Hoo boy. Despite the popular belief that the Republican National Convention was going to be an historic mess because of some fairly widespread dislike among delegates for Donald Trump, Day One of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia is shaping up to give Republicans a run for their money in terms of disunity. We're only a couple hours into the convention in Philadelphia, and already the New York Times reports there's been plenty of booing and jeering in and around the convention floor directed at outgoing Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and even Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sanders was booed, per the Times, when he met with a group of his delegates Monday and said, "We have got to defeat Donald Trump and we have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine."
Pelosi took the podium early at the convention, as The Observer reports, and just after the convention was called to order, members of the California delegation in particular were loudly booing at every mention of Clinton's name, and even shouting "Lock her up" at Pelosi ironic given that this was screamed out of the mouths of thousands of Republicans during the RNC last week aimed at Clinton.
Schultz, who is stepping down from her job following the revelation that she colluded with others in the party establishment to undermine Sanders' campaign, was loudly booed at a breakfast for delegates from her home state of Florida this morning, with some of them carrying signs that said "E-mails" and "We Don't Want Cheaters In Our Party Anyway."
Sanders has responded in a statement saying that all this disunity is "what Mr. Trump wants," and discouraging delegates from "booing, turning our backs, walking out or similar displays." Sanders is scheduled to speak this evening, as is Michelle Obama, singer Paul Simon, and comedian Sarah Silverman. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom will be speaking this week as well, though he told the Chron that he's still not sure when.
There were some similar displays on Day One of the RNC, and as one CNN commentator just put it on live TV, "It makes me think of Festivus, from Seinfeld," saying that Days One and Two of a convention are devoted to the "airing of grievances," and Days Three and Four are all about unity and cheering.
Previously: Video: Willie Brown Talks 56 Years Of Democratic National Conventions
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