Dem Convention: Day 1

Is this really only the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia?   If feels like it's already been going on for days.    The reports of the Rules Committee and of the Platform Committee were accepted by acclimation during the afternoon session.

In all fairness, Bernie Sanders got 90% of what he wanted in the platform, according to one insider, as well as a commitment to reduce the number of pledged superdelegates in future elections.  But the revelations from the DNC email leak ignited the smoldering anger of die-hard Bernie supporters, and they spent a good bit of the day loudly booing speakers who mentioned "unity" or "Hillary Clinton."    They even booed during Nancy Pelosi's speech.

But as the day worse on, and perhaps partly due to Bernie Sanders' personal plea that they not disrupt the convention with protests, partly with knowledge that Wasserman-Schultz had given up her fight and left to go home to Florida -- the mood began to calm down.  Throughout the evening, there were a few verbal protests shouted out and lots of Bernie sign-waving -- but overall the convention was not disrupted further.

There were a few more short speeches by politicians, then a young woman with cerebral palsy, talking about how Hillary Clinton cares about someone like her.  The audience was moved and gave her a standing ovation.  Then former comedian, now Senator Al Franken, lightened the mood -- leading to the most effective speaker thus far:   comedienne Sarah Silverman, who has been an ardent Sanders supporter.   She talked about how Bernie had inspired her with his message and the movement he had galvanized.    But, she said, "Now I am With Her. . . .  I will be voting for Hillary Clinton, with gusto."    There was cheering from the audience, but apparently some Sanders' supporters still waving their signs and giving a thumbs down sign.

Sarah leaned back into the microphone, in an unscripted moment, and said:   "I just want to say to the Bernie-or-Bust people:   You're being ridiculous."   And the crowd went wild.    Al Franken came back to the podium -- they had been asked to ad lib a bit longer because the next moment was not quite ready.   So they began a riff on how the two of them, Franken (a Clinton supporter) and Silverman (a Bernie supporter) were a .  . . bridge.

And then Paul Simon . . . yes, the 74 year old Paul Simon who has just released another hit album . . . came out and sang the old hit "Bridge Over Troubled Waters."    It was a magical moment.   The dynamic in the room had changed.  What had seemed to be shaping up as a fraught Day 1, with plenty of ammunition for the opposition, suddenly seemed like a . . . well, a bridge over troubled waters.

And that was even before the heavy hitters, Corey Booker, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders spoke.    As I love saying:  leave it to the comedians.   They always get it right. 

Ralph

DWS's "Honorary Chair" of HRC's campaign is a courtesy title, not a job promotion

Make no mistake.   Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (DWS) resigned as chair of the Democratic National Committee under fire from the DNC.   Hillary Clinton also wanted her to go.

So let's clear up the wild rumors about Clinton giving her a promotion and putting her in charge of her campaign.   Clinton, being an old friend and an empathic person, merely helped soften the blow (or negotiate the deal) by saying that DWS would be an "honorary chair" of her 50-state strategy to build up the grassroots reach of the Democratic Party.

Being "honorary chair" of anything is a courtesy title that means nothing in terms of operations.   It's just a gesture from an old friend who is trying to smooth things out in a difficult time.   It gives DWS a little face-saving and maybe avoids a bigger blow-up than this needs to be.

Ralph

Wasseman-Schultz forced out as DNC Chair

The release by Wikileaks of 20,000 emails hacked from staffers at the Democratic National Committee confirms Bernie Sanders' assertions that the DNC was biased against the Sanders campaign and had sought to undermine him.

According to several sources, a very contentious meeting of the DNC confronted Debbie Wasserman-Schurtz with the distraction that her presence at the convention would be.   She was resistant, claiming that she could weather this storm.   That's not the point -- and it just proves the point I've been saying, along with others.   She is out of touch and should be out the door.

In addition to her bias and mismanagement, she is in the pockets of big business, especially the pay-day loan sharks in Florida.  She should have resigned long ago.  At least, it's settled that she will not appear at the convention.   Already, before these leaks, she would have faced boos from the Sanders supporters on the floor.

Ralph

NEWS FLASH:  As of Sunday afternoon, DWS is out.   Sources says she was told:  either resign or be fired.   Hacked emails showed staff members discussing how to undermine Sanders' campaign by portraying him as an atheist in the South.   Important to note:   they didn't actually do it;   just talked about it.
   DWS did not go easily.   Apparently the deal to get her to resign:   she will be allowed to open and close the convention and her resignation will be effective at the end of the convention;  she got grateful letters from Obama and Clinton for her service, and Clinton will campaign with her in Florida.    I suggest Sanders' voters just not attend her appearance, rather than booing her.  The objective of getting her out has been obtained.   Not need to emphasize the turmoil for the tv cameras, not that it's settled.

A few more thoughts about Trump's speech

1.  Some stats about police officer killings that Trump lied about in his speech.   This is the  average number of officers killed -- per year -- during the time in office of recent presidents.  
   Reagan 101
   Bush I    90
   Clinton   81
   Bush II  72
   Obama   62
The decline is obviously a long-range trend, so it's not something Obama can, or is trying to, take credit for.   However, it refutes Trump's claim of the opposite, that Obama's policies have resulted in the most killings ever.

2.  There is one positive thing I will credit Trump with in his speech.   He referred to the shooting in the Orlando gay nightclub, spoke with regret about the LGBTQ lives that were lost and then pledged to protect the LGBTQ community.    The audience applauded quite vigorously.   And then Trump, obviously an ad lib, said:   "I just want to say one thing about your response to what I just said.  It feels really good to have that kind of support for our LGBTQ friends at a Republican convention."   This felt genuine, and it was followed by even more spirited applause.   [My quote may not be his exact words;  but I got the sentiment right.]

This is historic.   It's also evidence of the continuing split in the party on issues between "the party" establishment and the Trump voters.   The Platform adopted by this same party supports several anti-gay proposals:  "reparative therapy" for homosexuals, overturning marriage equality, and allowing religious groups to discriminate in these "religious freedom" bills.  But the Trump campaign scheduled an openly gay man, Peter Thiel (who also happens to be a billionaire Trump supporter) to speak on the final night, within an hour prior to Trump's own speech.   Besides identifying himself as gay, he gave a shout-out to this convention for not focusing on the old "social values issues" but more on economic ones.   And it's true:   Trump's speech didn't mention abortion once, and LGBTQ issues were mentioned only in positive terms and got positive audience support.

3.  One of Trump's climactic lines came just after talking about all those who feel their problems are being ignored, that they have no voice.    He proclaimed:   "I . . . Am . . . Your . . . Voice."    It's a great line for a populist leader.

The problem is that it's very hard to believe coming from Donald Trump, the guy who is ruthless in business, the guy who stiffs the small construction business owners by refusing to pay his bills in full.   Then tells them to sue him, knowing his battery of expensive lawyers can ruin them financially by dragging out a court case, so they give in and accept less than full payment.   But just this week, a judge turned this back on Trump.  A painting contractor who did a job for Trump was still owed $84,000 of the bill.   He finally sued Trump, and the judge just ordered Trump to pay up, plus in $300,000 of the contractor's legal fees.  That is the man who is now asking us to believe that he is the champion of the underdog, the forgotten little guy, the struggling family?

Don't be taken in by the con man and his pretty family.   This is nothing more than a sales pitch  -- but the risks are global and apocolyptic.

Ralph

Sanders' gives support to Kaine nomination

Senator Bernie Sanders, speaking Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," acknowledging policy difference with Sen. Tim Kaine, said:

“Tim is an extremely bright guy, a very nice guy. . . . Are his political views different than mine? Yes, they are. He is more conservative than I am. But compared to Donald Trump . . . on his worst, worst, worst day, Tim Kaine is 100 times better than Donald Trump will ever be.”

Sanders had already pledged that he would do "whatever it takes" to defeat Donald Trump in November.
 
Ralph

5th Circuit Court Rules on Texas Voter ID Law

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Texas voter ID law is unconstitutional because it is discriminatory and therefore violates the Voting Rights Act.  It furthered stated that this order applies to the upcoming election in November.

This is significant, because the 5th Circuit court is often considered to be the most conservative of the appeals courts, suggesting that other voter rights laws coming up before other appeals courts might also be overturned.

Ralph

Kaine's first speech as VP nomionee: A home run !!

Why do they say Tim Kaine is boring?   Absolutely incorrect.   Today, in his first appearance since Hillary Clinton chose him as her running mate, he hit it out of the ball park.   Some progressives may still be disappointed, and I had a little concern myself about Hillary's tilting back toward the middle from the more progressive policies the Sanders' campaign influenced.   Concerns are about his positions on trade and bank regulation.

But, look, Kaine's positions on those issues were in line with President Obama's, which is not a bad benchmark, even if it's less progressive than many of us want on those issues.   Yes, Kaine will not pull Clinton the left, but he's not going to pull her to the right either.  I think, considering everything, she has made a superb choice.   Yesterday, I called it a "good, solid choice."   Today, after hearing his speech, I would call it an exciting one as well.

Mike Lux, progressive co-founder of Democracy Partners, wrote this about Kaine:

"He is quite likely the most progressive statewide office holder Virginia has ever had . . . .  strongly anti-death penalty, pro-immigration, pro-gun safety legislation, and pro-LGBT rights . . . .  great voting scores with labor, choice groups, enviro groups, civil rights groups. It is a sign of how much the Democratic party is moving progressives’ way that someone like Tim Kaine is thought of as the most moderate pick Hillary could have made."

As a campaign team, they really click.  Kaine's speech and his delivery easily take the prize for best yet by any of the four candidates.    He has an easy, natural delivery, where Clinton can sound wooden and wonky.   He exudes warmth and folksy dignity, adding a softer-edge and an optimistic, problem-solving attitude.  

There was such a contrast in the optics of the VP introduction a week earlier.   Trump came out on the stage alone and talked for 28 minutes, mostly about himself.  Then, after introducing and bringing Pence onstage, Trump walked off and didn't even stay to listen to his VP's speech.

Clinton and Kaine came onstage together before an enthusiastic, young crowd at a Florida International University rally, with a high percentage of Hispanic students.   Clinton gave a glowing introduction, all about Kaine, emphasizing his life of dedication to public service and equal justice.   Then Kaine gave a rousing and deeply moving speech, while she sat, listening and beaming and nodding.    If you get a chance to watch a clip, it's well worth it.

Here's more from Sam Levine, emphasizing the contrasts:

"While Trump has called Mexicans 'rapists,' vowed to build a wall and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, Kaine spoke in Spanish during his opening remarks.  'Bienvenidos a todos en nuestro pais, porque somos Americanos todos,' he said. ('Welcome to our country, because we are all Americans.') Kaine continued to pivot back and forth between Spanish and English throughout his comments and at one point thanked [in Spanish] naturalized citizens in the audience for choosing to become United States citizens. . . .

“'While Kaine was taking on housing discrimination [as a civil rights lawyer], Trump was denying apartments to African Americans,' Clinton added.

"Noting that the NRA was headquartered in his state, Clinton said Kaine wouldn’t hesitate to push for gun control.  'Make no mistake, behind that smile, Tim also has a backbone of steel. Just ask the NRA,' she said."

As governor of Virginia at the time of the Virginia Tech campus shooting, Kaine was deeply moved and had to take a moment to regain his composure to talk about the tragedy of the elderly male teacher, a Holocaust survivor himself, who was killed by that mass shooter as he blocked the door with his body while urging students to climb out the window.   He repeated the horrible irony:   This man survived the Holocaust, only to die from gun violence in our country.  Kaine was able to get a law passed in Virginia to deny gun rights to people with severe mental illness, even in the NRA's home territory.  There was indeed determination in his voice as he repeatedly said 'we will not rest' until the U.S. has gun control. 

I would add to this that Tim Kaine brings the aura of a working class, Midwestern background, coupled with Harvard Law School, working 19 years as a civil rights lawyer, and then having a sterling political career.   He is truly liked and respected in the senate, even by Republicans.   Apparently there is not a single person there who dislikes him.   So he can be a great asset to Clinton in getting legislation negotiated and passed.  He is the most deeply sincere, straight-arrow, moral working politician around.  His presence on the ticket helps to offset the meme of "distrust" in "crooked Hillary."

In addition to all those reasons why Tim Kaine is the right choice, it apparently signals that Clinton has decided to go for a landslide victory.   Trump has shown that she can rely on him to continue to spew forth doom and despotism, scaring  Sanders voters into supporting her.   Trump's feud with Kasich probably makes Ohio a pretty sure bet.   All this released her to make a different choice than if she was just trying to win a close race.   She can afford, with Kaine's appeal, to go after Middle America as well.

As Daily Kos's colorful blogger who calls himself "Reinvented Daddy" writes: 

"A lot has been made that Kaine speaks spanish.  A former Jesuit student he also speaks religion.  A former mayor and governor of Virginia, he speaks Southern (not the accent, the intent).  He is an unintimidating bridge to a middle ‘Merica that doesn’t have a rational party anymore.  Ask the right way and North Carolina is ours, Arizona and Georgia can be ours, Texas can be ours.  Both houses of Congress can be ours.   "Hill aint playing it safe. . . .  she’s going  for a landslide, people."

Well, all right.   Let's have a landslide then.

Ralph

PS:  I'll be 91 then, but I hope I'm still able to vote for Tim Kaine for President in 2024.