"Now Democrats will have the opportunity to portray a better sense of unity this week. But their process can also go downhill just as swiftly as that which occurred in Cleveland." July 25th, 2016
A week after the shenanigans that occurred on the first day of the Republican National Convention, in which division and poor judgment threatened to implode all that the G.O.P. has worked for in this campaign cycle, Democrats sent a message that they could do no better.
In some opinions, they acted on circumstances that are worse than bigotry or derision. Corruption has been the call word for critics of the Democratic Party's elite politicians for some time now.
For many, their premonitions were all but confirmed before the Democratic National Convention even got underway in Philadelphia. From its inception, much of the persistent outrage has revolved around the cahoots and conspiracy within the Democratic National Committee itself.
The troubles began on July 22nd when WikiLeaks whistle blew on thousands of private e-mails that were linked to interactions between crucial members of the Committee. The e-mails, which are spread out in time from January of 2015 through to last May, seem to show a general bias of the Committee against Bernie Sanders and his campaign, among other things relating to "perks" for donors and asking journalists to "take it easy" on Hillary Clinton.
The leak had an immediate effect on the leadership within the DNC, forcing chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-FL, to resign her post and to try and disappear from the convention. Even after her disgrace, Schultz was quickly consolidated into Clinton's campaign as a chair advising on its fifty-state strategy - a move which surely has drawn criticism from both isles, from Sanders progressives to the Trump diehards.
The exposure of the apparent bias against Sanders' campaign set the stage for the internal confliction that would define a great woe of the Democratic Convention. While the Anti-Trump Establishment made their discontent known to the Republican delegations in calling for a roll call, supporters of Bernie Sanders showed their spite by walking out of the Wells Fargo Center when the nomination vote took place:
This protest, which could've been predicted far ahead of the convention, demonstrated the intense strain of unity within the Democratic Party, come as a direct result of the National Committee's dishonesty and manipulation. It is understandable that Sanders' supporters would feel snubbed of a nonpartisan effort to have both candidates on a level playing field in the primary.
While their hearts were perhaps in the right place, them walking out of the convention only showed Republicans and the rest of the nation the petulance of this disorganization. The anti-Trump delegates may have felt disdained as well, but they stayed for the sake of their party. Regardless of political positions, those Republicans showed more resolve than did the progressive Democrats.
Then there was the four-mile long, eight-foot high fence that surrounded the convention arena. As so many others have expressed, it was thought that the Democratic Party prided itself on being the party of bridges, instead of walls. The Convention instilling such a measure is embarrassing because it is a standing contradiction of the party's supposedly cherished ideals. Yes, Republicans had the power to remove protestors wanting to highlight Donald Trump's divisive sentiments. But no such barrier like the other existed at their own convention.
The violence outside the Republican Convention, despite expectations, was also kept to a minimum. The Democratic Convention, on the other hand, defied some expectations. The Black Lives Matter movement was destined to make itself known; no afterthought needed here. But their presence did not make or break the potential for protesters to scale the barricade, burn an American flag, or beat on law enforcement.
The actions of those who stepped in to cause trouble have reflected poorly on the emotional state of the Democratic Party, disrupting any hope for unity along with the e-mail scandal and the raw seething of the Bernie Sanders camp and its allies.
Subtleties can make an impression. The great absence of American flags, whether or not it was an afterthought, has raised some eyebrows. And the Black Lives Matters movement? Its supporters that were present last Thursday had the gall to shout their slogan while a moment of silence was offered for fallen police officers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVNtb234U_0
Actions akin to this disrespect have become fodder for Republicans to use against the Democratic Party's integrity, regardless of Trump's heavy-handed rhetoric. Sadly, it does not matter that we were a witness to history as Hillary Clinton became the first female presidential nominee from a major party. All of the corruption has overshadowed this element.
It is a fog that will prove to be very difficult, if not impossible, to lift. For Americans, on both sides, the corruption of the DNC showed that ignorance is bliss. This ignorance sets a dangerous precedent not just for this election, but for the honor of our democracy.
