The Missouri State Democratic Convention will be held at the Holiday Inn Select Columbia Expo Center in Columbia on Saturday, May 10th.
Schedule of Events
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Exhibitor Registration
8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Volunteer Briefings, Standing Committee Meetings
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Exhibitor Booths and Cafe Vendors Open
9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Delegate and Alternate Registration/Credentialing
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon VIP and Guest Registration
11:30 a.m. – 12 noon Replace vacant delegate positions with alternates.
11:00 a.m. Expo Center Opens for Seating
12:00 noon Convention begins
Blue Girl, Clark, hotflash and I will be there covering the entires [“Preview” is our friend] show. It’s a rare chance for the four of us to be in the same place at the same time. It’s also an opportunity for you all (and us) to say hello to each other, visit a bit, and talk about what’s what in Missouri and national politics.
Besides, the state convention is always a gas.
You will know us by our media credentials.
There’ll be a lot of opportunities to interact with activist rank and file Democrats and Democratic candidates from across the state. Buttonhole someone and ask them a thing or two. We all intend to do so.
The business at the convention includes seating all the county delegates, electing 8 national Clinton delegates and 2 national Clinton alternates, electing 8 national Obama delegates and 2 national Obama alternates, and electing the Missouri DNC representatives. Think about that last one for a minute. They’ll be 2012 super delegates. Yep, that’s right. Your Missouri super delegates are elected.
Now, the convention is (if I understand it correctly) open to the public to observe, but you’ve got to have delegate or media credentials to get out on the “floor”.
There will be plenty of speechifying – some from Missouri politicians and a lot from average folks who are running for those delegate slots. I guarantee that it’ll be interesting. That’s one reason why we’ll all be there to cover it.
And to seeing y’all face to face. I actually haven’t met Blue Girl yet.
Couple of additional events: There will be a fund raiser for the State Party at the same venue on the evening of the 9th anfd the Victory 08 people are having a convention there on the morning of the 10th starting at 9:30 to promote the neighborhood leader program.
And…Look for the Democracy for Missouri table.
We will be promoting the DFA Campaign Training Academy in KC to take place on June 14th and 15th, and selling some great stuff to raise funds, includiong Michael’s McSame bumper stickers, and what could be the most perfect Mother’s Day gift “Why My Mother is a Democrat” children’s books. (We also have the father ones!)
See ya at the Convention,
Bill Monroe, Obama Delegate CD9
As a delegate to my first convention, I will take my responsibilities seriously.
Last night I received an email for a slate of people running for DNC positions. Given the nomination process this year, I sure hope other delegates, or perhaps some of the reporters here, can find the positions our fellow Missouri Democrats have on the nomination process. Here are some of the questions I would like to have answers to before I vote:
1) What rule changes, if any, would they like to see in the nomination process?
For example, should we Democrats adopt the Republican winner-take all primary? I can’t vote for anyone who would be in favor of a winner take all rule.
Should we eliminate the member of Congress as a super delegate provision? I hope not. I like it.
Should we eliminate DNC members as automatic DNC members? Perhaps.
We must keep proportional representation at the Congressional level. It makes sure there are a variety of view points getting to the national convention. And, we must reward good Democratic Districts with more delegates than poorer performing districts.
2) Should the nomination process change its procedures on sanctioning states that move their primaries without DNC permission?
3) As a superdelegate, how important is the popular vote (given the fact it is hard to determine in caucus states) in deciding whom the DNC member will vote for? Would the DNC member consider the popular vote from a state whose primary had been sanctioned by the DNC?
One candidate for DNC has made to me a “popular vote” argument referring to both Michigan and Florida I found this disturbing because the argument ignored the fact that both those states had been sanctioned by the DNC.
4) How do you feel Howard Dean has done as Chair of the Party? Do you like his 50-state strategy?
Of course, there are other questions, but I want to keep mine to procedure and past activities of the DNC. It is important that we have some kind of voice in what the nomination process should be like in 2016. After all, we all know President Obama will seek a second term in 2012 and there will be no divisive primary that year. 🙂
More seriously, as Mike Bersin has noted, these DNC positions will be elected by the delegates. Given our experiences this year, we delegates should take that responsibility seriously.
If you know of candidates’ position on any of my questions (or if you are candidate yourself), please share those answers here.
Bob Yates
Obama Delegate from 4th Congressional District — Johnson County
Seeking to be an at-large Obama delegate on Saturday