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CreativeDominant -> RE: Democratic National Convention (7/28/2016 11:23:04 AM)
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Yes, it's all tea and cake at the Dems convention:
choice between the threat of Donald Trump in the White House, and the far better outcome of a President Hillary Clinton. “We need leadership, which brings our people together and makes us stronger—not leadership which insults Latinos, Muslims, women, African Americans, and veterans and divides us up,” Sanders warned. “By these measures, any objective observer will conclude that—based on her ideas and her leadership—Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States. The choice is not even close.” The line met with loud cheers and applause.
Conventions 2016
The Atlantic's coverage of the Republican and Democratic nominations for the U.S. presidential election
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But that show of unity was not enough to cover up the divisions among delegates in the room. Many booed when Sanders railed against Trump or the problems with American society. But there was also disdain for the presumptive nominee. The crowd occasionally broke out in jeers when Sanders said the words “Hillary Clinton.” At the end of his speech, loud boos could be heard when Sanders called for “a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House, and a Hillary Clinton presidency."
The Democratic convention is off to a rocky start. The event is meant to show that rifts in the party are mending after a hard-fought primary battle. But during Monday’s programming, the convention came across more like a televised spectacle designed to prove the opposite. Democratic officials seem desperate to move past scandal in the wake of a damaging email leak that has left Sanders supporters even more frustrated and bitter. And while Sanders himself appears to have made his peace with Clinton’s nomination, his most ardent supporters aren’t ready to accept defeat.
The convention opened to jeers at very the mention of Clinton’s name. Ohio congresswoman Marcia Fudge was loudly yelled down when she declared that “Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine want to build an economy that works for everyone, not just the people at the top.” Later in the evening, the actress and comedian Sarah Silverman had a message from the stage for the hold-outs. “Can I just say to the Bernie-or-Bust people: You’re being ridiculous.”
Earlier that afternoon, Sanders confronted an angry crowd when he told a room full of his delegates, “We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine.” Boos and calls of “We want Bernie!” rang out. Later in the day, Sanders sent out a message to supporters asking them to “not engage in any kind of protest or demonstration on the convention floor.”
There could certainly be more protest to come at the convention, but even if there isn’t, the deep divisions within the party will still be there. “I guess it makes us look bad if we boo and make a fuss, but we have such a build up of emotion at this point,” said Shauna Valdez, who identified herself as a Bernie delegate from the Minnesota delegation. “They want the media to show unity, and we don’t have that yet. I hope we will, but if they want unity Clinton is going to have to convince us.”
Supporters of the Vermont senator have a long list of grievances. Many believe the recent DNC email leak—which seemed to suggest that Democratic officials were colluding against Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary—is evidence of a rigged system. Some are frustrated that Clinton picked Kaine as her vice-presidential pick, hoping she would choose someone like Senator Elizabeth Warren instead. Many see Clinton as an establishment politician bent on maintaining the status quo.
“We’ve been working against corruption. We’ve been working to get big money out of politics. She represents all of those things to some Bernie voters. That’s not the message we’ve had all the way up to this point, and it’s hard for some people to accept that,” said Barry Welsh, who identified himself as a Bernie delegate from Indiana, reflecting on Clinton. “The harder you try to shove something down someone’s throat, the easier it is for them to vomit it back up,” he said, adding: “A lot of Bernie people feel like that’s what’s happening.”
During his speech, Sanders acknowledged his differences with Clinton, although he attempted to suggest that any divide is merely a reflection of healthy debate. “It is no secret that Hillary Clinton and I disagree on a number of issues,” he said. “That’s what this campaign has been about. That’s what democracy is about."
He promised the political revolution will continue and assured his supporters he feels their pain. “I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed about the final results of the nominating process,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am. But to all of our supporters—here and around the country—I hope you take enormous pride in the historical accomplishments we have achieved.”
It had to be painful for Sanders to stand inside the convention arena and deliver the speech, knowing he would not be the nominee. But the intensity of devotion among his supporters was evident. When he walked on stage, the crowd gave him deafening applause. Sanders and his supporters may not have gotten what they wanted, but they came a very long way.
That won't make his defeat sting any less. As Sanders left the stage, the crowd chanted again: “We want Bernie! We want Bernie!”—Clare Foran
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/live-coverage-of-the-democratic-national-convention/492851/
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