WHOSE PARTY IS IT

By Bryan Riha - August 18, 2008

A green convention. Obama's Convention. A tribute to Hillary. Seemingly less mentioned, the Democratic National Convention. I would like to open the conversation up to something I think is more obvious, the divisiveness in the American public. In a country full of self interests, I find it no surprise that this convention has taken on many names, forms, and will even have more than one candidate in nomination. We’ve heard “Obama's convention” has been used to describe this convention, and it’s true: This convention needs to boost the Obama campaign. As we rally behind our new candidate, we still have another looming in the background, the beloved Hillary Clinton. I have read many stories outlining the convention's goals of honoring her campaign and somehow respectfully giving Michigan and Florida's delegates back to her... Unfortunately this does not guarantee peace among fellow Democrats. The closeness of this competition among top candidates, the merry-go-round of events – all lead to the party's greatest struggle, unity. One must ask himself or herself, where do my interests lie and are these interests pragmatic in the nomination process?

I would like to hope that this convention runs smoothly, but I am still left feeling bittersweet. My chosen candidate did not make it past South Carolina. I'll admit, I'm an interested but focused voter. However, I am also well aware that this is all part of the nomination process, a process that is not fair, has decreased the role of political parties beyond what should be considered dangerous, and often produces candidates prone to close elections where voters choose “the lesser of two evils.” These all must be examined through contextual evidence and we must learn from past mistakes and successes if we hope to hold a convention that brings about a candidate with no regrets.

We all have different expectations of the candidates and the convention. However, I am feeling estranged from my expectations for the party. Yes – my party, not Obama's.