Should I try to be a delegate to the Dem convention?

A couple of posts here in the last couple of days have got me thinking about being a delegate to the Democratic convention in Denver. As you know, we in Florida are being penalized for moving our primary to January 29 and have had our delegates taken away. Hell, we weren't even assigned any hotel accomodations in Denver.

However, we have worked hard in the past year in the GLBT community to develop procedures to insure our community is represented in our delegation. We made great inroads and have a commitment that 10% of our delegates will be GLBT. THis is a huge improvement from 2004 when most of our "GLBT" delegates were white straight males!

Our state party has been telling us not to worry - surely the party nominee will seat the Florida delegation. But I have to wonder about this. If we have a clear nominee before the convention, perhaps they will, but what will really be accomplished at the convention but a coronation of the party nominee. If there is no clear nominee, why would they want to seat the Florida delegation, especially if doing so would give an advantage to a single candidate.

Given all of this, I reluctantly decided last month that I wouldn't pursue becomming a delegate. I hate to give up on all of the work we've done in the past year, but I wonder "what's the payoff here?" This wouldn't be an inexpensive venture.

So I guess the purpose of my post here is to ask for advise, particularly from experience convention delegates in the past. Should proceed to apply as a delege?  Should I encourage others in my community to do this? Or do we just cross this off to being a star-crossed year for Florida Democrats?

•  Go For It

  If that's what you want to do. Don't let the prospect of your vote not counting deter you! Evem of the Florida delegation is not seated, you will gain a lot of new experiences and even friendships.

  by BlueTide on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 01:58:02 PM PDT

•  Yes you should...

  ...If you make it to Denver, I'll vote to seat you.

  by Andre in Atlanta on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:07:11 PM PDT

•  Wasn't your primary decided by the GOP?

  The legislature, that is.  I read somewhere that the state legislature -- which is controlled by the Republican Party -- moved Florida's up.  If that's the case, then how is it the DNC persists in punishing the state Democratic Party?  It makes no sense to me that Florida's Democratic delegates would be penalized for something the GOP did.

  by Archangel M on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:08:43 PM PDT

  •  this is true

    And what sucks is they are alienating voters in a swing state for years to come.

    by RockRichard on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:32:31 PM PDT

    •  Michigan's in the same boat.

      That's two states whose delegates have been stripped by the DNC, for things beyond their state Democratic Party's control.  And yet they'll let Texas, which tossed Kucinich off the ballot for refusing to sign a bogus loyalty oath, keep its delegates.

      I remember reading news articles about the level of Democratic voters' anger at this injustice.  I really think they'll either sit out the primaries -- or worse, vote Republican -- just to spite the DNC.

      by Archangel M on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 03:16:36 PM PDT

      •  yeah

        I havent been in florida for over a week in the past five years (or in america for more than a year) but i still vote absentee in florida. thats exactly what i'm afraid of.

        by RockRichard on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 03:22:40 PM PDT

•  View from Pittsburgh

  I am in Pittsburgh.
  Unfortunately I am one of those boring white straight males. Can't help it!

  Anyways I was also wondering whether I should go.
  Seems like the last conventions have been coronations like you say. So I am not quite sure if there is any point to it.

  by mattinjersey on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:23:11 PM PDT

•  Yes

  No matter what the status of the race, they'll ultimately seat the Florida and Michigan delegations, because they know that if they don't, it will just piss people (and officials) off, and will make life harder in the General. There have been a few quotes here-and-there from DNC officials who admit that the delegates will be seated, but that "officially" saying they won't be means that they won't count the delegates in the totals, so the states won't get the attention they were going for by moving the primary in the first place.

  As for doing it, I'm of the opinion that the more people get involved in politics, the better - so make that jump. Personally, I was a delegate to the (Canadian) Liberal Convention when it was in Montreal last year - all I had to do was join the high-donors club of the party by giving $500 - and it was the (political) time of my life.

  by Scipio on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:26:25 PM PDT

•  yes, absolutely

  My sister was a Dean delegate from Washington in 2004, and found the convention thrilling even if what went on on the podium was fully scripted.  The real action at the DNC goes on behind the scenes and off-camera.  Meetings, caucuses, and shooting the shit in the lobby.

  Kinda like YearlyKos Netroots Nation, and just about every other big meeting I've ever gone to.

  by N in Seattle on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:30:04 PM PDT

•  How do you apply to be a delegate?

  I'd like to be one, but don't know if i can or how to do it.

  by RockRichard on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:33:25 PM PDT

  •  depends on the state

    Every state's Democratic Party writes a lengthy plan that sets out its procedures.

    Here in Washington, we have three levels of caucuses (precinct, Legislative District, Congressional District), culminating in the selection of something like 51 of our 97 DNC delegates.  We select no delegates through our February 19 beauty contest primary, but the Republicans will designate some portion of their convention delegates in the primary.

    A summary of Washington's Democratic delegate plan is here.

    by N in Seattle on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:39:09 PM PDT

    •  I was wondering

      if the diarist or anyone else could tell me how to do so in my home state of florida, if they even let us come out and play.

      by RockRichard on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 03:24:22 PM PDT

      •  Just go to the FDP website

        site here
        and click on the GET ACTIVE button and then the 2008 National Convention.

        It has most of the information and forms needed for the process.

        by kansasr on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 03:39:01 PM PDT

•  YES

  by dashat on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:57:37 PM PDT

•  Yes - you will be sorry if you don't

  take it from me, I decided not to go once, in 1968, and have regretted it for decades.

  It isn't a matter of whether you have a vote that counts - the truth is that almost no one does really - it is the experience

  by tiponeill on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 02:58:18 PM PDT