PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — The Democratic National Committee will get a new chairperson, and the Russians are coming!
The first morning of the Democratic National Convention broke with news that chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz had resigned her position, and that Donna Brazile was taking over as temporary chair of the DNC.
And if that wasn’t enough, CNN was full of speculation that the Russian security services and/or hacking services had colluded with Donald Trump to embarrass the DNC.
This has prompted a change in schedule for the convention.
Senator Bernie Sanders, who had originally scheduled a meeting for all his delegates at 2 p.m., had moved his meeting up to noon. What does means where the convention is somewhat unclear, however it has more than a few Hillary staff members nervous.
Is the Russian government for the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) working with Republican nominee Trump to try to ensure his presidency? That’s going to be hard to run down. Nevertheless, the email story cast the plans of the DNC into some disarray this morning.
Personally, I think that it too is a tempest in a teapot. I think that if Sanders gives the correct message today and this evening, we will get the convention back on track with a message of unity and progressive values so desperately needed in America today.
I am also very surprised that the polls show that Trump received a considerable bounce from his convention. It’s hard for me to imagine that an individual and an convention that was so dark was able to persuade so many people that he’s a viable candidate for president in the United States.
But, that is where we are! And we are going to have to fight on. Not just for the future of the Democratic party but for the future of America, and for the future the world really.
On a personal note, we were able to attend the breakfast meeting with the Minnesota Democratic Party. We heard Senator Al Franken speak, as well as Jake Sullivan, former deputy secretary of state. Both individuals left us with an optimistic and uplifting mood. And, in the case of Franken, with more than a few smiles.
Headed over to the Wells Fargo Center now. They want us in the convention hall as soon as possible considering all the security arrangements and concerns, as well as just the logistics of moving so many people.
One last observation. People who we meet from other delegatons from other delegations are really surprised to find out that I’m a pledged delegate to Hillary Clinton coming from Ukraine. Nothing but questions after that. How did you get here? Are you a citizen?.
It’s all good. And it’s good that America has opportunities to vote that only Democrats Abroad can provide.
