The single most interesting experience I had on Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention was the delegate roll call. Each state is called in alphabetical order to cast their delegates’ votes for the nominated candidates. This continues until there are enough votes cast for one candidate to win the nomination, or until someone moves to suspend the vote and nominate a candidate by acclamation.

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Sounds simple enough, no? Well, as a political novice, I found there were many twists and turns that were quite confusing for an outsider, but resulted in some interesting moments and an altogether memorable experience.

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The roll call began simply enough, with Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa…

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During the roll call,†each delegation†shares a few (or many) words about what makes its state or territory special. It is the cutest thing, if only because I’m a sucker for neat trivia and historical facts. A few examples of the kinds of facts each delegation shares:

• Guam is the first part of America on which the sun rises every morning. (Forgive my ignorance, I’d always heard it was Maine but now know better.)
• Idaho was the birthplace of Sacajawea, the Native American woman who helped guide the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition in the American West.
• Minnesota is home to the collegiate national champion Minnesota-Duluth women’s hockey team. (Really!)

As one delegation after another announced its votes, I settled in to enjoy the proceedings. When they got to California, though, I was in for a surprise – California and its 441 delegates “passed,” meaning they elected not to cast their votes. Huh?!?

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I was wondering if all the Democratic primary voters in California had cast their votes in vain. It was completely bewildering. But when Illinois, Senator Obama’s home state, also passed, I figured something was up.

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The voting continued until the roll call reached New Mexico. New Mexico, instead of voting or passing, announced that it would “yield” to Illinois, making it Illinois’s turn to vote again. As the Illinois delegation spoke about its state and senator,†Senator Clinton entered the convention hall! At that point, we all realized what was going on. Illinois would yield to New York, and Senator Clinton herself would make the motion to suspend the vote and nominate Senator Obama by acclamation.

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The convention had planned for California and Illinois†to pass, so that the total delegate count would remain below the number needed and the roll call would not end before it reached New Mexico and New York. The delegate roll call was pure theater – not a “real” vote – but very entertaining for someone like me who had no idea what was going on!

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And ultimately, it was amazing to be present at the first ever nomination of an African-American for U.S. president by a major political party. As I’ve mentioned before, I think most will agree regardless of their political leanings that this is an extraordinary moment in history. And it was wonderful to be a part of it in person.

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Other updates from Wednesday…

• Still haven’t found the Obama earrings. I’ve learned my lesson: Shop first and ask questions later!
• Celebrity sightings: Saw Ben Affleck not once but twice at my hotel. I didn’t know he was growing a beard! Also saw Steven Spielberg posing for a photo with a couple of fans.
• Visited the tent where the DNC is providing FIJI Water for its volunteers to keep them hydrated in the hot Denver weather. (And, in case it matters to you, FIJI Water will also be at the Republican Governors’ Assocation events at the convention in St. Paul next week, along with some Young Republican events. Everyone needs to stay hydrated.)

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 at 12:42 pm and is filed under Around Town, Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.