--- title: What Does a Delegate Do? | TIME description: Powerful operatives or merely TV props? TIME reporters explain the role of delegates at political conventions canonical: https://time.com/video/1LwEAdfn/ og:title: What Does a Delegate Do? og:description: Powerful operatives or merely TV props? TIME reporters explain the role of delegates at political conventions og:url: https://time.com/video/1LwEAdfn/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/1LwEAdfn/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Does a Delegate Do? twitter:description: Powerful operatives or merely TV props? TIME reporters explain the role of delegates at political conventions twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/1LwEAdfn/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # What Does a Delegate Do? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: What Does a Delegate Do? [Watch (HLS stream): What Does a Delegate Do?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/1LwEAdfn.m3u8) (3:28)  _Published 2008-09-02. Powerful operatives or merely TV props? TIME reporters explain the role of delegates at political conventions_ --- Jul 27, 2023 1:00 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [What DNC Delegates Think Of Tim Kaine](/video/f3iDcTMa/) ### What DNC Delegates Think Of Tim Kaine [Watch Tom Harkin Show Delegates How to Sign ‘America’](/video/paqSkZj8/) ### Watch Tom Harkin Show Delegates How to Sign ‘America’ [Delegate of the Day: Kip Kempton](/video/Y0vesCgu/) ### Delegate of the Day: Kip Kempton --- ## Transcript -[ Music Playing ] >> I move that the convention suspend the procedural rules. >> The fifth convention I've been to. I still don't know what a delegate does. But I'd like to meet some and ask them. Maybe that one. >> We're trading buttons. >> What have you gotten? >> Oh, we've got the Mexico, Alaska, Arizona. >> Alaska. I got Oklahoma. >> Is this half the work of a delegate? >> Yes. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> What do you have to do besides collect buttons as a delegate? What's your official task here? >> Our official task is to get our-- >> You're drunk already are you? My god, it's like 4. >> Formally, delegates select a nominee. The people who vote in these primaries and caucuses are voting to elect delegates and delegates then cast their votes for their chosen nominees at the convention. >> We are here to get our candidate, John McCain, nominated and on his way to the elective. >> The job of a delegate is to do one thing and that is to vote for the nominee for president and the vice- presidential nominee, although that's usually a four guy in conclusion when the presidential nominee picks his or her vice- president. >> I'm new to democracy. I wasn't quite sure how it all worked. >> Where are you from? >> I'm from New Jersey. >> Oh my god, no democracy in New Jersey. >> So, you're-- >> None whatsoever? >> on the other side of the-- >> It's all corrupt. >> First obviously, what does a convention do? A convention elects. >> I have no idea. >> It elects candidates. It creates a platform and it adopts party rules. And those are really the three things you do in a convention. So, as delegates, we vote on those topics. Like we're gonna vote on who is gonna be our presidential, vice- presidential nominees. And we're gonna have a platform adoption and we're going to adopt the rules at the convention and rules of the party. >> Because of Florida-- because of the rules situation, half of our delegates gets to vote and half of us are non- voting and I'm a non- voting number, so. >> What? You should vote. Let's talk to somebody. How did you know? Why are you not voting? >> Because of the primary rules, the primary rules situation. >> Is it disappointing not to vote or who cares? >> No. No. I will-- Well, because we're-- because it is not contested, we didn't have, you know, the Hilary situation. >> Right. >> We're all supporting John McCain. It doesn't matter. >> Oh, okay. -[ unk ] little hat and the shirt-- and the shirts came in and we found our shirts are even made in the U. S. A. Can you believe it? >> No! >> Yeah. I've got-- >> We made shirts. -[ unk ] there are certain makers-- >> Really? >> This is called Texas cotton. It is made in Texas. >> Really the delegates are there to be almost human props to sit in the audience and cheer, to create the energy and the backstage noise and pictures for the television production so the country can see here's a party that's energized, united, that's unified, that's trying to send the message about what issues it cares about and how generate-- how excited it is and generating enthusiasm for the poll election. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What Does a Delegate Do?","description":"Powerful operatives or merely TV props? 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