God, Jerusalem, and the Democratic Convention

[kelincihutan.livejournal.com]

In a move that probably took a lot of people by surprise, the DNC put God back into their platform along with language affirming Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel today. C-SPAN video of the proceedings is here.

Disclosure: I am a Christian, and I am pro-Israel so this is a platform change of which I approve. That said, I am quite surprised at how, well, undemocratically this change was carried out.

In the video, Mayor Villaraigosa had to call for the vote three times before seeming to decide that he was going to approve the platform change whether there'd been a two-thirds aye vote or not. Obviously this platform change was a matter of major contention among the delegates. I am very surprised that a more formal vote was not carried out, given how divided the Convention seemed to be on the matter. And while I realize that these things take time, isn't this sort of boring, in-house housekeeping the actual reason these conventions happen in the first place? I know we like to pretty them up with balloons (unless we're Democrats) and confetti and music and whatever, but that stuff happens all the time. Hashing out the platform, on the other hand, doesn't come around just whenever.

I suppose, given the way they rammed through Obamacare without concern for what the country wanted, I shouldn't be too surprised, but I didn't figure they'd go all petty-dictator on one another. I would, honestly, have been disappointed in the party (more than I already am, anyway) had these changes not been made. But the way they were made feels dishonest and forced. Where do Democrats really stand on these issues and why didn't they take a more careful vote?

Edit: I have unscreened the comment by "Stan Chaz." Mods, he's your call. ;)

Comments

[shezan.livejournal.com]

It was obvious where Dem activists stand, and that's not in support of Israel.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

I saw the headlines about the words being removed and only now saw the change back. I didn't look into it too deeply at first (I figured it was just more drama for drama's sake.) But I guess it was for real.

And it's laughable. The ideas and policy positions of the Democratic party are godless. Or rather, anti-god, in every way. No amount of putting words back into a statement will change that.

[dark-weezing.livejournal.com]

Tammy Bruce said it best, as she once was on the Left (thankfully, not anymore):

"This has got to be the funniest debacle in the history of political conventions. I’ve never seen an entire group of people throw themselves under their own bus. It’s a disaster being run by people who don’t know what they’re doing. In other words, a microcosm of Obama’s disastrous presidency."

htt p://tam mybruce.com/2012/09/watch-democrats-boo-as-god-jerusalem-are-put-back-in-party-platform.html

[kelincihutan.livejournal.com]

It's really not the convention they were hoping for, is it? First it's abortions abortions everywhere, then it's "the government is the only thing we all belong to," and now it's no God and Jerusalem BUT WAIT they're suddenly back and everyone's mad. Do you think they'll get a post-convention dip?

[ford-prefect42.livejournal.com]

Actually, this is pretty simple. The dem leadership is a bunch of commies. So they expunged god and israel without thinking through what the ramifications would be. So then, when people *noticed* the absence, they realized that it they *didn't* put it back in, they'd lose by *landslide*, so they put it back in. But the convention, and the delegates are the most extreme among them, so they realized they wouldn't get the votes there to put the planks back. So they rammed it through without the consent of the delegates.

[stan chaz (from livejournal.com)]

Mentioning God?
The Republicans god is MONEY, as their billionaire altar boys scurry around....
Those who would destroy Social Security & voucher Medicare to death,
and who readily admit they “don’t care about the very poor”
should stop, remember, and take to heart the words
“Whatsoever you do for the least of these - you do for me”.
The politics of Romney/Ryan masquerades as values

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

That said, I am quite surprised at how, well, undemocratically this change was carried out.

Indeed. And attendance at any convention quickly demonstrates how inefficient and difficult it is to get things done in a pure democracy! ;)

I'm now pretty interested in what the convention's rules are. I've sat through enough Republican conventions to know that once the body wakes up enough to call for a vote THREE times, there's usually no going back without a roll-call. Usually it's voice, then standing, and roll-call as a last resort, because it's a minimum 1.5 hour process. (Of course that's at Texas's convention, which is usually larger than the RNC.) But of course, it all depends on what the convention's own rules are.

Hmm... now that I think of it, the platform is actually drafted in committee in the days leading up to the convention, and the body votes on THAT. Was the Jerusalem plank part of the draft, or was that suggested from the floor?

[kelincihutan.livejournal.com]

The Jerusalem plank was completely left out of the original platform as adopted yesterday, I believe. It has been either "above the fold" or very prominent on Drudge ever since, so I think the Dems felt pressured to add it back in.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I'm just laughing at delegates booing God and Jerusalem, captured on video. Sure, changing it was cheating but the original platform was one ladder rung above supporting atheism and referring to "Al Quds" as the capitol of Palestine.