Michigan delegate update

As we've noted, Florida has been stripped of its delegates due its early primary. Michigan's situation, however, is a little more complicated:

As Iowa voters gear up for Thursday’s caucuses, Michigan Democrats have just a few days to change their scheduled Jan. 15 presidential primary or lose all their delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August. The conflict began when Michigan’s legislature set the Jan. 15 primary so voters could exercise greater influence over the selection of the party nominees for the 2008 presidential race, but Michigan Democrats appear likely to end up with no delegates at all and thus little clout at the national party convention in Denver.

The rule-making division of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) recommended on Dec. 1 that the party strip the Michigan Democratic Party of its 156 delegates because of the state’s non-compliance with national party rules. The DNC set Feb. 5 as the earliest date states can schedule their nominating contests [outside of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada]].
...
At the Dec. 1 meeting, the Rules and Bylaws Committee gave the state party 30 days to get into compliance with national regulations before the committee’s recommendation became final and Michigan lost its delegates. The clock started ticking Dec. 5, when the Michigan Democratic Party received the DNC’s official notice. So unless the state party takes action by Saturday to return to its DNC-approved plan to hold a Feb. 9 state party-run caucus, it will lose its delegates. The Michigan Democratic Party has done nothing to indicate it intends to change from the Jan. 15 primary and party Chairman Mark Brewer has said there are no plans to do so.

Assuming Michigan does not change its date, given that Edwards and Obama are not on the Michigan ballot, if the media uses Michigan's delegates in their summaries, that will be a big psychologist boost for Clinton.

Update: Jerome Armstrong over at MyDD has more on Michigan:

For some reason I never got to the bottom of, Obama & Edwards both made the bone-headed idea of dropping out of the Michigan primary-- why, does anyone know?

But as with Florida, the delegates will likely get restored:

The net effect of the DNC's banning Michigan's 156 delegates from participating in next summer's presidential nomination process will be a penalty that is not enforced:

"I don't think it'll affect much of anything. All of the nominees said they'd seat delegates. We'll have delegates in August. (The exclusion) is not expected to be enforced," DeRoche said, noting it would reflect poorly on the candidates during the presidential election in November if they were not to allow the votes of two states as sizable as Michigan and Florida during the primary process.

Yes, it would be a disaster. Since all the candidates are apparently already on the record for allowing Michigan's delegates to the convention, that makes the Jan 15th contest there much more than a "beauty contest" as there are going to be 156 delegates that are chosen.

If the media counts Michigan, Michigan's delegates almost guarantee Clinton a delegate lead going into Super Tuesday. And I don't think the DNC can do anything about it.

History of the Primaries

It's been 32 years since the last time we saw a convention really decide the nominee: The Republicans in 1976. Why is that? Reforms instituted by the parties after the '68 elections allowed the primaries to flourish and make a large majority of the delegates bound to their candidate. And with normal political pressure not allowing more than two candidates to survive long into the primary season, it makes it easy for one candidate to gain a majority.

For more information on how the primary process evolved, CQPolitics is running an excellent series on the history of the primaries:

• Part One: 1912-64
• Part Two: 1968-72
• Part Three: 1976-84
• Part Four: 1988
• Part Five: 1992
• Part Six: 1996

Some highlights:

• 1912 - North Dakota holds first primary in US
• 1920 - New Hampshire starts first-in-the-nation primary
• 1952 - New Hampshire (on March 11th!) 2nd place finish forces Truman to withdraw from race
• 1968 - Too close New Hampshire win forces Johnson to withdraw; Kennedy wins June 4 California primary but is assassinated moments after delivering his victory speech.
• 1976 - Carter "wins" Iowa caucuses (places 2nd to Uncommitted) setting him up for nomination
• 1984 - A total of 35 states held primaries in 1980, up from 26 in 1976 and 20 in 1972. The campaign also presented an early signal of the “front-loading” of the primary calendar, as several states moved their contests to the early part of the process. From five contests held in March 1976, there were nine in March 1980, as well as two more on April 1.

Delegate Tracker

With less than a week left before the Iowa caucuses it will soon be time to start counting votes. We have posted a Delegate Tracker on the left side of the blog that will be updated after each primary. Currently we are showing the number of superdelegates that have officially announced their support for a candidate.

Here is a calendar of upcoming primary events

January 3: Iowa Republican and Democratic caucuses
January 5: Wyoming Republican primary
January 8: New Hampshire primaries
January 15: Michigan primaries
January 19: Nevada caucuses, South Carolina Republican primary
January 26: South Carolina Democratic primary
January 29: Florida primaries
February 1: Maine Republican primary
February 5: "Super Tuesday" potentially decisive day as primaries are held in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (Democrats), Illinois, Kansas (Democrats), Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico (Democrats), New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah
March 4: Five states including Texas and Ohio hold primaries
June 3: Montana and South Dakota hold last Democratic primaries
June 28: Nebraska holds last Republican caucus
August 25-28: Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado

Update (from Matt): Note that at this time 4 years ago, Howard Dean led in the superdelegate race.

Superdelegates lean toward Clinton

A superdelegate, unlike a normal delegate, is able to make their own choice on who to nominate at the convention. In a tight race it may come down to superdelegates and who they nominate as to who wins. While the race may be decided by Super Tuesday on February 5th, it's a good idea to take a look at who the superdelegates are and who they will nominate.

New Hampshire and Iowa will have to wait. The nation's first presidential primary, for Democrats anyway, is being waged among hundreds of party insiders — superdelegates who could play a big part in selecting the nominee at next summer's national convention.

So far, most of them still haven't been sold on any of the candidates.

The Associated Press contacted 90 percent of the 765 superdelegates, mostly elected officials and other partyofficers, who are free to support anyone they choose at the convention, regardless of what happens in the primaries.

Hillary Rodham Clinton leads Barack Obama by more than a 2-1 margin among those who have endorsed a candidate. But a little more than half of those contacted — 365 — said they haven't settled on a Democratic standard bearer. - AP

This poll was conducted almost a month ago so things have probably changed quite a bit.
In the coming weeks we will try to get a handle on where the superdelegate votes will go.

Superdelegates include the 235 Democratic House members and nonvoting representatives, 49 senators, the District of Columbia’s two “shadow senators” and 28 governors. They total 314 — about 14 percent of the 2,182 delegates a candidate will need to secure the party’s presidential nomination at next year’s national convention in Denver. - PoliticsWest

The most recent updates to the Superdelegate Endorsement list can be found here

Delegating Denver - Westword's look at each states delegates

While looking for more information on Sandra Widener, who was a co-founder of Westword, I found this great series of articles that have a bunch information about each state's delegates. Westword also gives suggestions as to where they think the state's delegates would probably want to hang out in and around Denver.

Delegating Denver #23 of 56: Maine

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINE DELEGATES

Most Mainer Denver Neighborhood: Cherry Creek

Most Mainer Bar:
hi-dive
7 South Broadway
The Denver bar that books local and national bands in the same spirit as Portland's Asylum.

Most Mainer Restaurant:
The Ship Tavern
Brown Palace Hotel
321 17th Street
Come for the nautical shlock, stay for the lobster rolls. Ayuh.

You can find the rest of the series here

Several local companies already booked solid for convention

If you're planning on holding a party in Denver during the convention you may be out of luck if you haven't already made your reservations.

The bureau said there could be as many as 1,500 parties, events and other gatherings over a two-week period surrounding the convention, not to mention dozens more in coming months as organizers and others prepare for the DNC.

"It's going to be big," said Rich Grant, director of communications for the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, adding that the city also will host two other large conventions near the DNC.

While Denver has entertained similar-sized conventions, the DNC will generate much more ancillary spending on parties, dinners, gatherings and entertainment, Grant said. - RMN

You can view an online directory of local vendors at the DNC Host Committee site (which appears to be down as of the time I'm posting this)

Convention security bill signed into law

President Bush signed the $555 billion omnibus bill on Wednesday. The bill gives both Denver and Minneapolis $50 million for convention security.

"Yea!" exclaimed Elbra Wedgeworth, president of the Denver 2008 Host Committee. "We want to have a great time and to make sure we're safe. For small cities like us and Minneapolis-St. Paul, it's critical."

Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said recently that the department already had dedicated staff resources to planning for security, and Katherine Archuleta, the mayor's liaison for the convention, said they would be going to Washington in January to discuss the money distribution.

"What it means now is we can move forward immediately with the Department of Justice to establish the payment method, and we can anticipate expenditures in training and equipment," she said. - RMN

This will be a huge boost for convention funding and is the earliest that the funding has been given for conventions. Boston was not reimbursed for security in 2004 until the Democratic National Convention was over.

Leadership award announced to honor Widener and Parr's memory. Katy Parr released from hospital.

John Parr and Sandy Widener touched a lot of lives before they were taken from us in a tragic accident on December 22nd along with their daughter Chase.

The John Parr and Sandy Widener Civic Leadership Award will recognize people exemplifying John and Sandy's commitment to and passion for improving the metro Denver community.

The cash award will be presented each fall at The Denver Foundation's Tribute to Philanthropy in honor of John, Sandy, and their daughter Chase.

Tax deductible contributions can be made to the
John Parr and Sandy Widener Community Leadership Award,
c/o The Denver Foundation
55 Madison Street, #800
Denver, CO 80206.

For more information, please contact David Miller, 303-300-1790 ext. 104, dmiller@denverfoundation.org - Denver Post

You can get more information on the award at The Denver Foundation's website and can make online donations.

The only survivor of the crash, 17 year old Katy Parr left the hospital on Wednesday.

An East High senior whose parents and sister died in a crash last weekend on Interstate 80 in Wyoming has been released from the hospital.

Relatives say 17-year-old Katy Parr plans to travel to Boise, Idaho, with family members to continue her recovery.

Classmates brought stuffed animals and wrote cards of support at the east Denver school today. - Denver Post

A vigil was held for the family on Tuesday at Cheeseman Park in Denver. You can watch the video here.

Chase Parr, who attended Wesleyan University, was remembered by her fellow students

A gifted musician with a bright smile and a well-honed sense of social justice, Chase Parr arrived at Wesleyan University last year determined to change the world.

She quickly immersed herself in campus life, making many friends and joining the Mixolydians, a vocal ensemble.

"Chase Parr was always positive, encouraging and a blessing to everyone that had the privilege of her acquaintance," said a posting on the group's website. "Chase's wonderful character always lit up rehearsals." - Hartford Courant

More information can be found in my previous post

Will the media count Florida and Michigan?

We've been discussing in the comments what might actually happen to the Florida and Michigan delegates, and a point I've raised is: What will the media do? As the media reports the ongoing delegate tallies, will it include Florida and Michigan or not? Well, thegreenpapers is an excellent reference site for elections, and they've decided to report both counts, "Soft", with sanctions, and "Alternative", with no sanctions. We'll wait to see what the major papers and the AP does, and with Iowa less 9 days away and Michigan in 3 weeks, we'll know soon enough.

In memory of John Parr, Sandra Widener and their daughter Chase

Although not directly related to the convention, John and Sandra would have been a big part of it.

John Parr, a Democratic political consultant who played key roles in city and state government, and his wife, a former Denver Post reporter and co-founder of the alternative weekly Westword, died in an auto accident on an icy Wyoming highway Saturday.

Parr, 59, Sandra Widener, 53, and their daughter Chase Anna, 19, died when their Subaru skidded out of control and a tractor trailer slammed into the driver's side of the vehicle on Interstate 80.

The couple's daughter, Katy, 17, survived and was taken in critical condition to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Parr "was always a guy looking for a way to help people," said William McAllister, who is married to Parr's niece. - Denver Post

Governor Bill Ritter made the following statement on Sunday

“There is no way to describe the pain of this terrible, terrible tragedy," Gov. Ritter said. "This is such a devastating loss for the entire community on so many levels. John and Sandy made untold contributions – small, large and every size in between – and touched untold lives. They were loved by so many people that you can feel the tears ripple across Colorado today. We will be in mourning for a very long time.”

“Chase and her sister Katy have been an amazing gift to their many friends. We will do everything we can to comfort Katy and help her through this. Let us all hold her deep in our hearts and our prayers.”

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper made this statement:

"We cherish our memories of John and Sandy and their daughter Chase. They made us better people. They made Denver a better city, and Colorado a better state. We struggle to comprehend this loss, and our hearts go out to Katy."

Update: Leadership award announced to honor Widener and Parr's memory. Katy Parr released from hospital.

A convention a month

The Democrats are not the only political party having a political convention in 2008. In fact, there will be a convention every month from April through September:

• Constitution Party, April 23-26, Kansas City
• Libertarian Party, May 22-26, also in Denver
• Unity08, June, on-line
• Green Party, July 10-13, Chicago
• Democratic Party, Aug 25-28, Denver
• Republican Party, Sept 1-4, St. Paul

For those interested in following preparations for the GOP convention, check out The 2008 GOP Convention Report.

DNCC Holiday Greetings

The DNCC has made a nice video of all the convention staff wishing everybody Happy Holidays, including both Wally Podrazik and Jason Rosenberg sightings! And while we're at it, Happy Holidays from Matt, Oreo, and everybody here at 2008 Democratic Convention Watch.

Dem convention could boost mountain tourism

Towns like Aspen and Glenwood Springs are looking forward to the Democratic National Convention almost as much as Denver is:

Local tourism officials are hoping that when Democrats converge for the national convention in Denver next summer, the party will spill over here.

Democrats are saying it will be the largest convention in Colorado history. That could mean some delegates' motoring West while they're in Denver, and statewide publicity from the pack of journalists who descend on them.

"It's kind of like the Super Bowl of politics," said Marianne Virgili, CEO of the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association. "Everybody is aware of how much buzz the Super Bowl generates in the hosting community, and I think the same will be the case for the whole state of Colorado when the Democratic convention comes to town. I know the state tourism board is very excited, not only about the convention itself, but the opportunity to promote the state to attendees and to the media community watching." - Aspen Daily News

How could you travel to Colorado and not visit the mountains?

Host committee announces convention vendors sustainable practices option

Updated: Vendors are not required to be sustainable but have the option to promote themselves as meeting the Green Business Designation. I have removed the Denver Business Journal story and inserted the Press Release.

Host Committee Press Release:

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS GUIDELINES RELEASED FOR DNC VENDOR DIRECTORY

Greening of vendor directory will help make 2008 convention the greenest ever - and put Colorado on path to sustainability

Denver, CO - Dec. 19, 2007 - The Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee and the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado today added a Green Business Designation to the Democratic National Convention's official Vendor Directory - the first-ever green recognition process for a national political convention.

The Green Business Designation, at DenverConvention2008.com, was compiled by the City and County of Denver; the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado; the Colorado Alliance of Sustainable Business Associations; and Greenprint Denver, and will be used by the Denver Host Committee to identify sustainable businesses on its popular Vendor Directory.

The Vendor Directory is a project of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee and members of its business outreach committee. Already, some 1,000 businesses are registered on the directory that serves as a comprehensive guide of businesses looking to market and sell their goods and services to the estimated 35,000 attendees at next summer's Democratic National Convention.

The green designation requires businesses to commit to sustainable practices in seven key areas, including leadership, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste and pollution reduction, community involvement, working conditions and education.

"Using the vendor directory to highlight our local environmental and sustainable business leaders for convention guests who are doing business here will have tremendous legacy benefits for Denver and the state," said Host Committee Director of Greening Parry Burnap. "This opportunity will inspire local companies to start putting their houses in order now to attract that convention business, and we hope the vendor directory sets a precedent that leads to institutionalizing environmental/sustainable performance as a formal and consistent requirement for preferred contractor status in future conventions."

"All eyes will be on Colorado during the Convention, and we will showcase the state's leadership and commitment to a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future," added Janna Six, Education Director for the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. "The convention provides an ideal opportunity to build momentum and establish a real legacy for a sustainable future - both in Colorado and across the country."

The 2008 Democratic National Convention is slated to take place August 25-28, and is expected to bring 35,000 visitors to Denver, including 15,000 members of the national and international media. In addition to showcasing Denver and the Rocky Mountain West to audiences around the globe, estimates indicate that Denver will realize $160 million to $200 million in economic benefits.

The Green Business Designation allows businesses to self-identify two levels of sustainable practices. The basic level requires businesses to incorporate at least 4 of the 7 sustainable criteria into business practices. The advanced level designation calls for a business to provide a documented track record of sustainable practices for at least one year, and which is verified by a 3rd party, such as Businesses for Social Responsibility, Energy Star or other organizations that monitor business sustainability practices.

For more information on Green Business you can go to Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, The Colorado Alliance of Sustainable Business Associations and Greenprint Denver.

Convention lockdown update

A convention official has told me that the security zone is still under development and nothing has been decided yet. They assured me that the final plan would cause as little disruption to the city as possible.

This confirms Mayor Hickenlooper's office's belief that the story was inaccurate.

From Saturday's Rocky Mountain News

But plans to lock down a mile-wide radius around the center for security reasons could wreak havoc with busing and activities at nearby schools. Two dozen DPS schools are located within a mile and a half of the Pepsi Center, and the Emily Griffith Opportunity School is within a couple of blocks.

This is certainly good news for anybody that's going to be in Denver next summer.

House approves Iraq funding... convention security money on its way

MSNBC and CNN are reporting that the House has accepted the $70 billion funding for Iraq which sends the final bill to Bush for his signature.

With the signing of the bill Denver and Minneapolis will both receive $50 million for convention security funding.

Update: Story on the bill's passage here

DNC Haus your one-stop shop for convention housing, roomate and ride-share info

I just stumbled on the website DNC Haus which allows people to post houses for rent and rideshare and roommate requests for the convention. A majority of the posts have been transferred from Craigslist but as word gets out this could be a valuable resource.

For the discriminating convention-goer there is a 2 bedroom condo within walking distance of the convention center for the low low price of $20,000.

Available August 24 -31, 2008. Beautifully furnished 2BR with office, executive rental on Capital Hill, Denver. Close to Convention Center, 16th Street Mall, Museums, Performing Arts Center, Invesco Field, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, State Capital. Beautiful decorator furnishings. Two large terraces, with built in Barbecue, perfect for entertaining. Fireplace, flat screen TV, full size washer/dryer, full service concierge, work out facility, conference room. Rent includes cable, high speed internet and all utilities.

Or if you're on a budget you can rent this cozy 6 bedroom house in Wash Park for $12,000.

We have a 6 bedroom/4.5 bath 4200 sq. foot home that is located in the charming Washington Park area (quiet street 1 blk. from best park in Denver), less than 10 minutes drive from Pepsi Center. We are interested in renting it during the week (possibly month) of Democratic National Convention (DNC). Our fully furnished 1897 Victorian-style home was recently totally renovated with all top-end luxuries(gourmet-kitchen with granite, sub-zero fridge, wolf stove, etc.; master-suite with steam shower; all brick outdoor patio with gas grill for entertaining; private 20-ft ceiling office with computer/cable-modem; wrap-around porch; wine cellar; outdoor jungle-gym and indoor ping pong) -- perfect for a family!

With prices like these I need to start thinking about renting my house out!

(Update from Matt): I wouldn't get your hopes up:

A Boston Globe article from just before the Democratic National Convention found that homeowners' "visions of fast bucks" won by renting their homes resulted in "just about nothing."