Notes From All Over, Part 4 -- All Politics -- Nothing About The Bakken -- January 31, 2020

Updates

Later, 6:22 p.m. CT: Hillary supporters run the DNC (see below). Now we learn that DNC members are discussing rules change to stop Sanders at the convention. I haven't read the article: one possible change:

• allowing super-delegates to vote in the first round: this would guarantee that Sanders would be stopped; this has Hillary's fingerprints all over it;

So, let's read what the movers and shakers have in mind. Aha! I'm correct. From the linked article:

In conversations on the sidelines of a DNC executive committee meeting and in telephone calls and texts in recent days, about a half-dozen members have discussed the possibility of a policy reversal to ensure that so-called superdelegates can vote on the first ballot at the party’s national convention. Such a move would increase the influence of DNC members, members of Congress and other top party officials, who now must wait until the second ballot to have their say if the convention is contested.

Original Post

From the NY Times archives, from the 1968 DNC convention, by Tom Wicker:

While a pitched battle between the police and thousands of young antiwar demonstrators raged in the streets of Chicago, the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for President last night, on a platform reflecting his and President Johnson's views on the war in Vietnam.

Mr. Humphrey, after a day of bandwagon shifts to his candidacy, and a night of turmoil in the convention hall, won nomination on the first ballot over challenges by Senator Eugene J. McCarthy of Minnesota and George S. McGovern of South Dakota.

Much, much more to the story:

Even the roll-call of the states that nominated Mr. Humphrey could begin only over the protests of New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Mr. Conyers, all of who moved for a recess or adjournment because of the surrounding violence and the pandemonium in the hall.

Representative Carl Albert of Oklahoma, the chairman, ignored all the motions and ordered the roll-call to begin amid a huge chorus of boos.

When Illinois's turn came to vote, the huge old amphitheater rocked with the sounds of books (sic) and jeers, and the recording secretary had to ask for a restatement of its vote -- 172 votes for Mr. Humphrey.

But this is huge:

Humphrey did not compete in the primaries, leaving that job to favorite sons who were his surrogates, notably United States Senator George A. Smathers from Florida, United States Senator Stephen M. Young from Ohio, and Governor Roger D. Branigin of Indiana.

Instead, Humphrey concentrated on winning the delegates in non-primary states, where party leaders such as Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley controlled the delegate votes in their states. Kennedy defeated Branigin and McCarthy in the Indiana primary, and then defeated McCarthy in the Nebraska primary. However, McCarthy upset Kennedy in the Oregon primary. 

As I've said many, many times, Biden is a placeholder for Hillary, although he does not know it.

Mike Bloomberg is taking a page from Humphrey's playbook, though the rules have changed.

Hillary? Re-calcuating, re-calculating, re-calculating.

Re-posting:

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By The Way ....

Within the past 24 hours, more and more stories on Biden slipping. More and more stories coming out how Biden is "losing it." Literally and figuratively. It will be interesting if Rush Limbaugh picks up on this: not that it is happening but that the mainstream media is starting to report it. The stories have Hillary's fingerprints all over them; a need to keep a front-runner in the polls from becoming a front-runner with delegates.

Pocahontas can't get back on the campaign trail fast enough. It will be interesting to see if she votes for witnesses. If enough Republicans vote for witnesses to affect the outcome, one can bet that Sanders and Pocahontas will join Mitch McConnell in voting against prolonging the impeachment trial. As it is, it may be too late for Pocahontas.

Later, 11:45 a.m. CT: this is why Pocahontas knows it will be a disaster for her if she can't get back to campaigning ... Klobuchar, a legend in her own mind, surges in Iowa, now polling ahead of Pocahontas, though statistically tied, 16% vs 15%. Biden, no better; tied with them at 17%. Sanders at 23%. If the caucuses hold true to the polling, no clear winner going into New Hampshire. Drudge headline says Romeny will vote for witnesses; can't wait to see if Senator Warren wants this charade to go longer. LOL. Bolton, by the way, is "all over the place" on his comments; he won't be the star witness the Dems had hoped.