Deadlocked Dem convention turns to Gore.

[kansasblue]

I thinks it safe to say Gore isn't running. But there are historical examples where a deadlocked convention has reached out for another candidate:


1852 Democratic Convention
Baltimore, Maryland

June 1 to 5, 1852
Nominated:Franklin R Pierce, of New Hampshire for President
Nominated: William O Butler of Kentucky for Vice President
The democratic party opened its convention in Baltimore in June of 1852 with four competing candidates for the Presidency. Most of those who had left the party with Van Buren to form the "Free Soilers" had returned. Before deciding on Presidential candidate the convention adopted a platform designed to unit the factions fighting over slavery. It opposed any further "agitation" over the issue of slavery. When it came to selecting a candidate for President- the four contender-Stephen Douglas, William Marcy, James Buchanan and Lewis Cass- deadlocked. On the 49th ballot the convention turned to a "dark horse" Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire. Pierce's views on slavery were not clearly articulated thus not offending anyone. His service as a General in the Mexican American War allowed the party to play the military hero card.
http://www.historycentral.com/elections/Conventions/1852DEM.html



1868 Democratic Convention
New York, NY

July 4 to 9, 1868
Nominated:Horatio Seymour, of New York for President
Nominated: Francis P Blair of Missouri for Vice President
The Democratic convention of 1868 opened on the Fourth of July in New York City. Before the convention opened it was hoped that Supreme Court Chief Justice Samuel Chase would be the Democratic candidate, but keeping with his position he did not mount a campaign for the job. When the conventioned opened George Pendelton the 1864 candidate for Vice President was in the lead. President Johnson who had always been a Democrat and was not being renominated by the Republicans on whose ticket he had run in 1864 also sought reelection this time as a Democrat. After twenty two ballots in which no one acheived the required votes to win, a draft movement quickly developed to nominate the convention chairman Horatio Seymour. He was a supporter of Chase, but the momentum was too great and he was unanimously nominated to be the next President.

http://www.historycentral.com/elections/Conventions/1868DEM.html



1920 Democratic Convention
Civic Auditorium San Francisco, California
June 28 to July 6, 1920
Nominated:James M Cox of Ohio for President
Nominated: Franklin D Roosevelt of New York for Vice President
The democrats opened their convention with no clear choice for President. President Wilson who was infirm was not going to run for another term. The convention looked at and rejected both Secreatary of the Treasury William McAdoo and Attorney General Mitchell Palmer. On the 44th ballot the convention turned to Governor James Fox of Ohio. Fox in turn selected Franklin D Roosevelt then Secreatry of the Navy and whose only elected office he had held had been State Senator as his running-mate.

http://www.historycentral.com/elections/Conventions/1920DEM.html

[ThomWV]

1. The longer the 'primary season' goes on the better he looks

Because what we have running is a pack of good people but not great people. Al Gore is one of the greats.

[tekisui]

2. I thought the headline said DREADlocked Cem Convention...

I picture a room full of dreadheads talking about how much they really wished Gore would run.
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[cali]

3. you seem to be unaware of how much the process has changed

in the last 150 years. Do you have any idea how unlikely that scenario is?

[CK_John]

4. Gore may be a lot of things but a good political candidate he is not. n/t.

[meegbear]

5. Deadlocked Dem convention turns to Gore?

Link? Info? :shrug:

[William769]

6. The only problem with you OP is, this won't be a dead locked convention.

[Gman]

7. Since the McGovern rules in 1972

and other changes to the primary system, it is not quite impossible, but extremely unlikely that these scenarios would ever happen again.

Personally, just once more in my lifetime I'd like to see a brokered convention such as what happened in 1960 simply because I'm a hopeless political junkie and the drama would be unlike anything I've seen in my adult life. I was a kid in 1960 and didn't really understand what was going on. All I knew is my parents wanted JFK.

[brazos121200]

8. Note that you had to go back 87 years for your most recent example of a deadlocked convention.

Back then there were virtually no primaries to divvy up the delegates and deadlocks could and did happen on a regular basis. Today, with all fo the changes enacted in our political system, a deadlocked convention is virtually impossible. My guess is the Democratic candidate will be known the night of the New Hampshire primary if not sooner. Super Tuesday comes up shortly thereafter, and if no candidate has emerged as the clear winner by then it certainly will on that day. Today no potential candidate can wait and hope for a deadlocked convention, it ain't gonna happen. I would love to see Al Gore as the nominee but unless he quickly gets in the race, he won't be. Now I hope I'm proved wrong.

[jacksonian]

9. actually 1924 was even worse

A standoff between Al Smith, anti-prohibition canidate from NY, and William McAdoo, a William Jennings Bryan deciple, went 103 ballots before Davis of West Virginia was chosen.

Took 9 days of balloting. A funny story is that during his speech the inital speaker released hundreds of doves as a symbol of peace. With no way out of Madison Square Garden, the birds spent the whole 9 days flying around the rafters doing what birds do when they have to crap.

A fairly significant convention in Dem history, as it marked the final gasp of Bryan's political influence and, because he was instrumental in forging the compromise, the cementing of FDR's control.

http://www.historycentral.com/elections/Conventions/1924DEM.html