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The unexpected emer- ^ gence of Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado as an alternative to Mondale for the nomination raised the clear possibility of a brokered convention. If a deadlock between Hart, Mondale and the third surviving candidate, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, should develop, an uncommitted delegation would give Virginia a strong bargaining position in the final selection of a candidate.
Many party unit chairmen promptly put out the word to their voters. Robb staffers took to the phone lines to see whether or not Democratic leaders were following the governor’s initiative in encouraging the election of uncommitted delegations to the state convention.
The delegations were chosen at Democratic mass meetings Saturday, March 24 and Monday, March 26. The state convention will be held at Norfolk’s Scope Convention Center May 18-19. At the state convention, Virginia’s 78 delegates and 26 alternates to the party’s national convention will be elected. The national conclave will convene July 16 in the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Then, three days before the first round of mass meetings Saturday, Robb again appeared to switch signals. He told a Capitol news conference that while he still thought an uncommitted delegation was the best tactic, he seemed to abandon any formal effort to organize one. Apparently, in their phone calls, his staff had found considerable resistance to the idea Robb gave his blessing to the delegates supporting any candidate they wished.
The changing winds from the governor’s office left some unit chairmen conftised and perplexed.
“He hung us out to dry,” complained one who had made an especially energetic effort to support the uncommitted slate plan.
The imbroglio over the governor’s leadership position in the presidential nomination process is only the most recent episode in a year which, perhaps unfairly, has done little to add luster to Robb’s image as the sure-handed captain of the Democrats’ political fortunes.
Try as he may, he has been unable to come up with a candidate for the U.S. Senate whom he believes would have a fighting chance of defeating incumbent Republican John Warner. Nor has he shown any noticeable enthusiasm thus far for the prospective candidacies of former Del. Edythe Harrison of Norfolk or State Secretary of Human Resources Joseph Fisher, the only Democrats now showing an interest in the nomination.
86.8%