Hillary Clinton’s campaign sought to squelch a political firestorm over hacked emails that deepened dissent among Bernie Sanders’ loyal supporters, turning to some of the party’s biggest stars Monday to heal divisions on the Democratic convention’s opening night.
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The Democratic National Convention gets underway Monday in Philadelphia with much bigger demonstrations than the Republican convention and much higher temperatures as the region copes with an oppressive heat wave.
“Brothers and sisters, brothers and sisters, this is the real world that we live in”, Sanders said, before adding, “Trump has made bigotry and hatred the cornerstone of his campaign. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton”, Sanders stressed, as his delegates booed. “Trump is a bully and a demagogue”.
Sanders said in a text to delegates, “I ask you as a personal courtesy to me to not engage in any kind of protest on the floor”.
“We are all scared of Donald Trump, but we also have misgivings about Hillary”, said Bruce Fealk, a Sanders delegate from MI.
“We really believe that Debbie made an extraordinary gesture for unity by resigning”, she said. Trump is a danger for the future of our country and must be defeated.
For other delegates, however, Sanders’s point was discouraging amid a looming general election battle. Sanders has already endorsed Clinton and said that he will vote for her. “I think Bernie knows that a lot of the delegates are unhappy”.
“Fudge also said, “[Voters] have a profound choice this November”. Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned Sunday as Democratic Party chairwoman over emails suggesting the DNC had played favourites for Clinton during the primary.
“Her resignation opens up the possibility of new leadership at the top of the Democratic Party that will stand with working people, and that will open the doors of the party to people who want real change”, he said.
Moments after the convention opened in Philadelphia, the DNC also apologized to Sanders and his backers “for the inexcusable remarks made over email”.
We have made great progress in the a year ago. “Just the other day the Democratic Rules Committee met and once again we won a major victory in transforming the Democratic Party”. He also promised that the DNC was establishing commissions to end closed primaries, which have been criticized as favoring party insiders. That message – and the endorsement of Sanders – has helped the political upstart raise a surprising $2.2 million through June 30, mostly through small donations, after refusing to take money from political action committees.
Even before Sanders spoke, a message of party unity was far from unanimous among the Vermont senator’s most vocal supporters.
Every time Clinton’s name was mentioned thereafter, the crowd erupted into chaos: Sanders supporters shouting against Clinton supporters.
“It’s not just about Bernie”, said actress Rosario Dawson.
Ansara declined to answer, saying she would be glad to talk with Humphrey, but not in front of reporters.
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Meg Ansara, national battleground state director for Hillary for America, told Iowa delegates the campaign has been hiring former Sanders staffers and talking to Sanders supporters “about how we approach this convention together to ultimately strengthen this convention”.
