It was an historic Democratic National Convention this week in Philadelphia. Presidential nominee, Hillary Rodham Clinton, took the stage last night as the first woman nominated to a major party. But the week-long event had some rough spots, with protestors and supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders interrupting speeches with boos and shouting.
There were some delegates who left the convention hall during the official role call, but Democratic National Committee member Jason Rae says that it was all part of a grieving process. "A few decided to leave the convention, but not many," he says. "For a lot of them it was kind of a grieving process. They were still hopeful on Tuesday that they might come out on top, and something might happen and they would win."
As the week went on, Rae felt that Sanders supporters who started out as disgruntled were able to process their disappointment and grief. For many, the final night of the convention including Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech, felt like a turning point.
Rae believes her speech appealed not only to the democratic base, but also Sanders supporters and undecided moderates, by addressing subjects like income inequality, national security and criminal justice reform. He says she, "touched on and reached several different groups that she needed to touch."
"What I really appreciated about it was seeing people coming together and uniting behind her. Whether you were a Bernie fan in the primary or Clinton all the way, people united," says Rae. "They were joined together, realizing what's at stake this fall, and we started the process of true party unification talking about how we're stronger together."
