Post CO Convention weekend recap and delegate math

Today's delegate tally is building where Obama has now eclipsed 300, (300.5) with the endorsements of Sen. Robert Bryd (D-WV), Larry Gates (DNC-KS), and Dwight Pelz (DNC-WA). Over the weekend there was plenty of activity with the Add-On's, where yesterday Obama picked up two from CA, William Hays (Add-On-CA) and Lou Paulsen (Add-on-CA), while Clinton also picked up three Add-On's from the Left Coast. Saturday Obama had a clean sweep of three pickups; Greg Pecoraro (DNC-MD) and two Add-On's, Mark Parkinson (Add-On-KS) and of course Federico Pena (Add-On-CO). Over the weekend it was 5-3 and today now today that is 8-3 culminating to a count of 300.5 to 276.5 (25 superdelegate lead).

Now Clinton is losing a bit of her pledged delegates base as two defected last week; MD at-large delegate Jack Johnson (not the early 20th century boxing champ), joining Washington DC Councilman at-large delegate Jack Evans. The Obama campaign has issued a statement not recognizing the defection but this could start a pattern. In Nevada at their State Convention Obama gathered an additional at-large delegate than expected by also reducing Clinton's pledged delegates. My count is 1605 to 1437 pledged where hard count now is 1905 to 1713.5, and getting close to the 200 difference. There are 24 Add-On's expected to come Obama's way along with 6 more superdelegates known as the Pelosi Club following tomorrow when Obama clinches the pledged delegate contest. This is 30 more delegates.

Tomorrow Obama is also expected to garnish 55 or more pledged delegates building his lead to 1660 and 1960 overall. If you then project that Obama gains those additional 24 Add-On's and Pelosi Clubm members he will be at 1990 and just 35 short. Obama is then expected to win 19 more delegates from Montana and South Dakota, leaving him just 16 less than 2025 where upon he is expected to win at least 20 in Puerto Rico. This is why when I talked with a senior Obama staffer about the math on Friday night that he said the matter was clinched except for managing the message and process.

There is still no word at this late moment out of Denver regarding CD5 or the State Convention.

For many of you, including my family, this past convention weekend was an exercise in extreme patience against adjunct frustration. My daughter who is infinitely calmer and more succinct than me said afterward; "...okay, even if there is huge problems with thos credentials didn't they regularly come to the podium and simply inform people 15 minutes."

What all this secrecy does is only invite more frustration and ultimately mistrust. Of course I come from another world of politics altogether, meaning Illinois and when there ever is a significant delay or misplaced voting documents, more often than not it is an attempt at a political gain. Always ask yourself who is or wants to gain? Ironically we also hailed from Wisconsin, where they run elections in party and general voting clean and efficiently. they even have day of election registration.

Friday afternoon and evening at CD-5's convention held the Double Tree Inn was none other than standing and sore disaster. The line to the credentials room literally ran through the entire hotel and out the door by 2:00 PM. Registration originally scheduled to start at 1:00 PM did not actually commence until sometime after 1:30 PM, (I was told 1:45 PM). The reason for this delay I learned later from a source inside the room was that the actual credentials had not arrived till until then. Inexcusable---period. The Democratic Party organizers must have flunked basic math when they decided to try to register three Congressional Districts Convention Delegates and alternates (plus their corresponding Assemblies) where it probably numbered in excess of 3000 individuals. That did not include another 1000 or so other individuals who came by for early registration for the following State Convention. Whomever thought this might take a few hours, I got this ----indefensible. Minimally this registration should have started no later than 9 AM and then each CD/Assembly should have been segregated in a way that made things more manageable. But whomever made the decisions they expressed either ignorance or little empathy for their fellow Democrats who had to wait in line again, for over three hours. But that was not the start of it.

Because their computers were not networked and because many registers were not trained and thrust into the credentials disorganized data management, mistakes caused continuing problems---namely reconciling the alternates and delegates. "WTF! " said many alternates, who were subjected to sitting outside in the blazing Sun on the hotel's courtyard and become windblown for hours without any information, meanwhile the delegates sat in a stuffy-hot ball room also without information as to when voting would finally start. Close to two hours later voting took place, this of course after many delegates and alternates had gone home in disgust. There were also threats of cars being towed from the Target parking lot communicated by the hotel as things broke down. Not one Democrat official went over to talk to the Target Store Manager who would have facilitated the parking lot if asked. No, our leaders were not forward thinking in this case and evidentially lacked the simple courtesy to ask Target for some help and manage this self-made dynamic and changing situation of basic logistics. As for the credentials thing they could have let the delegates vote and wait to properly reconciled alternate list but no, they chose to do it in way that disenfranchised democracy. Unforgivable.

Saturday was a little better in the morning. The line moved where my family was volunteering with the Transportation Committee that provided shuttle buses from official hotel clusters and park 'n rides and that worked! Fortunately we planned on using the Tejon Park 'n Ride which became the emergency parking lot when the World Arena lot was filled up by 9 AM. Again who did the math? There were 6000 eventual visitors, (they supposedly planned for 10,000) and there were only 2500 parking spaces. Even if you generously say a car for two persons, (bad average), that means you are 500 short. In reality you need a parking place for 60% of the visitors and that is 1100 spaces short. Now that is essentially what turned out to be with the ridership from the hotels and park 'n rides. What if another 1000 or more showed up? Lucky my wife came up the park 'n ride idea and incorporating it into a shuttle run--kudos Sue!

Now the convention---again it was credentials. But this gets more sublime where two strange things happened. Somehow, somewhere, someplace El Paso lost or never had the replacement delegate credentials for seating alternates. Let me say whomever was in charge of the delegate credentials who were not able to mail them on time making El Paso County the only county that could not, compounded the troubles for Friday's registration also screwed up on Saturday.

Sorry, this credentials management goes all the way back to the caucus and has been one mess up after another. Growing pains some say, maybe once, but not thrice. Volunteer some others say, maybe once, maybe twice....but again....sorry I am not buying it. For other CD's and counties got it done well. Comparing notes Ft. Collins did it, Boulder did it and even Denver did it better.

Now this, this total disaster of handling the credentials from the CD and State. Their needs to be changes, wholesale changes after this November in our County Party leadership---period. This is not Clinton versus Obama, it is competence and fairness versus the old power. This local party will not grow, nor will they elect people in any significance until this is done. A former County Chairman told me personally he tells all aspiring local candidates not to depend the local party for anything but a good song and dance. And this is your result, the one county that could not mail your credentials. The only county party that lost those credentials. The county with the most frustration, the sorest feet, and the most excuses.