Nevada State Convention.

Here is another perspective of the caucus by somebody who is prominent in Lyon County politics.

Re the alternates: I agree with some other alternates that we should have been seated the first thing in the morning and have given our preference. It was disgusting we were not seated until after 1:00.

This blogger notes the rudeness of the Obama supporters when Bill Clinton spoke. Again, from my vantage point of being in the "dungeon" downstairs watching him on the screen, the heckling was inaudible.

The rudeness was reported here as well.

Nevada State Democratic Convention.

I totally disagree with there being no "heated discussion" at yesterday's conclusion of the state Democratic convention.

Of course the convention was nothing like the GOP's, which was canceled because of the antics of Ron Paul supporters, but there was still much disagreement over the rules.

People go crazy over the procedure.
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The Nevada State Democratic Convention

just ended, a mere 20 minutes behind schedule. It was hilarious to listen to people go positively crazy when it comes to the platform language. After about an hour of listening to silliness back and forth about whether the amended language (which amounted to a grand total of two sentences) should be included in the platform, it was finally adopted. But God, people were anal about it.

And then it got stupid when the subject of the five electors was brought up. Two electors selected were from Clark County, two from Washoe, and one from the rural districts, in this case a southern rural county. Well, some idiot objected to that thinking the rurals should have two electors and Washoe County have just one elector. Never mind the simple fact almost the entire population of Nevada is included in Clark and Washoe Counties. Well, we had to take a vote on it, and it was supposedly so close that the chair had us literally move to each side of the room so he could get a body count. The nutty idea was soundly rejected.

Unity was the big theme of this convention, but it wasn't partisanship regarding Obama and Clinton that was the problem. Hell, everybody was pretty much cordial to each other. It was the stupid damned rules that pissed some people off.

There were perhaps 900 or a thousand people there this morning; most who attended yesterday and weren't there today probably took the plane or car back home to Vegas. The convention last night went for a least an hour past after I had left at 10 p.m.

Another point of view can be found here. Note the blogger says the Obama people started acting like idiots when Bill Clinton started to speak yesterday. I was downstairs in the holding room for alternates, so I didn't hear this disrespectful crap.

Nevada State Democratic Convention.

As much as Obama's supporters would like it to be, Bill Clinton's speech about unity yesterday wasn't remotely a concession speech.

Sorry, but it wasn't.

Obama wound up with 14 delegates to Clinton's 11, despite Clinton actually winning the caucuses. DNC rules about delegates are nothing short of stupid.

Caucuses are a total travesty.

I

am absolutely dead tonight. I was at the state Democratic convention held at the Grand Sierra Resort. For the first few hours of the day, I was downstairs in the ballroom where the alternates were, so I didn't actually see Bill Clinton and Kal Penn face to face but instead on the big screen. What was nice about the convention is there was no animosity between the Clinton and Obama groups, and they were both respectful of Clinton and Penn.

However, the beginning of the convention was sort of rocky because some people have little better to do than to get anal about the rules. God damn, it drives me stinking crazy when people hold up a convention over minutiae that doesn't mean shit in the long run. A couple of damned fools were upset with the platform or whatever the hell it was and wanted to tie up the goddamned convention with this silliness. Thank God that stuff was going to be delayed until tomorrow. Former president Clinton had to wait before he could say anything because of this contentious stupidity.

I, along with all of the other alternates, ended up being seated as delegates. About 75 percent of those delegates who were selected for the state convention showed. There were around 300 of us who were alternates, so we were seated. But goddamn it, it took forever to get stuff done, and I went home at about 10 p.m., and the convention STILL wasn't done with their selection of the six at-large delegates. At that point my brain was fried. I was ready to bag it after about 12 hours of this silliness.

I had applied to be a national delegate, but my name wasn't on the list because some fool supposedly forgot to write my name on the slip of paper. I put my stuff out in the car, so I was too late to challenge the printed list and get my name on it. It would have been all for naught, for the one Clinton delegate from Washoe County who was selected was an elected official, Kate Marshall, Nevada state treasurer. She's a very nice person, but in a way it would be nice if there was a different way to select delegates so that elected officials wouldn't have a built-in advantage* (perhaps be superdelegates or at-large delegates) and more ordinary people would have a shot at it. Obama had two delegates, and both of them are party regulars who have devoted a lot of time to the local Democratic party. In short, it is almost impossible to be elected a delegate to the national convention. You almost have a better shot at being elected or appointed president of the United States than you have being a delegate.

I would like to go to Denver, but at this point, I don't have any money to go there and volunteer time. I heard there was already a waiting list at the convention.

I spent money, money I shouldn't spend, on political buttons and other memorabilia of both Clinton and Obama. I also picked up an autographed copy of Harry Reid's new book.

I'll probably go in tomorrow for the second day, supposedly a half day.
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*--(Edit) If I am not mistaken the creation of the so-called "PLEO" (political leaders/elected official) delegates was to help ameliorate that disadvantage. Since I was half asleep last night when I wrote this post, I didn't think of the PLEOs.

I Spent Another Afternoon

volunteering at the Grand Sierra Resort for the state Democratic convention which will start at 9 in the morning. I plan to get there early and get in on the free food. I might as well do it.

Bill Clinton will be making an appearance at around 10 a.m. Somebody told me he will visit with not just the delegates, but he will come downstairs to see the alternates. I am hoping if I get there early enough tomorrow, I can be seated as a delegate. We will see.

A no-name actor by the name of Kal Penn will speak on behalf of Obama. Evidently Michelle couldn't be bothered visiting a hick area like Reno.

Nevada State Democratic Convention.

Former president Bill Clinton is headed for Reno to speak at the state Democratic convention, which will be held this weekend at the Grand Sierra Resort. If I get a chance, I will see him in person.

As of now, I am an alternate delegate. I am going to try and get there early tomorrow in hopes I can be seated as a delegate.