DENVER—Sen. Charles Schumer said he doesn’t expect any trouble when he takes the stage immediately following the Wednesday roll call for Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Democratic National Convention.
If some of the die-hard Clinton supporters cause a ruckus on the floor, that could be a potentially awkward situation, but Schumer told The Associated Press Monday he doesn’t think that will happen.
“I am not worried,” New York’s senior senator insisted.
“We’ll have to play it as we see it but I think it’s going to be an overwhelmingly positive effort, the roll call. And Hillary’s on board,” said Schumer.
Schumer is playing a dual role at the convention—leading the Senate Democrats’ campaign effort, while working to soothe any lingering resentments from the long primary fight between Clinton and Barack Obama.
That role will be most evident when he steps onto the stage Wednesday with a group of his party’s Senate candidates, immediately after a roll call vote that was the result of weeks of delicate negotiations between the Clinton and Obama camps.
Democratic officials involved in the negotiations said Monday the plan calls for a state-by-state vote for the presidential nomination, with delegates casting their ballots for Clinton or Obama.
But the voting would be cut off after several states, the officials said, perhaps ending with New York, when Clinton herself would call for unanimous nomination of Obama by acclamation from the convention floor. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity while the deal was being finalized.
It was not clear whether there would be floor demonstrations for Clinton after her name was placed in nomination, a spectacle that could detract from Obama’s political coronation—and put Schumer in an odd position on live television.
Schumer and the Senate candidates will have about ten minutes to make their case for a bigger Democratic majority.
Democrats are hopeful to grow their thin majority in the Senate, and it is possible, but not likely, that they could even pick up the nine additional seats necessary to claim a filibuster-proof majority.
For presidential nominees, conventions are a chance for candidates to introduce themselves to a large group of American voters who have not followed the primaries and are just now tuning in to the watch and listen and make judgements.
That introduction is even more important for Obama, Democrats argue, because he does not have a long history on the national stage like some of the other contenders.
For many critical voters, “this is the first glimmer of who Obama is,” Schumer said.
On Monday morning, Schumer introduced Clinton to her New York supporters, noting what he called the “mixed emotions” of celebrating Clinton’s historic bid for president while the party gathers to nominate Obama instead.
Schumer praised her for “that wonderful struggle that broke so many glass ceilings but didn’t quite break one more.”
The Empire State Democrats waved signs declaring “Hillary Made History,” and cheered her as she urged them to support Obama.
