The Democrats are in trouble.

I thought the Democratic Convention would have poor optics and messaging with Fluke, Warren and other speakers promoting an ever more radicalized Democratic Party but never once did I think that the political operatives at the DNC would shoot itself in the foot as badly as it did.

First came the DNC "feel-good" promo: "Government is the only thing we belong to."



Wow! Feel good. Yes. Reasonable. On the surface yes. But oh how revealing.

The American Experiment - American Exceptionalism - is that our government is our employees. We are not property of the government. We are not subjects of the government nor our elected officials. We are citizens and government officials, from the president on down, are our employees. We do not belong to the government.

Then Illinois Governor Pat Quinn evokes Rousseau and the counter-enlightenment by saying "Let's make the will of the people the law of the land." Hmmm. I guess the constitution doesn't count for much. If the will of the people is to take money, restrict speech, imprison or kill irregardless of the Constitution then let's do so. The US Constitution was EXPLICITLY against having the will of the people being the law of the land.

And now the Democratic Party removes "God" and Jerusalem as the capital of Israel from the platform. We all know that removing "God" from the platform would lead to a firestorm. Fine. But then, the DNC backtracks from the platform changes and puts the reversal up to a vote on the convention floor. A two-thirds majority is needed to put "God" and "Jerusalem" back into the platform. Three times the proposal is put up to a vote. Three times the changes are voted down. And what does the DNC do, through Antonio Villaraigosa? They say that the vote was approved by the delegates.

Villaraigosa, in what quickly became an awkward moment, asked for the voice vote three times in all. After the second time, he paused for several seconds and looked behind him for guidance from a convention staffer -- possibly a parliamentarian -- before turning back and asking for a third vote.

Even though the no's were again as loud if not louder than the aye's on the third vote, Villaraigosa said he had determined that two thirds of those present had voted in favor. Boos filled the arena in response.
The Huffington Post

At issue is more than removing "God" and "Jerusalem" from the Democratic Party platform. As said before, we all know that is unstated position of the Democratic Party and that the positions had remained in the platform for political purposes only. The issue is not that the delegates objected to reinserting "God" and "Jerusalem" back into the platform. The issue is that the Democratic National Committee, on national TV, over-ruled the delegates and rigged the vote to go the way they wanted.

If votes don't count, then don't vote, and certainly don't pretend to vote.

This debacle will bring ObamaCare and Nancy Pelosi's statement "We Have to Pass the Bill So That You Can Find Out What Is In It" once more to the forefront. This alone may cost the Dems Ohio and the national election. (Ohio had a referendum last year and opposed ObamaCare by close to a 2/3 majority.)



The Democratic Party is in trouble. It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.

EDIT 9/8/2012: I knew that removing "God" and "Jerusalem" would cause problems but, oh my God, did this raise a firestorm. "Three" times the delegates were asked to put God back into the platform and three times they said "NO!" I was wrong - the issue that resonates is the denial of Peter:

Jesus answered, "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
Matthew 26:34