USA TODAY International Edition
Dems fight for Sanders backers
DNC apologizes to senator amid scandal marring kickoff for Clinton
PHILADELPHIA The Democratic convention that will make Hillary Clinton the first woman ever nominated for president opened Monday with protests in support of the man she defeated, Bernie Sanders — who received the night’s lengthiest and most rousing reception.
Mimicking the dissension that marked the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week, disconsolate delegates supporting Sanders interrupted speakers with cries of “Bernie!” A few even chanted the GOP mantra: “Lock her up!”
Their anger was prompted by an email scandal that revealed favoritism inside the Democratic National Committee for Clinton and forced party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to relinquish the job. As a result, days after Republican nominee Donald Trump’s controversy- laden Republican convention staggered to a finale, Democrats stumbled out of the box themselves.
The protests subsided as the evening wore on, and the Democratic faithful were treated to speeches from Sanders and others popular among the party’s left wing, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker.
“I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed about the final results of the nominating process,” Sanders said. “I think it’s fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am.”
But he said his “political revo-
“We know Bernie would be a much stronger candidate against Trump. That’s also what’s making this so hard — she’s not a strong candidate.” Texas delegate Barbara Fetonte
lution” will go on, and “any objective observer will conclude that — based on her ideas and her leadership — Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States.” Delegates gave him a standing ovation — though his supporters continued to chant his name rather than Clinton’s.
First lady Michelle Obama made a passionate appeal on behalf of a former first lady, “who has the guts and the grace to keep coming back and putting those cuts and those cracks in that highest glass ceiling.”
“Because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States,” she said.
Speakers included various elements of the diverse party, displaying a different image than the Republicans’ mostly white mosaic: African Americans and Asian Americans; Latinos threatened by Trump’s desire to crack down on immigration; gays and lesbians; people with disabilities and mental illness. A popular sign held aloft by delegates read, “Love trumps hate.”
Speaker after speaker denounced Trump for his divisive rhetoric. “That’s Donald Trump’s America: an America of fear and hate,” Warren said. “An America where we all break apart. Whites against blacks and Latinos. Christians against Muslims and Jews. Straight against gay. Everyone against immigrants. Race, religion, heritage, gender — the more factions, the better.”
Speakers sought to bridge the gap between Clinton’s and Sanders’ supporters by stressing the former rivals’ similarities — such as on education. Clinton has endorsed debt- free college at public universities. Sanders would go further.
“Bernie’s ideas. Hillary’s ideas. Our shared ideas,” Booker said.
“We cannot be seduced by cynicism about our politics because cynicism is a refuge for cowards,” the New Jersey senator said.
The stakes are high: CNN and CBS polls released Monday indicate the GOP convention may have provided enough bounce for Trump to inch ahead of Clinton.
The four- day homage to the nation’s first female nominee for president took an early hit with the pre- convention release by WikiLeaks of almost 20,000 DNC emails, some of which showed staffers favoring Clinton over Sanders during hard- fought primaries. In one email, an official suggested the party could damage Sanders in the South by pressing him on his religious beliefs.
A DNC statement apologized to Sanders for the “inexcusable remarks,” saying they “do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality.”
Sanders warned his delegates in an email that “our credibility as a movement will be damaged by booing, turning of backs, walking out or other similar displays. That’s what the corporate media wants. That’s what Donald Trump wants.”
Late in the day, convention leaders moved Sanders’ speech to the end of the night to assure prime- time TV coverage.
In Charlotte on Monday, Clinton dismissed the Trump campaign as divisive and negative, accusing Trump of “trash- talking the United States.”
“We’re going to have a convention that highlights success stories,” she said.
Despite Sanders’ vigorous endorsement of Clinton, there were rumblings of dissent.
Texas delegate Barbara Fetonte, 63, expressed the frustration of many Sanders supporters.
“We know Bernie would be a much stronger candidate against Trump,” Fetonte said. “That’s also what’s making this so hard — she’s not a strong candidate.”
Clinton’s fans predicted the Sanders crowd would come around. “They’ve got a little bit of stuff they need to get out of them, and then they’ll be ready to get on board,” said Patsy Keever, who chairs North Carolina’s Democratic Party.