FLASHBACK: 2012 DNC Convention Erupts Over G-d, Israel Being in Platform

Yesterday, the media was clutching its pearls as chaos erupted on the floor of the Republican National Convention. The entire delegation was to decide on adopting the rules package agreed upon by the Rules Committee.

The media seemed to forget that the RNC is actually a business meeting for the party, and not just a pep rally. Debates, disagreements and political maneuvering are normal.

Further, this was hardly the first floor fight that has broken out at a political convention. Let’s walk down memory lane to 2012, when the Democratic National Convention took place in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After the Democrats came under fire for removing references to G-d in the platform and for stripping out the affirmation that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, some delegations tried to add it back in on the floor with a voice vote.

Specifically, these were the proposed additions:

1. Affirming G-d is central to the American story and informs the values we’ve expressed in our party’s platform
2. The committee recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was the convention chairman; he conducted a voice vote on the issue. He had to ask for a voice vote three times. The “no” votes seemed louder than the “yea” votes.

But Villaraigosa called it for the “yeas” — and was loudly booed.

Watch for yourself:

Party officials were said to be embarrassed and “pissed” over amended language and did want it changed. Obviously the rank-and-file disagreed, but centralized power got the DNC the result it wanted.