1992 presidential election | |
  Nominees Clinton and Gore | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | July 13–16, 1992 |
| City | New York,New York |
| Venue | Madison Square Garden |
| Keynote speaker | Zell Miller,Barbara Jordan, andBill Bradley |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | Bill Clinton ofArkansas |
| Vice-presidential nominee | Al Gore ofTennessee |
| Voting | |
| Total delegates | 4,288 |
| Votes needed for nomination | 2,145 |
| Results (president) | Clinton (AR): 3,372 (78.64%) Brown (CA): 596 (13.90%) Tsongas (MA): 209 (4.87%) Casey (PA): 10 (0.23%) Schroeder (CO): 8 (0.19%) Agran (CA): 3 (0.07%) Others: 56 (1.31%) |
| Ballots | 1 |
| ‹ 1988 · 1996 › | |
The1992 Democratic National Convention nominatedGovernorBill Clinton ofArkansas forpresident andSenatorAl Gore fromTennessee forvice president; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held atMadison Square Garden inNew York City,New York from July 13 to July 16, 1992. The Clinton-Gore ticket then faced and defeated their Republican opponents, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush and Vice PresidentDan Quayle as well as the independent ticket ofRoss Perot andJames Stockdale in the1992 presidential election.
The convention, organized by chairmanRon 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. As Clinton finished his acceptance speechFleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop", which would become thetheme song of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, was played several times during the balloon drop and celebration.
Clinton received a significant poll bounce from the convention, due to both the perceived success of the convention, as well asRoss Perot announcing he was withdrawing from the campaign just as the convention was ending (Perot got back into the race in October).
Theconvention bounce gave the Clinton/Gore ticket a lead that only shrank insignificantly when Ross Perot re-entered the race.[1] Clinton and Gore went on to defeat President Bush and Vice President Quayle, as well as Perot and Stockdale, in the general election.
The party platform was morecentrist than recent preceding Democratic Party platforms had been, reflecting the new positioning of the party.[2]
New York GovernorMario Cuomo delivered the nominating speech for Clinton, hailing him as the "comeback kid" in reference to Clinton's comeback in the Democratic primaries after his campaign took a hit following a loss in the New Hampshire primary and media coverage ofinfidelity allegations.[2]
Prominently featured as speakers during the convention were Democratic Party women. The convention's opening program placed a spotlight both on prominent female Democratic U.S. Senate nominees and women's issues.[2]
Other notable speakers includedDemocratic National Committee ChairRon Brown andElizabeth Glaser.
Former California GovernorJerry Brown, who was still an active candidate with a large amount of delegates and had not withdrawn to support the clear nominee—thus not being given a speaker's spot by the convention organizers—addressed the convention to state his case for a "humility agenda" by seconding his own nomination.[3]
In a departure from tradition, the convention featured three keynote speakers:Georgia GovernorZell Miller,SenatorBill Bradley and formerRepresentativeBarbara Jordan, who also served as a keynote speaker at the1976 Democratic National Convention.[2]
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| Democratic National Convention presidential vote, 1992[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
| Bill Clinton | 3372 | 78.64% |
| Jerry Brown | 596 | 13.90% |
| Paul Tsongas | 209 | 4.87% |
| Robert P. Casey | 10 | 0.23% |
| Pat Schroeder | 8 | 0.18% |
| Larry Agran | 3 | 0.07% |
| Ronald Daniels | 1 | 0.02% |
| Al Gore | 1 | 0.02% |
| Joe Simonetta | 1 | 0.02% |
| Abstentions | 53 | 1.24% |
| Totals | 4,288 | 100.00% |
Gore was nominated byacclamation on a voice vote.
Expanding on previous support forreproductive rights, the 1992 platform for the first time explicitly supported a national law to codifyRoe v. Wade.[citation needed]
Pennsylvania GovernorBob Casey wanted to speak at the convention, but ultimately did not. 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.[5] After the convention was over, Casey told theNew York Times, "I support the ticket. Period."[6] Other Democrats opposing abortions such as Chicago MayorRichard M. Daley, SenatorsJohn Breaux andHowell 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 address the issue in their speeches.[5]
Casey asked both DNC ChairmanRon Brown andTexas GovernorAnn 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.[7]
Controversy regarding Casey's treatment at the 1992 Convention was frequently cited in media coverage of his sonBob Casey, Jr.'s successful 2006 Pennsylvania Senate campaign against Republican incumbentRick Santorum.[7][8][9]
| Preceded by 1988 Atlanta, Georgia | Democratic National Conventions | Succeeded by 1996 Chicago, Illinois |
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