Some advisers to Sen. Hillary Clinton have concluded that a roll call of delegates at the Democratic National Convention would not serve her political interests.
They reason that Clinton would inevitably receive fewer delegates than she ended the primary with, which would send an unmistakable signal that her political standing had waned. Clinton herself has been open to the idea in part because many of her donors, supporters and delegates have demanded it. Whether to hold a vote did not come up in negotiations over Clinton's speaking role, Democrats familiar with the subject said.
This view is not universal. Other Clinton aides note that Bill Clinton was generous enough to give did not try to procedurally block Jerry Brown from a roll call vote in 1992 even though Brown had been sharply and personally critical of Hillary Clinton during the primary campaign. Indeed, symbolic roll call votes are regular parts of conventions.
's, if 300 delegates ask for one and she accepts. In practice, Obama would have to signal his acquiescence.
The downside of not doing a roll call is the possibility that unreconstructed pro-Clinton delegates will raise a procedural stink and gum up the convention.
A side note: news that Mark Warner would be the official keynote speaker took some Clinton advisers by surprise. During negotiations with the Obama campaign over her speaking role, the possibility of Clinton's speech being deemed the keynote was floated, according to these advisers, but it was never formally offered.
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