It should have been a triumphant night for Hillary Clinton when her rival Bernie Sanders gave a rousing speech urging his supporters to vote for her in the November 8 USA presidential election.
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Drawing loud cheers throughout, Sanders offered a detailed comparison of Clinton and Republican Donald Trump on an array of policy issues, portraying the election as a simple choice.
Sanders supporters broke into chants of “Bernie, Bernie”, but Silverman quickly shot back. In many ways, Sanders’ proposed state intrusions into the lives of citizens are more significant, enduring, intrusive, and revolutionary than Trump’s.
The FBI announced Monday it was investigating how the hack occurred. Students of the subject, including Matthew Rojansky, director of the Kennan Institute at The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, say the Russians have not been shy about politicking beyond their borders.
But it was Sanders himself who most strongly extolled Clinton.
The statement was signed by DNC leaders, though Wasserman Schultz’s name was notably absent.
Silverman, who was a Bernie Sanders supporter during the Democratic primaries, created a horrendously awkward moment as she tried to convince his fans to get behind Hillary Clinton’s nomination.
“Hillary is our Democratic nominee and I will proudly vote for her”, she said.
“Trump is a bully and a demagogue”, he said. Sanders highlighted agreements he reached with Clinton on supporting expanded access to health care and free public college tuition for students from families with annual incomes up to $125,000 a year.
He later sent a text message to supporters asking them not to protest on the floor of the convention as a “personal courtesy” to him.
As the boos and chants of “Bernie!”
There were times on Monday night when the convention seemed to be coming together.
“Clinton can’t beat Trump”.
When at mid-day Sanders addressed more than a thousand of his delegates at the city’s convention center, the crowd erupted in fury when he asked them to switch their allegiance to Clinton. “I’m not going to have Trump held up to our head like a gun”.
While Elizabeth Warren was cheered, rather mildly, for being used as the Don Rickles of the Democrats, delivering one anti-Donald Trump punchline after another, majority zingers we’ve heard before.
Not even Sanders could quiet the shouts of his die-hard supporters – but Michelle Obama did.
This was meant to be a valedictory event for Clinton.
Trump – the Republican presidential nominee – faces lawsuits accusing him of defrauding customers at the now-defunct Trump University, which sold real estate seminars.
The objection to Kaine’s nomination, he said, came as the result of a survey of the network, to which roughly 270 to 290 delegates responded.
“The stakes are too high”.
“They want us to fall in line and get behind Clinton”, said Dianne Fowler, a delegate from MI who was wearing blue tape over her mouth that read: “Silenced by the DNC”.
“The party will definitely come out more united with this convention”, Donovan added.
“The Democrats are in a total meltdown”, Trump taunted on Twitter.
Warren said a divided America can’t “fight back against a rigged system”.
Chants of “We want Bernie!” and “Not for sale!” rang out as Maine State Rep. Diane Russell, a Sanders supporter, said their revolution must continue.
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Trump has long sought to scoop up disaffected voters who feel Sanders – a self-described democratic socialist – was denied a fair shot at the nomination. “Don’t let anyone tell you that the country isn’t great”, she said. Fox News did not air most of Al Franken and Sarah Silverman’s speeches, The Kelly File instead opting to go over and over the DNC email leak, and cutting to a commercial during Simon’s crooning.
