The DNC: Was It Really That Bad for Bernie Delegates?
I am a National Delegate for Bernie Sanders. I say I am because Bernie did not actually release his delegates at the convention and I am still a Berner.
And this is my first Federal Election as I became a citizen on July 27th 2015 and I am 56 so no millennial. Been around a few blocks.
My work with Bernie was a baptism of fire in American politics. I thought I understood how things worked; I studied American History and Politics at College and I studied for my Naturalization test and passed with flying colors. But it’s WAY more convoluted than I realized and that most natural born Americans realize.
But I digress.
I committed to being a National Delegate early on in the campaign when I started doing Social Media for the grassroots campaign. I was in before most people knew who he was! I went on to donate a lot of money; canvass in Nevada, Wyoming and Utah; act as a Precinct Chair in rural Nevada; volunteered at 4 rallies (2 in NV and 2 in my state UT); phone banked; organized pot lucks; eventually became the co chair of Utah for Bernie and way, way more.
So, I was honored to be elected as a National Delegate for Bernie.
I have never been to a National Convention before so I didn’t really know what to expect. But I was told it was fun and inspiring. How wrong could that be?
If I am honest we really knew that HRC had won (stolen) the nomination. We had, however, been promised a floor fight and there were other things to fight for. Right?
On the first morning we gathered for breakfast and I was excited to have my credentials in hand.
I went with my roomie to a couple of fabulous Bernie workshops on Medicare for all and the TPP, surrounded by Clinton propaganda, and then headed to the WF Center.
And that’s where it all started to go pear shaped.
The opening prayer (why are we praying at a political convention — and why a Christian prayer) prayed for, amongst other things, the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton.
Every.single.speech then went onto tell us how bad the orange one is and that’s why we should vote for Hillary. We even had hideous videos between speeches touting the evils of the Donald.
Every time her name was mentioned we booed. Because WE HAD NOT EVEN VOTED YET!!!
Oh, incidentally, the states that voted for Bernie were at the back and the States that she won were seated on the floor and the cameras very carefully focused on HRC delegates.
And there was a ton of hostility. The energy was poisonous in the place.
Michelle Obama was amazing of course. And then Bernie spoke. Now bear in mind that I have been to four rallies, watched live streams and every single debate and town hall. He did not seem himself. His speech was still okay. But the fight was gone.
Bear in mind he won 46% of the vote in a close Primary. He actually won more than that but that’s another matter. And we still had the vague hope that hundreds of her delegates would not show up or that some other bolt of lightening would come from the heavens.
The shenanigans were there on day 1. Her delegates standing up in front of us and holding their signs higher than we could, the snide comments. There was no sense of unity.
Bernie spoke to us in the afternoon on day 2 and said we must defeat the Donald and that he was supports Hillary. Lots of booing to that but please note that we were booing HER not Bernie as the media suggested. He never once told US to vote for her. Listen to his words carefully.
And the roll call vote. Our delegation actually filled out our sheet on the first evening. Apparently Bernie won the first vote but there was no footage of it and it didn’t include those damn Super Delegates. Because, yes, we showed up to vote and her delegates didn’t. All the world saw was the second so called roll call vote that included the SDs. Not that we actually voted a second time so what’s up with that?
Then our hearts broke as Bernie suspended the rules and asked that she be nominated. But we then realized that he did not release his delegates or announce that she won by acclamation!! Smart, very smart. Because absolutely anything could happen between now and November.
The our best moment. We walked out before we had to see that face gloating that she had won.
I was lucky enough to get into the media tent where we sat down in silent protest. The progressive media went NUTS. This was probably THE most exciting thing to happen at Convention for years. But do you think the main stream media covered it? Hell no.
And that’s where I wish I had left the convention. We had two more days of hostility and indoctrination against the Donald and pro her. Even Lenny Krawitz’ appearance didn’t console me. In fact I was disappointed that he was playing at the coronation.
Volunteers were denied credentials. Seat fillers really happened. Every time our delegation was ‘unruly’ our local Dem staff got a call from the Clinton camp telling them to get us to behave. Our Muslim delegate was told she could not wave her support Palestine sign. I was threatened with the police because I would not turn over something I did not even have.
I tried to get to the protesters in FDR park on the third day and the access was blocked because some agitators broke down the gate.
I was lost to be honest. I went back on the last night only to sign a petition to ask Hillary to apologize to Bernie and us for the way we had been treated throughout the campaign. Of course she didn’t. And then it was like a Republican war mongering session. You know damn well she will have us in more wars.
Bill could not even stay awake during her speech and Bernie looked mad as fuck. Who knows what they threatened him with.
So, what to do now?
I do not like any of the candidates (no, not Stein either) so I am stuck. I will decide on the day and may leave that box blank.
I am disillusioned by the crap I saw throughout the campaign and I feel like I have PTSD about the convention. It was NOT fun.
I do know I cannot vote for someone who will take us to war, who supports regime changes and fracking. Someone who has got SO fucking rich off politics. Someone who looks up to Kissinger. Someone who is courting republicans now and who we know will flip flop on the TPP. The emails. I have heard so many lies come out of the Dem nominee’s mouth that I will not be voting for someone who is so opposed to many of my views.
Don’t tell me my choice is a vote for Trump because she clearly doesn’t need us. She has done NOTHING to attract my vote. The platform means zero.
I may leave that box blank and just vote for progressives in our State. We have some great candidates.
It’s taken me over two weeks to be able to face writing this. It’s hard to express how bad it was. So believe me when I say it really was that bad. I finally really cried writing this so maybe I will begin to heal.
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