[lbo-talk] Socialist Party nominates Walt Brown

Michael Pugliese debsian at pacbell.net
Wed Oct 29 17:22:44 PST 2003


New platform:

Referred to National Committee to complete. Contains many new and tremendously important things like: the Party is opposed to spam. Yeah, that ought to tip the elections in our favour.

Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 21:32:41 -0700 (PDT)

From: "Michael C. Marino" <action_chair at yahoo.com> Subject: (very rough) Start of report on SPUSA Convention 2003

If anybody knows anyone working on writig up what happened, please let me know; my records are spotty, as I am sure most everyoe else's are.

Solidarit forever,

Michael C. Marino

SPUSA Convention ---------------------------

In Brief

At great expense and effort, nothing changed. Amazing.

Presidential campaign

Walter F. Brown was nominated to the office of President of the United States of America and Mal Herbert was nominated to the office of Vice-President of the United States of America.

New officers:

Co-Chairs: Antonio Salas and Mary Cal Hollis Co-Vice-Chairs: Eric Schuster and Viji Sargis National Committee: (not available yet; I know Susan Dorazio and Bill Pelz were elected) National Committee Alternates: (male only; female alternates not avaialable yet [I know Mary Brown was elected 8th] Males in order of rank: David McReynolds, Melvin Little, John Metz, Vernon Kelley, Jesse Heiwa, Erik Toren, Raul Cano, and Eric Chester.

New platform:

Referred to National Committee to complete. Contains many new and tremendously important things like: the Party is opposed to spam. Yeah, that ought to tip the elections in our favour.

New Resolutions

Written by college-types, are oddly reminiscent of everything we have already enacted.

Constitution amendments

This subcommittee never met and, hence, the SPUSA Constitution remains unchanged.

Financial committee

Two Financial Committees were formed, each unaware of the other; no time was given on the Convention floor to either one, so the matter never needed to be straightened out.

A banquet honouring the distinguished Comrade Frank Zeidler was held. Several awards were given out (details unavailable as yet).

The Convention was held at the Omni East Ambassador Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, a place that features the "Pump Room" which is "Unable to serve customers wearing jeans after 5:30 P.M." Over 68 delegates attended, many of them staying at the Omni. Some delegates noted that this was an incredibly expensive way to conduct the tiny amount of business we ever manage to accomplish.

Brief report concludes.

---------------------------------

Very incomplete and detailed report

On the matter of female Co-Chair: Susan Dorazio and Mary Cal Hollis were nominated. Ballots were cast using a weighted system; opposition managed to arrange things to eliminate the effect of the weighted system, by requiring that a first choice be given two points, and the second candidate be given the other point, turning the weighted system back into traditional plurality voting. Mary Cal Hollis won the election.

On the matter of the male Co-Chair: Don Doumakes, Antonio Salas, and Michael C. Marino were nominated. Upon noting that Salas had been nominated, Marino withdrew. The same system (plurality) was used, and Salas was elected.

Male Co-Vice-Chair: Nominees included Eric Schuster, Don Doumakes, and one or two others (names not available yet). Eric Schuster won the election.

Female Co-Vice-Chair: Viji Sargis and Cristina Renee "Tina" Phillips were nominated. Sargis was elected.

Female National Committee nominations were made; several nominations were declined and the total number of candiodates (six) matched the total number of seats the Convention had set (six); all six were seated. (Susan Dorazio was among them; the other five names not available yet)

Male National Committee nominations were made. Those elected, using a different weighted system than the one used for officers, included Bill Pelz and Don Doumakes).

Male Alternates to the National Committee were nominated. The Chair ruled that those previously nominated to the NC would automatically be nominated to being Alternates. Michael C. Marino pointed out that this was not how things were usually done and invoked the Doumakes-McReynolds rule, "Order the Agenda". The Chair questioned the use of the motion; Marino asked McReynolds or Doumakes to explain it. The Convention rejected the Doumakes-McReynolds rule and the Chair ruled the matter out of order.

This was the Alternate vote:

168 David McReyolds 142 Melvin Little 132 John Metz 132 Vernon Kelley 118 Jesse Heiwa 110 Eric (sic) Toren 106 Raul Caro (sic) 101 Matt Andrews * 101 Eric Chester 85 Tim Vining 81 Jason Becker 70 Harvey Patrica 63 Carlos Duffler (sic) 62 William Stoddard (sic) 60 Michael C. Marino 60 Tino Rozzo 58 Kyle Schuler 55 Mike Treacy 44 Matt Erard 39 Peter Diamondstone 24 Bill Shakalis 9 Martin Schreader 9 BJ Eversole 9 Angel Martinez

* Withdrew

Total number of points cast: 1,838

Every ballot had to be filled out with 8 candidates, ranked 8-1 in order of preference (8=highest). Therefore, each ballot held 8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1 points, or 36 in total.

1,838 points divided by 36 points per ballot = 51.0555555555555 (etc.) ballots. That is, the numbers are off by two points if we assume 51 ballots were cast. In addition, five ballots were reported invalid.

Female Alternates to the National Committee: Exactly eight seats were open and eight nominees sought those seats. The weighted system was used again, because order of election is significant with the Alternates.

The matter of the Platform was considered. Matt Andrews and Michael C. Marino were among those who spoke against the Platform and in favour of a Motion by Susan Dorazio to Commit the Platform to the National Committee, as time did not permit the consideration of the extensive re-write submitted by Don Doumakes. The Platform currently in existence was confirmed by the Convention and the re-write referred to the National Committee.

The nomination to the Presidency: it having been decided that the Convention would nominate a candidate, candidates Weltman, Brown, Doumakes, and Chester made speeches.

Doumakes moved to use serial run-off voting. Marino moved to amend to have the first round begin with approval voting. The Previous Question was ordered, and serial run-off voting was adopted. (Marino's amendment was either not seconded or was ruled out of order by the Chair, who would not state why Previous Question would not refer to the amendment -- I guess "Point of Inquiry" doesn't mean much.)

Total number of then-seated delegates = 68

Round One

Don Doumakes 10

Walt Brown 24

Eric Chester 18

Lisa Weltman 14

Total votes = 66; Doumakes was eliminated.

Round Two

Walt Brown 33

Eric Chester 19

Lisa Weltma 13

Total votes = 65; Weltman was eliminated.

Round Three

Walt Brown 37 (sic)*

Eric Chester 30

Total votes = 67; Walt Brown was nominated

* Marino chose to abstain, which the Chair counted as a vote for Walt Brown.

The matter of choosing a Vice-President was considered. Mary Cal Hollis and Mal Herbert were nominated and made speeches.

Mal Herbert 41

Mary Cal Hollis 20

Total votes = 61

Mal Herbert was nominated for Vice-President.

-- Michael Pugliese



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