Contested Convention

        The 2020 Democratic National convention will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July.  Could this be a contested convention?  A contested convention is one where no one receives a majority on the first ballot.  That would be interesting. 

        At this time there are a lot of very weak candidates and it is possible that none will emerge as a clear choice.  There is also a division within the Democratic Party between the extreme left and the establishment.

There are four types of delegates to the convention:

·       District level delegates and alternates

·       Pledged party leaders and elected officials

·       At-large delegates and alternates

·       Automatic party leader and elected official delegates.

       

        Some delegates are initially pledged to vote for a specific Presidential candidate as directed by the voters of their state.  Super delegates are unpledged delegates that can vote for whoever they want.  You may remember that Bernie Sanders had no chance of getting the nomination in 2016 because the super delegates were committed to the establishment candidate, Hilary Clinton.

        Super delegates will not vote in the 2020 first ballot.  If no Presidential candidate receives a majority on the first ballot, the super delegates will vote in the second ballot.  If no candidate receives a majority on the second ballot, political deals are made to win the super delegates’ votes. 

        Super delegates usually vote for an establishment candidate.  That leaves out everyone currently in the race except Joe Biden. 

        Hillary Clinton said she would like to be President, but did not want to campaign.  She has money and is an establishment politician.  Could she declare her candidacy at the last minute and hope to be a dark horse, nominated with the help of the super delegates in a contested convention?  That is a thought provoking scenario to consider.

“Trump did not bring division.  Division brought Trump.

If you don’t see that, then you’re part of the problem.”

Ava Armstrong

God bless President Trump and guide him to make America great again.