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Published Saturday, April 12, 2008 | 8:53 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 | 10:15 a.m.
(Originally posted 12:02 p.m.) Although less chaotic than January's caucus and February's first try at a Clark County convention, Saturday's Democratic Party do-over ended up not changing much in the battle between U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Closely matching the results from January, the final totals from Saturday's Democratic county convention showed 3,442 votes for Clinton (54 percent) and 2,900 ballots for Obama (46 percent). That relative showing -- which mirrored the caucus, when Clinton outpolled Obama 4,023 to 3,245 -- will see Clark County Democrats send 1,330 Clinton delegates and 1,133 Obama delegates to the state convention, where Nevada's delegation to this summer's Democratic National Convention will be picked.
The smoothness with which the voting unfolded Saturday had many delegates breathing a sigh of relief, mixed with surprise.
"This is so professional!" said astonished delegate Mike Werzlow as he walked up to the registration table.
"This is night and day compared to the last convention. Much more organized, simple," said Robert Craig after he voted for a slate of delegates to the state convention.
The county party, state party and campaigns for both Obama and Clinton helped organize the Clark County Democratic Convention's second take after a chaotic first attempt in February ended without any delegates to the state convention getting chosen.
"Today is an incredible day," said John Hunt, the Clark County Democratic Party chairman.
Some people, though, said they were disenfranchised.
Susan Avila and Sharon Harris had pink receipts showing they were chosen as delegates at their Jan. 19 caucuses and therefore eligible to vote at today's event. But they never received notification in the mail and when they showed up today, they were not listed as delegates.
Avila said she was allowed to cast a vote after complaining to state party officials. Harris said she was not allowed to vote.
"This is not right," Harris said.
Hunt, though, said the instances of delegates not being listed were "insignificant."
Night and day is right! I was in and out in about 5 minutes. I spent more time walking than I did signing in and voting on the 3 items. Next cycle I would hope a similar type of method is incorporated into the whole process.
Well.....if its going to be done this way.....what makes it a caucus??? Sounds more like a primary within a caucus to me. Might as well have a primary right from the beginning.
I find it questionable that William Stanley (Convention Chairman) and Dwayne Chesnut (County Chair) are both Hillary delegates. They ruined the real county convention and then set it up so we could not address our fellow delegates at the Thomas and Mack center. I believe it was an attempt to slow the momentum Obama had. They also gave the wrong address for the first Platform committee meeting and when I showed up the room had nothing but Hillary supporters and a poster on wall for Hillary!
"Jgermemina" obviously doesn't know what their saying, Dwayne Chestnut is NOT the Clark County Chair, he's one of several Vice-Chairs - John Hunt is the Clark County Chairman. Talking trash and unfairly saying any one person, or a couple of people, "ruined the real county convention" is nothing more than emotional fiction NOT based in facts!
John Hunt and Bill Stanley did the right thing by recessing the County Convention to ensure the process was done fairly - yet, a few uninformed people, reacted emotionally and maligned two good men unfairly - and the press didn't help much in getting the facts out front in their stories!
It was the people in 30% of our Precincts that failed to step up and help out the DNC and STATE Party on January 19th - the STATE Party Staff should not have been blamed for that part of the work-load that only the people can, and should, accomplish - and the County Party was NOT responsible for the failings on January 19th - that falls squarely on the shoulders of the people in those Precincts and their neighbors!
We have nearly 117,000 newly inspired people - that is a wonderful challenge! Now we need them to step up, learn how politics work in their Precincts, State Senate and Assembly Districts and Congressional Districts and State wide and start doing more than just showing up at a rally, yelling and screaming and voting - there's a lot more work to the process of taking back our government than that!
We're Americans and Nevadans and we can do BOTH - hold a Caucus, then have a Primary. In that way we engage our neighbors in over a thousand Precincts and build our Grass Roots structure and s/elect delegates and Precinct Captains (something we desperately need to still get done in 30% of our Precincts), and vote on the party platform at the neighborood level - then, have a Primary where everyone arrives fully informed and votes privately!
I was so proud to see our State Staff, County Staff, Candidate's Campaign Staff, Elected Representative's Staff, hundreds of Central Committee members and so many new Volunteers, all working together in a civil, adult and co-operative manner - that's the sort of TEAMWORK we've been needing for so long - KUDOS TO ALL!
And I've got to say to all the naysayer's out there that talked trash - guys like State Senator Terry Care (a former Army Captain) and John Hunt (a former Air Force vet), as well as Bill Stanley and everyone else who worked so hard to do the right thing and make this happen in a truly democratic manner - their characters and integrity should never have been questioned and their reputations have now been vindicated!
Mr. Abbinett,
I said he was a chair and he is. That doesn't qualify as me not knowing what I'm talking about. Can you discuss this without the insults? I deserve an apology. I think he is the Third Chair to be more on point. Please answer these questions:
How do you set up 2336 seats when you have had 3000 delegates register the night before, knowing more will be registering the next day, plus guest and alternates? That is not a mistake.
How do you call it a convention when nobody can address the convention? I've been to many, many and never saw one like that. Nobody was able to voice their complaints.....or praises.
What does military service have to do with it? A lot of us served our country.
With William Stanley a Clinton delegate and Chesnut as well as our Clark County Executive Director endorcing Clinton in City Life, you aren't concerned? What do you think the odds are that Hunt supports Hillary, being he appointed Stanley?
I attempted to and did notify the Platform Committee at the West Charleston Library meeting that the media had been given the wrong addresses twice for committee meetings and Stanley tried to get me ejected by the Librarian. In her words she rightfully told him the public had the right to attend and he could not have me removed. You sir, seem blinded because you think you know these people. Funny thing is all the Clinton supporters had the right address.......... I am now blocked from posting comments in the State web site for our party. If you speak out they block you just like the communist. How does that make you feel?
Dear "Jgeremia" a VICE-Chair is not a full Chairperson - I wasn't trying to insult you, only point out an important fact and, hopefully, limit even more misinformation being passed around irresponsibly.
I do know these people very well - and I can confidently tell you, as an Obama supporter, that they value honesty, integrity and the principles of democracy over any candidate preferances they may hold in any one given political cycle!
As to what does having served our country and being a veteran have to do with anything? Well, if you have to ask that question, I'm concerned indeed. Some of us who served our country honorably actually took our oath to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States very seriously and solemnly - (sadly, that is not the case for all vets) - but, it is a core value that guys like Terry Care, John Hunt and I share deeply!
Er, no apology necessary.
Mr. Abbinett,
Obviously you were unable to answer most of my questions. Even my daughter can set up enough chairs for her birthday party. Hunt and Stanley's actions speak louder than any of your praises. Great guys don't continue to give the wrong addresses. It was simple math. You are a good example of bias. This is why judges aren't allowed to judge their friends and must recuse themselves from some court cases. Plenty of people take oaths and violate them, which tells a reasonable person oaths don't exonerate people. The most questionable behavior, one, which points to a hiding of guilt on their part, is the fact they set up the second convention so that nobody could reach a microphone.
I applaud your daughters talents - how's that?
I had no problem getting to a microphone, in fact, I was the guy that made the motion for us to break out and caucus so each campaign could explain to their uninformed supporters the solution all of the leaders had come up with and agreed on!
May I suggest that after you get through a good, thorough cycle of emotional ranting, you, then, sit down and do a little research to determine the objective facts before you start ranting all over the blogs?
THERE WERE NO MICROPHONES AT THE THOMAS AND MACK CENTER. THAT WAS NOT A CONVENTION! You still haven't answered my questions, probably because there is no answer for setting 2336 chairs for 7000 delegates plus alternates and guests. You accuse me of ranting. You are misleading and bias, clearly, by your own words.