While listening to the opening of today’s session of the
Democratic National Convention, I heard some of the most remarkable
political theater, at one of the most unexpected moments, that I’ve
ever encountered.
Convention Chairman and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villarigosa
introduced former Ohio Governor Tom Strickland who was the Chairman
of the party’s Platform Committee which has taken so much heat in
the press over the past couple of days for removing any reference
to God and certain positive statements regarding
Israel, including recognition of Jerusalem as our ally’s
capital.
Strickland first asked for the rules to be suspended so he could
move a motion. Villarigosa asked for a voice vote of the delegates,
noting that a 2/3 majority was needed to approve the suspension of
the rules. Based on the yells of the delegates in response, it was
well above the 2/3 majority. In fact, Villarigosa obviously thought
of the vote as such a foregone conclusion that he started saying
(and I won’t get the words precisely right) that “In the opinion of
the chair, a sufficient majority has approved the suspension of the
rules” even before the sound of the few “no” votes had stopped
echoing in the room.
However, Strickland then went on to propose a
2-part amendment to the party platform: One item would add a
reference to God back into the official document. And the second
item would say that President Obama recognizes Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel.
Villarigosa then went back to the delegates, saying that a 2/3
vote was needed to approve the amendment. He asked for the “ayes”,
which were quite loud, then asked for the “nays.” Immediately after
asking for the “nays” he started to say that in his opinion
there was a sufficient majority, but the sound of the nays was so
loud — to me it was as loud as the “ayes”. He stopped saying that
there was a majority and asked again for the voice vote, and again
the opposition was, to me, just as loud as the support.
Then (and since I’m traveling and can’t go back and listen to it
today, I hope one of you will…I was listening on CNN), I heard a
quiet voice, apparently speaking to Villarigosa, mutter something
like “let them do what they’re going to do.” Villarigosa asked for
a third voice vote and this time, even though the support and the
opposition sounded equally loud to me, said that in his opinion
there was a 2/3 majority in support and the amendment to the
platform was accepted.
I tell you, from how it sounded to me listening on satellite
radio, there was no way it was a 2/3 majority.
I understand that Bill Clinton will be the big story of the DNC
today, but this should be right up there.
Clearly a large number the Democrat delegates are perfectly
happy with the platform as it was modified, to exclude God and
Israel. And clearly the Democrat big-wigs brought this forward
without talking to the delegates first. They are, after all, used
to members of their party doing whatever they tell them to do
because if you don’t, you are likely to be reminded by Barack Obama
himself that he is “keeping
score.”
Based on my score-keeping, the vote on the platform amendments
was a tie, and the umpire lied.
Just the latest example of the petty tyrannies of the
non-democratic Democratic Party.
Seriously, this needs to be the main story of today’s Convention
proceedings, if we can get through all of Bubba’s hot air.
