Calif. Bernie elected delegates seats blocked, white noise machines installed

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, July 29th, 2016 - 58 comments
Categories: International, us politics - Tags: ,

A report via Face Book from the California Delegates section of the Convention Hall.

  • Eden McFadden who made this report is a Cali. district 34 elected party representative, representing a district with over 16,000 voters.
  • In her video several other Democratic Party elected delegates also identify themselves and identify the districts that they represent.
  • Elected California Democratic Party delegates for Bernie have been delayed or denied entry into the Convention Hall.
  • Pro-Hillary California candidates were allowed through no problem.
  • On entry to the Convention Hall they found some seating for the California elected delegates had been reserved off, and that paid seat fillers (unelected strangers without convention credentials) with pro-Hillary signs have taken their other seats.
  • A white noise machine has been installed over the California delegation area (and other anti TPP, anti Hillary delegations) to drown out anti-Hillary heckles and boos.
  • Approx 700 pro-Bernie delegates will be wearing a special green “solidarity top”. The colour was chosen in part to represent a nascent intention to move over to the Green Party.

All these steps will have been done with the approval of DNC Convention organisers. Looks like the DNC is still playing dirty against Bernie supporters.

A fascinating look at how grassroots organising keeps working in the face of structural status quo opposition.

Please share on your Face Book and social media.

58 comments on “Calif. Bernie elected delegates seats blocked, white noise machines installed ”

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  1. DavidC 1
    29 July 2016 at 11:12 am

    Has Bernie Sanders withdrawn his support for HRC yet?

    • Colonial Viper 1.1
      29 July 2016 at 11:14 am

      I don’t think that will be happening. That would trigger the Democrats to mount a serious election campaign against him in Vermont.

      • DavidC 1.1.1
        29 July 2016 at 11:31 am

        So effectively he is being bribed with his senatorial salary?

        That is a pretty cheap bribe. (not even out of the Dems purse!)

        • Andre 1.1.1.1
          29 July 2016 at 11:36 am

          He was re-elected to his second term in 2012 so doesn’t come up for re-election until 2018.

          • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1.1
            29 July 2016 at 11:53 am

            2 years is how long it takes to put together a campaign to unseat a solid incumbent.

        • Olwyn 1.1.1.2
          29 July 2016 at 11:37 am

          I think you have to take him at his word that he wants to bring about real political change. This means making judgements as to how to continue, and keeping his seat may prove more useful to his aims than losing it over a gesture that allows people to shout “hurrah!” and leaves him with nil leverage.

          • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.2.1
            29 July 2016 at 11:54 am

            Bernie gave away his leverage last year when he publicly said that he would support the Democratic nominee this year, whomever that was.

            • Olwyn 1.1.1.2.1.1
              29 July 2016 at 12:14 pm

              I am not so sure about that. As I have said before, supporting the nominee was a condition of running as a Democrat, and keeping his word in this would be an aspect of the honest politics he endorses. Supposing his movement does not wholly splinter, and supposing also that no huge surprises emerge to change everything, I think he will go for getting the like-minded into congress seats. You have to remember that the left in the west is seriously lacking in real-world levers – we are only at the stage now where a few more of us realise this and mind. Slavery was not ended solely by someone standing up and saying “I think slavery is wrong” while others cheered – the important thing is that the struggle continues until we find ways of getting our claims taken seriously and gaining some leverage. The problem for Bernie is judging how best to use what he has to that end.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 1.2
      29 July 2016 at 12:24 pm

      No, I think Bernie is correctly supporting Hillary because of her one outstanding quality – her name isn’t “Donald Trump”.

  2. dukeofurl 2
    29 July 2016 at 11:26 am

    Ah but was it celestial White noise

    https://youtu.be/wzjWIxXBs_s

    Seriously, white noise is used as a treatment for ADHD- perfect for the california Sanders delegates

  3. swordfish 3
    29 July 2016 at 11:26 am

    3 little words: the Streisand effect

    • weka 3.1
      29 July 2016 at 11:41 am

      +1. Or four little words: give them enough rope…

      • dukeofurl 3.1.1
        29 July 2016 at 12:24 pm

        You can see from the wider view in the video, the ‘white noise’ generators are all round the stadium. Its not uncommon to have them to create the ‘busy hum’ rather than ‘drown out chants’ – as if.

        delegates seats reserved – yeah about 8-10. Thats why every says ‘privileged young white woman matter’

        • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1
          29 July 2016 at 12:59 pm

          You can see from the wider view in the video, the ‘white noise’ generators are all round the stadium.

          What time in the video are you referring to please. At 7mins into the video it is the only similar machine within 40m to 50m.

          The people who are actually there said that this speaker has been put up above their seating and was not there the day before.

          • dukeofurl 3.1.1.1.1
            29 July 2016 at 1:45 pm

            You can see from the ‘still’ in the link, small white/gray boxes just below balcony level. I can see two right of centre.

            • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1.1.1
              29 July 2016 at 2:26 pm

              Eden said that other pro-Bernie delegations have been affected. And that those boxes are brand new.

              How about a comment on the seat fillers.

              • dukeofurl …
                29 July 2016 at 4:25 pm

                Really. so there are more ‘white noise generators’ now. Anyway since they only provide background noise ( useful for sleep etc), organised chanting will defeat them.
                Someone is the star of her own self shot movie.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  29 July 2016 at 5:09 pm

                  Tell me, what does her being an aspiring actress tell your little stalker brain about the elected Democratic delegate of the 34th district of California?

    • Lanthanide 3.2
      29 July 2016 at 1:35 pm

      Or: jumping at shadows.

  4. swordfish 4
    29 July 2016 at 11:40 am

    As someone said on Reddit: “Coronation must be flawless. Did you ever see Kim’s events in North Korea?”

    https://aboveaverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/kim-jong-un-haircut1.jpg

    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b5/c5/55/b5c55591eca077531e52e2ea010f1c58.jpg

  5. Cemetery Jones 5
    29 July 2016 at 12:00 pm

    Never mind the Trump train, here’s the Clinton caboose – off the rails and into the gulch!

  6. Bill 6
    29 July 2016 at 12:01 pm

    Admittedly I only had a quick skip through the vid – 16min of breathless “OMG” type outrage is just a bit much.

    First impression? Hyped up kindergarten stuff.

    For example, is that really a white noise machine? I mean, it is white and it probably broadcasts sound. But hey…

    And people are upset. Understandably so. But are the supposed machinations real or imagined? Cock up or conspiracy?

    No way to tell from that footage and commentary.

    • weka 6.2
      29 July 2016 at 2:40 pm

      The limitations of the people’s media. I watch a video last night described as Busters breaking through the fence at the convention and being met by a line of police. There was definitely something going on (could see police, a fence moving, lots of people and noise), but it was very hard to tell exactly what.

      It’s a problem that needs to be solved. No point in mimicking the dishonesty of the MSM or the establishment politics.

  7. dukeofurl 7
    29 July 2016 at 12:10 pm

    “Thad Kousser, a professor of politics at UC San Diego, said most voters care more about what Michelle Obama had to say than what is being blurted out by Sanders delegates on the convention floor.”

    Thats very true, but any party meeting tends to want unity, even in NZ, rather than a platform for those who are out of the mainstream.

    “Whereas progressives in many states have to unite to hold political power, California’s ultrablue status has led its most left-leaning citizens to view mainstream Democrats as their biggest adversaries, said Bruce Cain, director of Stanford University’s Bill Lane Center for the American West.

    “Here the enemy is the establishment Democratic Party, because it is the dominant party,” Cain said. “There is a lot more tension within the party than there would be in a red state.”
    http://www.eastbaytimes.com/california/ci_30173182/california-leading-way-sanders-delegates-start-quieting-down

    Thats the way it works in US with its ‘two door only ‘ political system, they dont have the 5 or 6 parties like NZ or the 10 or so in Italy. So in those states that are predominately democratic or republican over decades you get a broad range of views within the one party, instead of being split evenly over both parties.

    The other side of that is someone like Sanders who started in the far left political groups decades ago, but who moved away from their infighting and factionalism to his own personal brand of independent socialism just outside the main democratic party had to run under the ‘democratic party banner’ to even get noticed.

  8. Phil 8
    29 July 2016 at 12:25 pm

    While a bunch of Bernie Bro’s have been protesting and complaining, it turns out that Sanders has been working hard behind the scenes to generate real gains in the Democrat policy platform.

    http://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12281022/the-democratic-party-platform

    Working with other Democrats on areas of common ground has been more productive than shouting into a social media echo chamber… who would have thought it?

  9. swordfish 9
    29 July 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Even before this DNC turmoil, polls have been suggesting the potential for a whole swathe of Bernie supporters to head toward Stein or other third party candidates …

    YouGov (July 23-24 2016)

    All Figures solely for Democrat Primary voters who preferred Sanders

    Clinton Favourability
    Favourable …………42%
    Unfavourable ……..58%

    Feelings about Clinton as Nominee
    Satisfied/Enthusiastic …. 37%
    Dissatisfied/Upset ……… 63%

    Presidential Vote
    Clinton …………………………. 54%
    Trump ………………………….. 5%
    Minor Candidate ………….. 37%
    Not Sure ………………………. 4%

    Should Sanders run as an Independent candidate or support Clinton
    As an Independent ……. 48%
    Support Clinton ………… 40%
    Unsure ……………………… 12%

    Stein Favourability
    Favourable ………………….42%
    Unfavourable ……………..15%
    Unsure ………………………. 43%

    Would you consider voting for Stein
    Would Consider …………… 49%
    Never Consider ……………. 20%
    Unsure …………………………. 31%

    Sanders supporters clearly regard Trump in highly negative terms. But will that be enough to mobilise them to tick Hillary while holding their noses ? Especially after today ? The Clinton Establish***t is playing a very dicey game here.*

    The latest Rasmussen Poll (just released) finds that: “Less that half of Democrats feel Clinton has done enough to win over supporters of her primary rival Senator Bernie Sanders.” Not entirely sure she’s going the right way about it.

    * Apologies for using the borderline-illegal “E”-word.

    • Colonial Viper 9.1
      29 July 2016 at 1:03 pm

      The structural status quo is by its very nature tone deaf to the genuine concerns of the grassroots.

      Non-credentialled pro-Hillary seat fillers are taking up the seats of the California delegates. And people just shrug. Elected reps disenfranchised by the structural status quo and who cares.

      • dukeofurl 9.1.1
        29 July 2016 at 1:42 pm

        If you arent a delegate you dont get to sit with them. We are talking 8-12 seats as shown in video. Super delegates ?

        Theres a separate spectator area.

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.1
          29 July 2016 at 2:24 pm

          Many rows of seats were affected, if you pay attention.

          • dukeofurl 9.1.1.1.1
            29 July 2016 at 4:22 pm

            I only saw up to 12 seats with reserved signs. Shes an aspiring actress ( $5k budget movies), which explains a lot

            • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.1.1.1
              29 July 2016 at 4:54 pm

              What exactly does it explain to your little Thorndon Bubble stalker brain?

              You realise that she is the elected delegate for part of north eastern LA and surrounds so no surprise if she has exposure to the movie industry.

    • Lanthanide 9.2
      29 July 2016 at 1:40 pm

      The alternative way to write your intro, is:

      Even before the DNC convention, where Sanders emphatically endorsed Clinton as the nominee, and Brack and Michelle Obama gave rousing endorsement speeches that were extremely well-received, polls have been suggesting the potential for a whole swathe of Bernie supporters to head toward Stein or other third party candidates …

      The point of the conventions in the modern primary system has always been to rally around the nominee and spark party unity in support of the nominee.

      So it will be interesting to see how successful this has been amongst Bernie supporters in the coming weeks.

    • Phil 9.3
      29 July 2016 at 4:30 pm

      All Figures solely for Democrat Primary voters who preferred Sanders

      The YouGov poll was of 1300 ‘general population respondents’, which suggests it’s not filtering for either registered or likely voting intention – which is a critical driver of polling quality and accuracy.

      Secondly, the group you presented percentages for is just 151 survey responses. Once you get that far down into the weeds of polling ‘cross tabs’, the individual results are about as statistically valid as a stuff.co.nz online click-bait poll.

      • swordfish 9.3.1
        29 July 2016 at 5:15 pm

        “The YouGov poll was of 1300 ‘general population respondents’, which suggests it’s not filtering for either registered or likely voting intention – which is a critical driver of polling quality and accuracy.”

        YouGov are a highly reputable polling firm with an excellent track record. They go to an enormous amount of trouble to get things right. In other words, I suspect you’re clutching at straws by making some sweeping assumptions based not so much on guesswork as a kind of wishful thinking. Registered voters make up the overwhelming majority of the sample and stats are provided for them separately.

        ” … just 151 survey responses. Once you get that far down into the weeds of polling ‘cross tabs’, the individual results are about as statistically valid as a stuff.co.nz online click-bait poll.”

        No. You’re getting a little carried away in your enthusiasm for Hillary (I take it the local finance sector’s as excited by her as Wall St is ?). Certainly a greater margin of error but still useful as a broad indicator of Sanderista feeling.

        • Lanthanide 9.3.1.1
          29 July 2016 at 11:20 pm

          I suspect the margin of error is somewhere around +/- 20% when you get to that sort of sample size.

          • swordfish 9.3.1.1.1
            30 July 2016 at 8:43 am

            No, I’d say +/- 9% for figures around 50%, falling to +/- 8% for figures around 40% and 60%, down to +/- 5% for figures around 10% and 90%.

            So, as I say, still useful as a broad indicator.

            For example, at the 95% confidence level, we know between half and two-thirds (50-66%) of Democrat primary voters who preferred Sanders hold an Unfavourable view of Clinton (ie 58% +/- 8%), that between 55% and 71% are either Dissatisfied or Upset at Clinton being the nominee and so on …

            That’s still pretty useful info to have … it’s a looooooonnnnnnnngggggggg way from Phil’s suggestion that these results are “about as statistically valid as a stuff.co.nz online click-bait poll.”

            As I say, otherwise admirably progressive people who are bubbling over with enthusiasm for the Wall St War-hawk, people who seem to have attached themselves emotionally to a corrupt and deeply cynical machine politician, need to step back and calm down a little. Hillary’s really not worth the White Knight routine.

            • Phil 9.3.1.1.1.1
              3 August 2016 at 1:36 pm

              Hillary’s really not worth the White Knight routine.

              Yeah, we get it, you don’t like Hillary. She has her problems as a candidate and no President will ever satisfy all the people. That’s politics.

              But lets be serious for a second. If Americans want to change the electoral process, casting a vote in a presidential election as a “message” is a completely fucking terrible way to get that message across. I argue it is far better to spend the four years until the 2020 presidential election to campaign for and make positive change.

              There are only two people in the running for President. That’s the only choice in front of Americans, regardless of whatever wishful thinking is going on. On one hand you have a flawed candidate who represents no real change from the current President. On the other hand, you have a man who has shown, AT EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY, a complete lack of empathy for others and a woeful lack of even basic knowledge of the political environment or geopolitical risks. This is a man who has none of the attributes of fitness and propriety which we should expect in the temperament of the most powerful politician on the planet.

    • ianmac 10.1
      29 July 2016 at 2:33 pm

      The National Party here has a very tightly organised system for their Conferences. Nothing to argue about. And the Public Meetings are organised with only National supporters talking up the whole major front area. Muldoon used to welcome hecklers. Key would pass out.

  11. Cricklewood 11
    29 July 2016 at 6:35 pm

    What a suprise the establishment machine seeks quell any disent and to install the prefered candidate to maintain the status quo.
    It’s a bit disappointing from supposed progressive parties worldwide just have to look at the treatment Corbyn, Cunniliffe and Sanders have recieved from the party machine against the wishes of the membership.
    No wonder there is so much disengagment and distrust in politics and the political class. You can say what you like about the tories but they nearly always manage to act in the best interest of their supporters…

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      29 July 2016 at 6:37 pm

      Just read all the loyal status quo cheerleaders on The Standard giving the thumbs up to Clinton.

      • marty mars 11.1.1
        29 July 2016 at 6:51 pm

        Don’t worry they are probably lefties – not your people – hope you don’t start shitting on The Standard.

        I liked Bernie, still do, I don’t think he has lost the plot or sold out.

        • Colonial Viper 11.1.1.1
          29 July 2016 at 7:00 pm

          Exactly, status quo lefties aren’t my people or my politics any more.

        • Anne 11.1.1.2
          29 July 2016 at 8:10 pm

          I like Bernie, still do, I don’t think he has lost the plot or sold out.

          Not according to his brother, Larry Sanders. Adam put up a link on another post. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd8WbHVaOzo

          • ianmac 11.1.1.2.1
            29 July 2016 at 9:47 pm

            A great interview with Larry Sanders. It is refreshing to hear talk from a natural unpretentious man. No sign of the the fluffy ducks of the con men like Key. Bernie and Larry would make a formidable team. If only…

  12. Adrian 12
    31 July 2016 at 9:04 am

    Nice piece here CV, unfortunately it seems many of the people commenting had already tasted the cool aid long ago, so are probably well past beyond help or reason.

  13. Ovid 13
    31 July 2016 at 1:29 pm

    white noise machine

    Turns out it was a wifi antenna