1992 Democratic National Convention

Infobox National Political Convention
year = 1992
party = Democratic
date = July 13 - July 16
venue = Madison Square Garden
city = New York City
presidential_nominee = Bill Clinton
presidential_nominee_state = Arkansas
vice_presidential_nominee = Al Gore
vice_presidential_nominee_state = Tennessee

The 1992 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for President and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee for Vice President; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York from July 13 to July 16, 1992. The Clinton-Gore ticket then faced incumbents George H. W. Bush and Dan Quayle in the 1992 presidential election.

The convention's keynote speaker was former Texas Representative Barbara Jordan, who had also keynoted the party's 1976 convention. Other notable speakers included Democratic National Committee Chair Ron Brown, Elizabeth Glaser, and governors Mario Cuomo (NY) and Zell Miller (GA), who said: "Not all of us can be born rich, handsome, and lucky, and that's why we have a Democratic Party." He also said "Our Commander in Chief talks like Dirty Harry but acts like Barney Fife."

The convention, organized by chairman Ron Brown, was seen as a great success. Unlike some earlier Democratic conventions, it had been well planned and run with few gaffes or errors, as even Republicans conceded. The ending of the convention played the theme song of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop".

Clinton received a significant poll bounce from the convention, due to both the perceived success of the convention, as well as Ross Perot announcing he was withdrawing from the campaign just as the convention was ending (Perot got back into the race in October).

The convention bounce gave the Clinton/Gore ticket a lead that only shrank significantly when Ross Perot re-entered the race. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE5DC113DF935A35753C1A964958260 THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Poll; Poll Finds Hostility to Perot And No Basic Shift in Race - New York Times ] ] Clinton and Gore went on to defeat President Bush, Vice-President Quayle along with independent candidate Ross Perot and his running mate, James Stockdale, in the general election.

Casey Controversy

Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey wanted to speak at the convention, but did not speak. Casey maintained that he was denied a speaking spot because he intended to give a speech about his opposition to abortion, while the Clinton camp said that Casey did not speak because he had not endorsed the Clinton/Gore ticket.Michael Crowley, "Casey Closed," The New Republic, September 16, 1996.] After the convention was over, Casey told the "New York Times", "I support the ticket. Period."Michael Decourcy Hinds, “Pennsylvania; Democratic Ticket Heads Into Fertile Territory,” New York Times July 19, 1992, Section 1, Page 20] Other Democrats opposing abortions such as Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Senators John Breaux and Howell Heflin, and five anti-abortion Democratic governors did speak. While Democratic officials said that these speakers were not barred from discussing their opposition to abortion, they nonetheless did not focus on the issue in their speeches.

Casey asked both DNC Chairman Ron Brown and Ann Richards, the convention's chairwoman, for a speaking spot. Neither responded directly, and Casey later received a letter explaining that he would not receive a spot.cite journal | author=Peter J Boyer| title=The Right to Choose| journal=The New Yorker| date=November 14, 2005| url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-12600380_ITM]

Controversy regarding Casey's treatment at the 1992 Convention was frequently cited in media coverage of his son Bob Casey, Jr.'s successful 2006 Pennsylvania Senate campaign against Republican incumbent Rick Santorum. cite journal | author=Alan Cooperman| title=Senate Candidate Speaks of Life, Faith| journal=The Washington Post| date=September 15, 2006| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/14/AR2006091401649.html| pages=A03] cite journal | author=ROBIN TONER| title=To Democrats Hungry for Senate, a Pennsylvania Seat Looks Ripe| journal=The New York Times| date=March 5, 2006| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/politics/05penn.html?ex=1299214800&en=f068d29beeea5765&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss]

The issue was also brought up in 2008, first during lead-up to the Pennsylvania Democratic primary when Bob Casey, Jr. endorsed Barack Obama over rival Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton's wife, [cite news |url=http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/28/obama-to-receive-endorsement-from-pa-sen-bob-casey/|title=Obama endorsed by Pennsylvania Sen. Casey|work=Fox News|date=2008-03-28|accessdate=2008-08-31] and again when Casey, Jr. was given a speaking role by Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. [cite news |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93970709|title=Sen. Casey: Obama Can Achieve 'Common Ground'|work=NPR|date=2008-08-26|accessdate=2008-08-31]

Jerry Brown

Another person having trouble getting on the platform to make a speech was former California Governor Jerry Brown, who was still a candidate and wanted to address the convention to state his case for a "humility agenda." Democratic officials stated that a candidate can second his own nomination, but that other than that a candidate cannot address the convention before the voting takes place. Brown wound up seconding his own nomination.

The official Tally

President:

**Bill Clinton 3372
**Jerry Brown 596
**Paul Tsongas 289
**Robert P. Casey 10
** Rep. Pat Schroeder (CO) 5
**Larry Agran 3
**Al Gore 1

Vice President:

Gore was nominated by acclamation on a voice vote

ee also

* Bill Clinton presidential campaign, 1992
* 1992 Democratic presidential primary

References

External links

* [http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarajordan1992dnc.html Complete text and audio of Barbara Jordan's Keynote Address]
* [http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/elizabethglaser1992dnc.htm Complete text and audio of Elizabeth Glaser's Address]
* [http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wjclinton1992dnc.htm Complete text and audio of William Jefferson Clinton's Acceptance Address]

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