Vicites, Snyder to attend Democratic convention
Two local county commissioners will be on the floor of next week’s historic Democratic National Convention in Denver when Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is expected to become the first black presidential candidate. Greene County Commissioner Pam Snyder and Fayette County Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites will attend the convention as pledged delegates for Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, although their nominee is unlikely to gain the presidential nomination.
While Obama is the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, Clinton has asked for a roll call vote during the convention’s proceedings.
“It will be the most historic Democratic National Convention ever, other than 1968,” Vicites said.
In 1968 in Chicago, Vice President Hubert Humphrey was selected as the party’s nominee over Eugene McCarthy after Robert Kennedy was assassinated while seeking the nomination. The convention was highlighted by riots and clashes with police over backlash from the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humphrey went on to lose the presidential election to Republican Richard Nixon that year.
This year’s convention should only be highlighted by the historic nature of the two leading candidates that sought the nomination, which include an African-American man and a woman.
“I’m real excited about it and grateful for the opportunity the people gave me by being elected as a delegate,” Vicites said.
Snyder said there will be “more dynamics” this time around than in past conventions, when the nominees have been decided long before the conventions occurred.
While conventions of the recent past have been decided ahead of time, Snyder said this one could be a little more challenging. The convention is slated for Monday through Thursday.
“Time will tell,” Snyder said.
According to Real Clear Politics Web site, after all the country’s primaries were held, Obama won 2,229.5 pledged delegates, while Clinton received 1,896.5 pledged delegates. Of the 823 super-delegates, 463 have voiced support for Obama and 257 have said they back Clinton. A total of 2,117 delegates are required to win the nomination.
Although Obama is the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, Clinton overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary in the 12th Congressional District and also won Pennsylvania. Both Vicites and Snyder were delegates to the convention four years ago, while Vicites also was a delegate in 2000.
Vicites said he has been involved in public service for half of his life and to be able to attend a convention is a privilege. Throughout his tenure as county commissioner that began in 1996, Vicites has acquired quite a collection of photographs with famous political figures including former presidential candidate John Kerry as well as Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton.
“It’s one of those things in you life you will always remember,” Vicites said.
Although Vicites acknowledged that Obama would likely obtain the nomination because he has a 200-delegate lead, as a committed Hillary Clinton delegate, his first loyalty is to his first choice.
While Vicites has vowed to cast his roll call vote for Hillary Clinton, Snyder said she has not yet decided if she will take that route.
Snyder said she would decide how to vote after hearing Hillary Clinton and Obama speak during the convention.
“If Hillary wants us to vote for Obama, that’s what I’ll do, ” Snyder said. “I’m committed to her and I’m still holding out hope that his announcement for vice president will be her.”
Obama has said he would announce his choice for his vice presidential candidate today.
Vicites said he participated in a pre-convention conference call Tuesday with Hillary Clinton and a staff member in which she talked about the significant of the convention, the agenda, speakers, platform and issues.
Vicites said the vote for the candidate will be held on Wednesday and delegates will have the opportunity to cast their ballots.
For the convention, there are a total of 4,257 Democratic pledged and super-delegates combined.
Vicites said some states may pass on the vote roll call, but he doesn’t believe Pennsylvania would be a state to pass on the vote. He pointed out that only delegates that attend the convention may vote.
That said, Vicites said he is hopeful the Democratic Party wins the race for the White House in November.
“Hopefully, we will leave Denver as a unified party,” Vicites said.
Vicites said while it is unlikely his candidate will win the nomination, the important issue for him during the convention then becomes networking with people from different states as well as across Pennsylvania.
Vicites said if he had not attended the 2000 and 2004 conventions he would never have been able to help bring Hillary Clinton to Fayette County earlier this year.
Earlier this year Hillary Clinton visited Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus, the first presidential candidate to visit Fayette County in decades. Also, Bill Clinton made a separate visit to Devito Park during the campaign.
Vicites said the contacts that he has made at past conventions have helped with economic development and lobbying efforts for federal and state funding for the county.
While Vicites is flying to Denver on Sunday, Snyder began her trip Friday morning in a motorhome driven by Farley Toothman, a Greene County solicitor and former Greene County commissioner.
Snyder said she is traveling cross country with her husband and daughter as well as Greene County Commissioner Dave Coder, whose daughter Mallory Coder was chosen as a alternate delegate to the convention.
“We’re seeing a little part of the country,” Snyder said.
Delegates are chosen based on congressional district. The number of delegates for each candidate was determined based on the vote percentage each candidate received. In the 12th Congressional District, four Hillary Clinton delegates were chosen and one Obama delegate.
In addition to Snyder and Vicites, the other Hillary Clinton delegates are Helen Whiteford and Stephen Lucas and the Obama delegate is Mark Singel.
While Mallory Coder is the alternate, she only would be permitted to vote if one of the other 12th District delegates doesn’t attend.
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