Talk:List of Democratic National Conventions/Archive 1

"Outcome believed affected by third-party candidate or candidates"? How is this relevant in a list of national conventions? - Scooter 20:03, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Wouldn't it be useful to add to the table the temporary and permanent chairmen of each convention? john k (talk) 19:05, 1 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Definitely. Do you have the data? Kingturtle (talk) 19:07, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Check my draft page... I've begun work on that a few weeks ago. Still incomplete for now and needs an editorial oversight. Settler (talk) 21:14, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Very interesting. What is the difference between Temporary and Permanent? Kingturtle (talk) 21:17, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Ah, I got started on permanent chairmen - put it into the article, but didn't have full information. I mostly used old New York Times, so it was quite painstaking.  I was unable to find permanent chairmen for 1844 (no NY Times then), 1976, 1992, 1996, or 2000.  I didn't really try to find the temporary chairs. I'm also not sure about O'Brien for 1972 - that seems to be the implication, but by then the Times had gotten too jaded to report on technicalities like convention chairmen directly. john k (talk) 21:30, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Also, what source(s) did you use, Settler? john k (talk) 21:43, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Mostly the official printed proceedings. Some other early references included Hezekiah Niles' Register and public domain books about the conventions. Then I used Google Books to search and double-check the names with other books, including books not in the public domain. It's tedious. Convention Decisions and Voting Records (not in the public domain) which I just recently found out has them (temporary and permanent) listed in a table into the 20th century. So I could've saved myself a little work by using that to begin with. Settler (talk) 01:13, 2 April 2008 (UTC)
 * I assume that would more generally be a treasure trove of useful information for articles on the various conventions. In general, I've found Wikipedia coverage of early American election history to be pretty poor. (Unfortunately, it's from 1973 - where will we get the information for the most recent ones?) john k (talk) 01:35, 2 April 2008 (UTC)
 * but what is the difference between Temporary and Permanent? Kingturtle (talk) 21:34, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Basically, the DNC chair opens the convention, and then proposes the appointment of a temporary chairman. The temporary chairman is approved and takes over.  At that point, the convention elects all the various committees - platform, credentials, rules, permanent organization.  The committees go to work, and when the new session meets (still chaired by the temporary chairman) the convention votes on the various resolutions brought forward by the various committees.  The committee on permanent organization, among other things, proposes a candidate for permanent chairmanship.  Once that is approved by the convention, the permanent chairman takes the chair.  The permanent chairman then presides over the nomination of candidates for president and vice president.  At least, that's the basic sense of this.  Of course now this is all a fiction - all the committees are appointed ages in advance, everything's decided ages in advance, and the convention just rubber stamps it, but that's the basic gist of it. john k (talk) 21:39, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * It would, btw, obviously be nice to do the same for the Republicans and the Whigs, at least. I am totally burned out, though, from my trek through the NY Times archives.  john k (talk) 21:48, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

1972
Hmm...some contradiction I'm finding for 1972. The New York Times seemed to say (although I cannot be completely sure) that Larry O'Brien was not only party chair, but also chair of the convention. But I've found several online sources that suggest that Patricia Roberts Harris was the permanent chairman in that year. This wouldn't be much, but also contradicts claims I've seen that Martha Layne Collins was the first woman chairman, in 1984. This ought to be resolved, if possible. john k (talk) 01:43, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

Our article on the convention suggests that Harris was chairman of the credentials committee, not the whole convention. john k (talk) 01:46, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

Problem solved? This Time article seems fairly conclusive that O'Brien was, indeed, the permanent chairman of the convention. Now, 1976, 1992, 1996, and 2000 need to be figured out. john k (talk) 01:48, 2 April 2008 (UTC)


 * I see Alma Brown's (wife of Ron Brown) name mentioned as honorary chairwoman of the 1996 convention. Not sure what that implies though...temporary chair? Permanent chair? Honorary temporary chair? Honorary Permanent chair? Co-chair? Settler (talk) 03:10, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

1976
From what I can gather from NY Times articles, it looks like Bob Strauss, the party chairman, was also the convention chairman, but it's hard to say. Further information would be useful. john k (talk) 02:17, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

1992
Seems to be Ann Richards - the wikipedia article on the convention glancingly suggests as much, as does a New York Times article. No direct mention, though. Newspapers have basically completely ceased reporting stuff like this. john k (talk) 02:22, 2 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Direct mention in "All Eyes on Ann", Dallas Morning News July 14, 1992. Settler (talk) 02:41, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

Barbara Jordan
She was the keynote speaker twice. First in 1976 and second in 1992.

1976: http://www.planetout.com/news/history/aahist/jordan.html

1992: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarajordan1992dnc.html

Agrippina Minor (talk) 21:26, 17 June 2008 (UTC)