Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

States after N.Y. miss opportunity for roll call vote

Bu Lynn Debruin

Published August 28, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size  

More DNC - Issues

More stories »

Television viewers in states from Pennsylvania to Wyoming may have been disappointed that they didn't get to hear their delegation's roll call vote on Wednesday.

But the spokesmen for two other delegations that came after New York in the alphabet were glad to give up those 15 minutes, or 15 seconds, of fame.

"I love everything about Tennessee and am proud to be the chairman, but it was an awesome and electric moment when Sen. Clinton came out and moved it by acclamation," said Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Gray Fasser, who would have cast 51 delegates for Obama and 32 for Clinton. "It was another strong gesture by the Clintons and everyone to bring the party together. I can give up my 15 seconds on national TV to put Tennessee in the blue column this fall.

"I personally was happy that the Clinton and Obama camps were able to work out an agreement to help get the White House back, but as far as the process, yes, I am disappointed."

Wyoming delegate John Millin said state Rep. Patrick Goggles, an American Indian from the Arapahoe Tribe, was scheduled to deliver its roll call votes dressed in his native attire and in his native language. "We were very proud to have Wyoming mentioned. To have that taken away at the last minute clearly was disappointing.

"It isn't the first time states low on the alphabet have been shortchanged."

Millin said in past years, when the roll call vote goes late into the night, there are often few people left in the room.

"By the time they get to Wyoming it's a little embarrassing to be a small delegation clustered around a microphone when it's obvious to the world (watching on TV) that there's no one else around," Millin said.

For the record, Wyoming had 12 delegates vote for Obama and six for Clinton.

Comments

  • August 28, 2008

    9:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    unitednative writes:

    Obama does NOT Support Native American Issues!

    Native Americans Against Obama For Good Reasons
    http://www.californiachronicle.com/ar...

    Obama passed up that chance to meet with Hundreds of tribal nation leaders in Reno NV at the NCAI meeting this year. To date while in office he has never been to one national meeting of theirs just for the record while serving as a US Senator. That would have been a great time for him to prove he was a man of his word. Instead Obama made it a point to meet with the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus members.