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The Texas Blue
Advancing Progressive Ideas

A Shyamalan-Esque Twist

The rumor for several days had been that David Van Os might run for TDP Chair. And then he wasn't. Then he probably was. Then he absolutely totally wasn't. However, later on into last night I saw the stickers, so of course it must be true now, and permanently. That's the way these things work: once someone has campaign stickers they are in it for good.

I had a vague suspicion that there might be some source of tension among delegates, but I assumed it might spring forth from the storied legendary continuing battle between Clinton and Obama. It is easy to imagine their advocates taking the convention floor in a fervor, a rage of support for their chosen candidates. But from what I could tell last night, that might not be the case. Many people throughout the evening seemed interested in (and eager for) party unity. Much of the delegate / election lit I've seen say things like "I'm a Hillary (or Obama) supporter but I am a Democrat first and want victory in November" which is far better than pushcards advocating for political trench warfare.

On top of that, there's a common feeling that uncertainty might rule the day because of this year's influx of people who have never been to a convention before. Brand new participants in any significant ratio introduce a new element to the proceedings, a large group of people who have no prior knowledge of the sometimes complex latticework of traditional deals between Senate districts, alliances between counties, and dynamics between the individuals that normally end up in leadership positions within their various caucuses and delegations.

But, again, the good news was the feeling that the party is unifying and moving towards the larger goal of victory in November against a Republican Party that is no way going to roll over and give up the ghost.

I was always aware that the state chair's race might be bigger than the two candidates that had declared as of yesterday morning - obviously, any number of people could have decided to throw their hat into the ring, and among potential candidates Van Os had a higher probability of entry than most. This first day on the floor will tell an interesting tale about how the dynamic of the convention has shifted as a result of the newly three-way race.

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