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Democrats to choose convention delegates Sunday in West Warwick

2:58 PM Thu, Jun 05, 2008 |
By Scott MacKay    Email this author |   Email this entry

Leading Rhode Island Democrats meet in a state convention Sunday in West Warwick to endorse candidates for federal offices and choose a slate to round out the state delegation of 37 delegates and alternates slated to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.

The convention is expected to endorse the Democratic incumbents for federal office who are up for reelection in November. That would give the party's imprimatur to U.S. Reps. Patrick Kennedy of the 1st District, James Langevin of the 2nd District and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, according to William Lynch of Pawtucket, the Democratic state chairman.

The other major business will be choosing two male delegates and eight female delegates to attend the Denver convention in August. With Barack Obama the apparent nominee, the convention will lack that kind of drama gives political professionals heartburn and gives reporters juicy stories.

There will be none of the sharp-edged campaigning that marked the state's March 4 presidential primary, won by Sen. Hillary Clinton. "Everybody is going to be on the same page,'' in voting for Obama at the convention, Lynch predicted.

The Clinton-Obama battle "is going to be moot,'' said Lynch, who has rallied around Obama.

Eligible to vote at Sunday's convention are 159 members of the Democratic State Committee. One hundred fifty of the members ard chosen by Democratic voters in state representative primaries, with one man and one woman chosen from each of the 75 state representative districts.

Nine others are chosen from the executive board of the party and include such leaders as Lynch and Rep. Grace Diaz, D-Providence, party's vice-chairwoman.
Among those expected to be chosen as convention delegates are top party leaders, including House Speaker William Murphy, D_West Warwick, Senate President Joseph Montalbano of North Providence, Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts.

All of Rhode Island's super delegates have endorsed either Clinton or Obama, with the exception of Reed, who is undecided.

Lynch said that media outlets and some Clinton supporters have exaggerated the extent to which lingering bitterness from the hard-fought primary campaign will affect Obama's chances in the November 4 general election.

"This is no different than a tough state primary race,'' .said Lynch. "You can't have people going door-to-door for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and then suddenly everything is OK.''

"On television they have these women Clinton supporters who say they are going to vote for McCain,'' said Lynch. "This just defies believability, that somebody with Hillary Clinton's vision for this country is going to vote Republican.''

-- Journal Staff Writer Scott MacKay

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