On Monday, Bernie Sanders supporters protested the nomination of Hillary Clinton—both inside Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Arena and during a series of rallies on the streets. I even met some Sanders’ die-hards, angry and disillusioned, who said they’d rather vote for Donald Trump than have Clinton in the White House.
In his prime-time speech on Monday night, Sanders himself threw his weight behind Clinton in a forceful speech endorsing the presumptive nominee. “Any objective observer will conclude that—based on her ideas and her leadership—Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States,” Sanders said, though some of his supporters were less convinced: Some heckled, and some booed.
Today, I wanted to flip the microphone and ask Clinton delegates on the floor of the convention hall: Did Bernie do enough to promote unity?
“I think it should have done enough to allay some fears,” said Florida delegate Joanne Goodwin, 68, who has been fighting for Clinton since 2008. “It is now not about Bernie or Hillary; it is about making sure we have a Democrat in the White House.”
Still, some Clinton supporters said they wished Sanders had taken steps earlier to unify the party. “It should have happened a month ago,” said Teege Mettille, a Clinton delegate from Wisconsin. Mettille also argued that Sanders supporters shouldn’t be airing their complaints inside the convention hall. “They should not be protesting on the floor,” he said. “I think that is inappropriate.”
