Everybody who was anybody in politics and Hollywood, was at the Democratic National Convention. Past presidents, the current president and wannabe presidents. From that vantage point, Philadelphia was the place to be last week.
It also lived up to the DNC’s history of providing political sparks between delegates. I have only one question for Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Shultz. What was your definition of “impartial chairwoman” for the Democratic Party? Whatever it was, it wisely didn’t fly with the very vocal supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Former Secretary of State Clinton reacted quickly. Perhaps because she remembered how her own supporters felt 8 years ago when she lost the Democratic presidential bid to then Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
Bernie's supporters have been good for Hillary. Throughout the campaign, they kept her focused on the Dems’ traditional middle-class issues and positions. If she abandons them in the General Election campaign debates, she runs the risk of losing liberal voters.
But from Sanders to Clinton, the DNC keynote speeches presented a picture of party unity, diversity and an optimistic America. Somewhere between Trump’s doom and gloom and Clinton’s pie in the sky lies our nation’s real mood.
The most memorable podium remarks were delivered by First Lady Michele Obama, Chelsea Clinton and Khizr Khan. But the speech that may have penetrated most into voters who aren’t wedded to either major political party was the one delivered by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The independent billionaire hit Trump square between the eyes with a Statue of Liberty size “Big Apple.”
This is an election year where American voters are angry at the political establishment! And keep in mind what candidate Trump said earlier this year at an Iowa campaign rally. "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters."
One has to wonder, will what happened at either convention make a difference in November?
