Tonight is the second time I’ve heard Clinton supporters chant, “Denver! Denver!”—the first being last Saturday outside (and inside) the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting in Washington, D.C.
It’s no secret that Clinton supporters are less eager to vote for Obama in the general election than vice versa. (Only 59 percent of Clinton supporters in Montana said they would vote for Obama in November; in South Dakota, it was 61 percent.) But their apparent willingness to take the contest to the convention—which history shows is tantamount to throwing the general election—is a little startling. At this rate, a vote on the convention floor wouldn’t do anything for Clinton besides possibly winning her a few more delegates in Michigan. By then, every political force in the Democratic universe will be pushing to calcify Obama’s status as the nominee.
Maybe it’s just the strongest way of standing up for your candidate. But the “Denver” chant is also a warning of the strife that awaits Democrats if Clinton doesn’t apply the Band-Aid soon—or even if she does.
