is overall not really about ideas. Hillary and Obama both stand in the moderate-to-liberal democratic mainstream of ideas. The fight is more about personal qualities (experience vs. inspiration, battler vs. unifier, etc) and between various demographic divides (rich vs. poor, young vs. old, women vs. men, white (and Latino) vs. black.

So in this contest, ideas aren't being aired so well, or at least, NOT in a way that aims to "prove that our ideas are better than their ideas."

[Apollo11]

5. Maybe a Clinton Obama ticket?

Obama is 14 years younger than Hillary.

He can go top of the ticket in 2016 and 2020.

[angie_love]

9. I really don't think the Clintons will support Obama in 2016 or so.

What did they do for Al Gore in 2000? I don't remember much being done for him as far as support goes. I also remember him being very bitter about them.

[newmajority]

11. Another BushClinton presidency will KILL this country

make no mistake about that. Recovering from the last 8 years is going to be difficult enough.

[Uncle Sinister]

8. Two words: John Edwards (as kingmaker, not nominee)

If it stays deadlocked, John's delegates could be vital, and he would be able to force some of his agenda into the platform.
'twould be a beautiful thing

[Life Long Dem]

18. This is what I don't understand.

It's said Edwards stepped aside because he didn't want to get in the way of the path to history for the two. So if so, wouldn't he be in the path of history if he chose the winner?

[blogslut]

10. I swear I remember it used to be like that

We didn't choose the candidate until the convention. Drama!

Actually, I want this crap over, the sooner the better. I hate this one-and-a-half-year election season jazz.

[MrCoffee]

12. I agree 100% on the endless elcetion season!

No candidate should be allowed to declare and form a campaign until, say, 6 months prior to the election.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. The last two seasons of the West Wing show why we don't want a deadlocked convention

Modern conventions set the tone for the election season and they show the nominee in a very favorable light. It also makes sure that America knows the candidates' personal story and that is very very important.

If we have a brokered convention this time it creates a problem in that we don't get the free national TV time to define our nominee. In Hillary's case that means that people know her from her days as first lady and she doesn't get an opportunity to present herself as the "New Hillary". It also doesn't give her a chance to talk about how she worked for the Childrens' Defense Fund, etc. In Obama's case it means that people are like, "who the hell is this guy?"

Meanwhile John McCain gets free national TV time to tell the entire country about how he was a POW in Vietnam.

Sadly undecided voters don't vote on the issues, they vote based on how they feel about the candidates. Three days of people talking about the principles of the Democratic Party just isn't going to be any help in November.

The scenario in the West Wing showed this pretty accurately. The Democrats had a brokered convention and the GOP did not. The GOP nominee (Vinick) started out with a huge lead on the Democratic nominee (Santos) largely because Vinick came off at the convention as someone who was ready to lead and people didn't have a clue who Santos was.

If there had been no brokered convention, the Democrats would've been able to show off the fact that Santos had served in the marines in the first Gulf War and has continued to serve in the reserves and that would've been a huge boost for him.

[joshcryer]

15. Al Gore.

[merbex]

16. Absofuc****lutely, it would be great except for campaign operatives

whining about super delegates and the fight to seat the FLA and MI delegations...

other than that ....

it would be a way to show off our bench and our principles as you say.

Why would anyone be afraid of it??

[smalll]

17. You forgot the dripping sarcasm thingie.

"the fight to seat the FLA and MI delegations..." vs. "show off" our "principles." Which would the media cover? Hmmm? :think: Be afraid. Be very afraid.