Reply #3: In general,

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

when no nominee has been decided by the end of the primaries, the delegates for each contender come into the convention hall, make noisy demonstrations, while the candidates (or their representatives) wheel and deal with various uncommitted delegates. If Edwards doesn't release his handful of delegates, he could become a real person of interest. Expect him to get something he really wants-perhaps a cabinet post--and for undeclared superdelegates to get various and sundry goodies. Anyway, there will be ballots, and if there is no nominee on the first one, there'll be another one, probably the next day. Also there will be work on the party platform, which will give various factions a chance to discuss their various causes. I'd expect Superdelegate Kucinich to talk about universal health care and Iraq--and I also expect most of his ideas to be voted down, unless he changes wording-one compromise would be to say that universal health care is the eventual goal--but this probably won't even fly.

Anyway, this is how the convention will generally work, especially if there is no clear nominee.