A view of downtown Charlotte, where the DC delegates are not staying. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
If you were planning the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina,
where would you place the delegates from the District of Columbia? How would they
look on the national stage?
You have a city council chairman who decided to resign rather than face bank fraud
charges. And a city council member serving jail time for stealing $350,000 in public
funds meant to help poor kids. And a mayor whose campaign is under investigation for
a variety of misdeeds, from paying off another candidate to harass the incumbent to
running a “shadow campaign” with upward of $600,000 off the books.
And you have Marion Barry. The former mayor and current council member took to the microphone Monday before
the convention even began to tell the Daily Caller that President Obama has “not done everything I wanted him to do, but he’s done more than anyone else
has done.”
Not quite a rousing endorsement.
Would you headquarter the DC delegates in downtown Charlotte?
“They put us at the Hilton Garden Inn in Concord,” a delegate says. “We’re 20 miles
from downtown Charlotte. There’s nothing out here. The closest restaurant is a Waffle
House, and it’s a walk.”
Every morning the DC delegation, which numbers around 36, holds a breakfast and invites
a guest speaker. Jesse Jackson was teed up for Tuesday.
“He didn’t show,” a delegate reports. “Too far away.”
Once the delegates make it to Charlotte, where do they sit in the convention hall?
“They put us as far from the podium as possible,” says another delegate. “Call it
the nosebleed of the nosebleed section. Our backs are against the wall.”
Planners have a political rationale for stashing DC’s delegates. The District is the
opposite of a battleground state. It’s as blue as any voting district in the nation.
It’s in the bag. There are no swing voters or independents to impress. Delegations
from Kansas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania get the front-row seats and the downtown hotels.
Maryland, another blue state, is in Concord, as well.
On Wednesday night, DC mayor Vincent Gray will rise to pledge the District’s 17 votes
for Barack Obama. He might have a few lines for the occasion. Perhaps he will make
a pitch for DC statehood, which didn’t make it into the platform. Perhaps we will
see him and hear what he has to say—provided the cameras have long lenses for the
back rows.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
At the Democratic National Convention, the DC Delegates Are in the “Nosebleed of the Nosebleed Section”
It seems the representatives of the District aren’t exactly being given preferred seating in Charlotte this week.
If you were planning the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina,
where would you place the delegates from the District of Columbia? How would they
look on the national stage?
You have a city council chairman who decided to resign rather than face bank fraud
charges. And a city council member serving jail time for stealing $350,000 in public
funds meant to help poor kids. And a mayor whose campaign is under investigation for
a variety of misdeeds, from paying off another candidate to harass the incumbent to
running a “shadow campaign” with upward of $600,000 off the books.
And you have
Marion Barry. The former mayor and current council member took to the microphone Monday before
the convention even began to tell the Daily Caller that
President Obama has “not done everything I wanted him to do, but he’s done more than anyone else
has done.”
Not quite a rousing endorsement.
Would you headquarter the DC delegates in downtown Charlotte?
“They put us at the Hilton Garden Inn in Concord,” a delegate says. “We’re 20 miles
from downtown Charlotte. There’s nothing out here. The closest restaurant is a Waffle
House, and it’s a walk.”
Every morning the DC delegation, which numbers around 36, holds a breakfast and invites
a guest speaker.
Jesse Jackson was teed up for Tuesday.
“He didn’t show,” a delegate reports. “Too far away.”
Once the delegates make it to Charlotte, where do they sit in the convention hall?
“They put us as far from the podium as possible,” says another delegate. “Call it
the nosebleed of the nosebleed section. Our backs are against the wall.”
Planners have a political rationale for stashing DC’s delegates. The District is the
opposite of a battleground state. It’s as blue as any voting district in the nation.
It’s in the bag. There are no swing voters or independents to impress. Delegations
from Kansas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania get the front-row seats and the downtown hotels.
Maryland, another blue state, is in Concord, as well.
On Wednesday night, DC mayor Vincent Gray will rise to pledge the District’s 17 votes
for Barack Obama. He might have a few lines for the occasion. Perhaps he will make
a pitch for DC statehood, which didn’t make it into the platform. Perhaps we will
see him and hear what he has to say—provided the cameras have long lenses for the
back rows.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Most Popular in News & Politics
You Can Now Rent Picnic Boats at the Wharf
Inspired by Today’s Google Doodle? You Can (Usually) See a Gutenberg Bible IRL in DC.
Food Money Sex: A Married Couple Who Leave the Kids With the Grandparents and Take a Ton of Edibles
Kennedy Center Announces the Return of Live Theater—and, Yes, “Hamilton” Is Back
What the J&J Pause Means for Those Already Scheduled to Receive the Vaccine in the DC Area
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Where Does Abby Phillip Go From Here?
These Are the Most Influential Operatives on the Biden Campaign
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
More from News & Politics
DOJ Drops Investigation of Capitol Police Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt
No White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in 2021, Either
CIA Logo Hoaxter Is Auctioning the Entire CIA as an NFT
There’s Potential Good News for Washingtonians in Biden’s Tax Plan
Inspired by Today’s Google Doodle? You Can (Usually) See a Gutenberg Bible IRL in DC.
DC-Area Rapper Anees Is Getting a Big Boost From Justin Bieber
Food Money Sex: A Married Couple Who Leave the Kids With the Grandparents and Take a Ton of Edibles
Kennedy Center Announces the Return of Live Theater—and, Yes, “Hamilton” Is Back