Denver meeting shaping up as somewhat unconventional.Byline: Kenneth J. Moynihan COLUMN: KENNETH J. MOYNIHAN A month or more ago, Sen. Hillary Clinton made me a bit nervous when she said she might support a calling of the roll at the Denver National Convention. That would supposedly provide the Clintonites a "catharsis catharsis Purging or purification of emotions through art. The term is derived from the Greek katharsis (“purgation,” “cleansing”), a medical term used by Aristotle as a metaphor to describe the effects of dramatic tragedy on the spectator: by " from which they would emerge purged, charged and ready to commit to the Obama campaign. That tactic seemed to me to promise more bitterness than party reconciliation. The Clinton delegates would apparently be encouraged to vote first for her, and then follow her into the Obama camp. That gave me visions of thousands of delegates appearing on their first vote to repudiate TO REPUDIATE. To repudiate a right is to express in a sufficient manner, a determination not to accept it, when it is offered. 2. He who repudiates a right cannot by that act transfer it to another. Sen. Barack Obama, when their chief purpose was symbolic, to honor Mrs. Clinton. I was therefore relieved when I read late last week that she would be a "headline prime-time speaker" and given a full evening (Tuesday) at the center of attention. One supporter in Denver reportedly remarked, "Tuesday night is Hillary night." But then the roll call came rolling back. It now appears that Mrs. Clinton's name will be placed in nomination along with that of Mr. Obama. At some point in the proceedings she will "release" her delegates, many of whom are expected then to follow her by switching their votes to Mr. Obama. This again strikes me as fooling with fire. Presumably pre·sum·a·ble adj. That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. , many of those delegates will be debating with one another for the next week what they should do if they've already become active Obama supporters. Also, Mrs. Clinton has no way to compel her delegates to follow her into the Obama ranks. At the convention the delegates apparently will go through the roll call state by state. That usually takes a long time, and it can easily be obstructed by challenges from the floor. There was another confusing element in the news from Denver. Mrs. Clinton appeared to have been assigned to the spot traditionally reserved for the "keynote address keynote address n. An opening address, as at a political convention, that outlines the issues to be considered. Also called keynote speech. Noun 1. ." That title seemed briefly to have disappeared. I didn't know if the difference was significant. Changing the title would have the virtue of allowing several speeches to be listed equally. On the first day of the convention, for example, Michelle Obama was listed as the "headline prime-time" speaker, just as Mrs. Clinton was for the next day. Many news outlets decided, apparently on their own, to call the Clinton speech the keynote address anyway, as they have done over the years. When I looked at the lineup as of Monday things had moved. Michelle Obama was still designated as the prime-time star for Monday, but Hillary Clinton's address was no longer the focus of Tuesday's program. Convention organizers announced that "the keynote speaker, usually a rising party leader, will be former Gov. Mark Warner Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American businessman and politician from the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the Democratic Party. Warner is the immediate former governor of Virginia and the honorary chairman of the Forward Together PAC. of Virginia, a 2008 Senate candidate. ... Another prime-time speaker will be Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has chosen to be introduced by daughter Chelsea Clinton Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is the daughter and only child of former US President Bill Clinton and United States Senator Hillary Clinton. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. . Clinton will focus on health care, jobs and the economy." The "prime-time" sequence, then, is for Michelle Obama to speak on Monday, Mark Warner and Hillary Clinton on Tuesday. The vice presidential nominee In United States politics and government, the phrase presidential nominee has two distinct meanings. The first is somebody chosen by the primary voters and caucus-goers of this party to be the party's nominee for President of the United States. is featured on Wednesday, and Barack Obama gives his acceptance speech on Thursday. For that night, the celebration is moving to the spacious embrace of INVESCO Field at Mile High Naming Rights Controversy Many fans opposed a corporate name and wished to retain the previous venue's name, "Mile High Stadium."[1] The Denver Post . It holds around 75,000 people, and tickets ran out in a day. The wisest course at this point may be to treat as tentative everything announced as the official program for the convention. It would seem nevertheless that the roll call is going to happen. That could lead to greater harmony, but the dangers on the downside seem at least as great. As we near the end of the long, long nominating campaign, the Democrats can be grateful that the system, the leaders, and the voters found ways of coping with serious crises at home and in the world. They dealt also with issues raised because of the unprecedented diversity of their candidates. The next big news will be made by Mr. Obama's selection of a running mate running mate n. 1. The candidate or nominee for the lesser of two closely associated political offices. 2. A companion. 3. A horse used to set the pace in a race for another horse. . His organizers say the theme for that person's speech on Wednesday will be national security. Joe Biden This article is about the United States Senator from Delaware, for other uses of the name, see Biden. Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. , anyone? Colin Powell Noun 1. Colin Powell - United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937) Colin luther Powell, Powell ? Kenneth J. Moynihan's column appears regularly in the Telegram & Gazette. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion