Renegade delegates invade the media tent with unconventional complaints
Reporting from PHILADELPHIA — On the historic night when a woman was officially nominated for the presidency at the Democratic National Convention, this crazy campaign brought another, far less important, but still singular, development: Protesters invaded the media headquarters next door to the convention hall. And these were not mere interlopers who sneaked through security; they were credential-wearing delegates who had just cast their roll call votes for Bernie Sanders.
Police briefly closed off the media tent, leaving many working reporters stranded out in the afternoon heat until the two dozen or so protesters were moved outside themselves. Then a real press scrum ensued, with the renegade delegates giving impassioned interviews to the “corporate media” they claim to despise. Their complaints were numerous, starting with how their attempts to bring new issues to the floor of the convention had been shut down. Apparently, the lengthy process of developing the party platform in which the views of the Sanders faction were well and successfully represented was not enough for them. They wanted to start a new debate in front of the full convention, which was never going to happen because the folks running the show were not inclined to waste valuable TV time on a lengthy, free-for-all debate. There were celebrities to bring to the stage, after all.
One Sanders delegate from Washington was upset that the crew from her state was seated toward the back of the hall, making it impossible for anyone to hear her faint voice of protest — as if the seating plan were somehow devised to punish her personally. Other angry delegates who also felt their voices had been ignored stood outside the media tent with their mouths taped shut. One of them held his cellphone out for reporters to see. The phone displayed a message: “Rural gay voices are silenced by the political establishment and the religious establishment.” No doubt there might be validity to the man’s concern, but ironically, with a horde of media surrounding him and ready to listen, he had silenced himself with duct tape.
There was much emotional pleading for the convention to choose Bernie. It did not faze these earnest folks that, thanks to the ballots that had been cast just minutes before, that possibility was now closed. They wanted a do-over. They demanded it, in fact, because, by golly, it just wasn’t fair. More irony: These people who appear convinced the Democratic Party is a corrupt tool of corporate interests expressed shock that a purer kind of democracy had not been allowed to prevail. Of course, their definition of democracy was not “Hillary got the most votes, so she wins;” it appeared to be “we get to keep talking until we get our way.”
Judging by some of the comments, many of these delegates had never before watched a political convention and had no idea how these things operate. Maybe they thought there would be lots of small group discussions and chances to share their feelings. There was anger that the convention had been all about Hillary Clinton (imagine, a convention being focused on the nominee!). One protester was irate that Sanders was the last person to speak on Monday night, as if that were a punishment, rather than being the starring spot in the evening’s lineup.
After about an hour at the center of attention, a group of the dissident delegates decided it was time to leave and go join a protest downtown. In a call-and-response chorus, they collectively said, “We will no longer participate in this media sideshow” — which is a bit like a bunch of clowns and acrobats declaring their disgust at being part of a circus.
Now, the interesting thing to contemplate is what happens Thursday night. Hillary Clinton will be giving her acceptance speech and it sure looks as if there is a very good chance she will be interrupted by protesters, just as Donald Trump was interrupted during his big convention moment last week. Hecklers at the Republican convention were quickly escorted from the hall. Hillary’s hecklers, however, are likely to be actual delegates who cannot be whisked away.
They may not be real Democrats. They may have no intention of voting for the party’s nominee. In their zeal and immaturity, they may not follow the gracious example of Sanders, the man they claim to admire so much. But they got chosen to be here and, whether one thinks they are brave revolutionaries or spoiled brats, they can disrupt the Clinton campaign’s carefully designed program and no one can make them behave.
Follow me at @davidhorsey on Twitter
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