Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, takes the stage before giving a speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
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Clinton walks on stage with her running mate, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine.
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Balloons fall from the ceiling of the Wells Fargo Center after Clinton's speech.
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Clinton arrives for her speech.
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During her speech, Clinton ripped into Republican nominee Donald Trump for his convention pitch "I alone can fix it." She said: "He's forgetting every last one of us. Americans don't say: 'I alone can fix it.' We say: 'We'll fix it together.' "
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Clinton acknowledges the crowd before her speech.
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Clinton's husband, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, applauds along with their daughter, Chelsea.
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Clinton is the first woman in U.S. history to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party. "It's true," she said in her speech, "I sweat the details of policy -- whether we're talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan; the number of mental health facilities in Iowa; or the cost of your prescription drugs. ... Because it's not just a detail if it's your kid, if it's your family. It's a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your President."
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Clinton gives a thumbs-up to the crowd.
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Clinton embraces her daughter before speaking.
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Bill Clinton becomes emotional Thursday as he listens to Chelsea introduce her mother.
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Chelsea Clinton said her mother is a "listener and a doer, a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love."
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Singer Katy Perry performs "Rise" on Thursday.
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Khizr Khan holds his personal copy of the U.S. Constitution as he speaks Thursday. His son, Humayun S. M. Khan, was one of the 14 American Muslims who have died serving their country since 9/11. In his remarks, Khan criticized the Republican nominee: "If it was up to Donald Trump, (my son) never would have been in America. ... Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy."
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Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks at the convention on Thursday.
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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks to the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.
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Delegates cheer on Thursday.
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LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride takes the stage.
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Delegates hold up signs in support of presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
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Clinton and U.S. President Barack Obama wave to the crowd Wednesday after Obama gave a speech.
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Obama and Clinton hug after Obama's speech.
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Obama and Clinton acknowledge the crowd.
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Clinton points to Obama as she walks on stage after his speech.
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Delegates stand as Obama speaks.
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"This year, in this election, I'm asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what's best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation," Obama said.
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Obama told the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center that he is "more optimistic about the future of America than ever before." He contrasted it with the "pessimistic vision" of America he heard during the Republican convention last week. "There were no serious solutions to pressing problems -- just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate," he said.
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Obama said Clinton is more ready than he was to become President. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," Obama said, referring to her stint as secretary of state.
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The crowd welcomes Obama.
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Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, waves to the crowd along with his wife, Anne Holton, after giving a speech on Wednesday.
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During his speech, Kaine said: "Hillary Clinton and I are compañeros del alma. We share this belief: Do all the good you can. And serve one another. Pretty simple. That's what I'm about. That's what you're about. That's what Bernie Sanders is about. That's what Joe Biden is about. That's what Barack and Michelle Obama are about. And that's what Hillary Clinton is about."
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Delegates hold posters during Kaine's speech.
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Kaine comes out to the stage on Wednesday.
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Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, right, cheers during the speech of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
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"I understand the appeal of a businessman President. But Trump's business plan is a disaster in the making," said Bloomberg, an independent. He said the Republican nominee is a "risky, reckless, and radical choice."
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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden also went after Trump, saying "this guy doesn't have a clue about the middle class -- not a clue. Actually, he has no clue, period."
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Biden walks to the podium before delivering his speech.
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A delegate wears a Bernie Sanders mask on Wednesday. Sanders finished second to Clinton in the presidential primaries.
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Broadway performers sing "What the World Needs Now Is Love" on Wednesday.
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Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords waves to the audience before speaking on Wednesday.
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People hold up prints that pay respect to those who were killed in the Charleston, South Carolina, church shooting of June 2015. Two survivors of the shooting were speaking to the crowd.
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A delegate wears stickers in support of Clinton.
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Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is escorted to the podium by his wife, Landra, on Wednesday.
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Clinton appears live on a video screen Tuesday night. Just a few hours earlier, she officially became the party's presidential nominee. She is the first woman to lead a major party's presidential ticket. "I can't believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet," she told the crowd.
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Actress Meryl Streep addresses the crowd before Clinton's video message. Streep said Clinton will be the first female President of the United States, "but she won't be the last."
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Former U.S. President Bill Clinton waves to the crowd before giving a speech on Tuesday.
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The former President told the crowd about how he met his wife for the first time. He also called her "the best damn change-maker I've ever met in my entire life."
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Bill Clinton arrives on stage to give his speech. In his speech, he portrayed his wife as a woman who tirelessly ran a family and a career. "She always wants to move the ball forward," he said. "That is just who she is."
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Former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright waves to the crowd after speaking on Tuesday.
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Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean re-enacts his infamous "Dean Scream" during his speech.
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Actresses America Ferrera, right, and Lena Dunham walk on stage to deliver remarks.
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Florida delegate Bernard Jennings holds a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton over the face of his young son Ethan on Tuesday.
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"Mothers of the Movement" -- mothers whose unarmed children have been killed by law enforcement or due to gun violence -- take the stage Tuesday.
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Actress Elizabeth Banks walks onto the stage Tuesday.
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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders waves to the crowd after the Vermont delegation cast its roll-call votes Tuesday.
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Sanders smiles while attending roll call. He moved to name Clinton the official nominee.
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The crowd cheers after Clinton was formally nominated.
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A delegate cries during the roll-call vote Tuesday.
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A staff member tallies Alabama's votes during roll call on Tuesday.
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Delegates hold up signs referring to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the running mate of Republican nominee Donald Trump.
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Sanders delivers the headline speech on Monday. "I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed about the final results of the nominating process," Sanders said. "I think it's fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am. But to all of our supporters -- here and around the country -- I hope you take enormous pride in the historical accomplishments we have achieved."
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Sanders spoke out against Republican nominee Donald Trump and said Clinton must become President. "If you don't believe this election is important, if you think you can sit it out, take a moment to think about the Supreme Court justices that Donald Trump would nominate and what that would mean to civil liberties, equal rights and the future of our country," Sanders said.
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Sanders acknowledges the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.
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U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren talks to the crowd in Philadelphia. "We are not going to be Donald Trump's hate-filled America," she said. "Not now. Not ever."
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First lady Michelle Obama gives a speech. "This election -- every election -- is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of our lives," she said. "And I am here tonight because in this election, there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility -- only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be President of the United States. And that is our friend, Hillary Clinton."
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Obama waves to the crowd.
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In his speech Monday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker included a message about togetherness. "Patriotism is love of country. But you can't love your country without loving your countrymen and countrywomen," he said.
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Singer Paul Simon performs "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
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Delegates hold up signs Monday.
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U.S. Sen. Al Franken appears on stage with comedian Sarah Silverman. Franken, of course, has a comedic background as well, having once starred on "Saturday Night Live."
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Anastasia Somoza, an advocate for people with disabilities, comes out to speak.
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Former pro basketball players Jason Collins, left, and Jarron Collins wave to the crowd. Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, said he told the Clintons about his sexual orientation before coming out publicly.
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A delegate wears a pin showing her support of Clinton.
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Delegates hold signs reading "Love trumps hate" on Monday.
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A delegate supports Sanders at the convention.
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Tape on a delegate's mouth makes a statement Monday about the Democratic National Committee. Recently leaked committee emails appeared to show favoritism toward Clinton in the primary race, and many Sanders supporters entered the convention upset. The controversy has caused Debbie Wasserman Schultz to step down as the committee's chairwoman at the end of the convention.
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Members of the media stand during the event.
Story highlights
Buck Sexton: DNC had rocky start with chairman Wasserman Schultz booed by her members after Wikileaks of emails
He says boos in the crowd continued on convention floor, with uneven speeches (Warren, Booker) meant to be rousing
Sexton: Sanders did a huge service to the Clinton campaign with his remarks of support , which may have stemmed discord
Editor’s Note: Buck Sexton is a political commentator for CNN and host of “The Buck Sexton Show” on TheBlaze. He was previously a CIA counterterrorism analyst. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
CNN
—
The DNC had an inauspicious start in Philadelphia. With WikiLeaks’ release of Democratic National Convention officials’ emails timed for maximum impact, an inescapable narrative emerged: The Democrat primary really was rigged against Bernie Sanders.
Many Bernie supporters suspected during the primary that the deck was stacked for Hillary Clinton, and for them this was now confirmed. In their leaked correspondence, DNC insiders weren’t just rooting for Clinton to win, they were apparently discussing active measures to ensure that outcome.
Bernie Sanders' backs Hillary Clinton in DNC speech
The uproar led to the resignation of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz, DNC chairwoman, on day one of what is perhaps the most important week for a person with her job title. In a nightmarish moment for the Democratic Party, Schultz was booed, aggressively and at length, at a preconvention Florida delegation breakfast Monday. It would be hard to conjure a scene that was a more blatant repudiation of the Democrat establishment by its own progressive left.
On the topic of terrible optics, however, there were plenty of moments on the Democratic convention’s first day from which to choose. During actual DNC speeches, there were repeated disruptions as boos rose up at the mere mention of Hillary Clinton’s name. Even cries of “Lock her up,” a chant made popular last week during the Republican National Convention, spewed forth from the Democratic faithful.
That an outraged “Sandernista” minority within an auditorium full of fellow Democrats would borrow the most hostile anti-Hillary chant from the most fierce Trump supporters speaks volumes about the progressive-establishment rupture playing out within the DNC.
Michelle Obama: America is greatest country on Earth
The prime time speakers, as with the Republican Convention, were of uneven quality and depth. first lady Michelle Obama delivered arguably the most memorable and effective speech of the night. Her cadence was spot on, her charisma beyond dispute. One thing that can be said for the DNC organizers is that it was a wise decision not to have Obama speak on the same night as Clinton. The charm-challenged Clinton would not come off well by comparison.
Elizabeth Warren was not so lucky. She followed Obama’s remarks, and despite her second-only-to-Bernie rock star status among the progressive wing of the party, the senator from Massachusetts was obviously overshadowed. Without delving too far into the conspiratorial, it would seem a wisely Clintonian maneuver to make sure that the speech given by Clinton’s greatest female rival in the Democratic Party will be long forgotten by the time Clinton herself takes the stage.
Usually a steady voice with a calm demeanor, Sen. Cory Booker yelled for the entirety of his speech. The microphone in front of him might as well have been for mere display. The senator from New Jersey has long been a strong communicator for the Democratic Party’s message, but in trying to give an outstanding speech, in the end he just tried too hard.
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US Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Chicago in March 2019. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress.
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Sanders, right, leads a sit-in organized by the Congress of Racial Equality in 1962. The demonstration was staged to oppose housing segregation at the University of Chicago. It was Chicago's first civil rights sit-in.
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Sanders takes the oath of office to become the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in 1981. He ran as an independent and won the race by 10 votes.
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Sanders, right, tosses a baseball before a minor-league game in Vermont in 1984. US Sen. Patrick Leahy, center, was also on hand.
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In 1987, Sanders and a group of Vermont musicians recorded a spoken-word folk album. "We Shall Overcome" was first released as a cassette that sold about 600 copies. When Sanders entered the US presidential race in 2015, the album surged in online sales. But at a CNN town hall, Sanders said, "It's the worst album ever recorded."
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Sanders reads mail at his campaign office in Burlington in 1990. He was running for the US House of Representatives after an unsuccessful bid in 1988.
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In 1990, Sanders defeated US Rep. Peter Smith in the race for Vermont's lone House seat. He won by 16 percentage points.
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Sanders sits next to President Bill Clinton in 1993 before the Congressional Progressive Caucus held a meeting at the White House. Sanders co-founded the caucus in 1991 and served as its first chairman.
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Barack Obama, then a US senator, endorses Sanders' Senate bid at a rally in Burlington in 2006.
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Sanders takes part in a swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol in January 2007. He won his Senate seat with 65% of the vote.
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Sanders chats with Dr. John Matthew, director of The Health Center in Plainfield, Vermont, in May 2007. Sanders was in Plainfield to celebrate a new source of federal funding for The Health Center.
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Sanders speaks to reporters in 2010 about the Obama administration's push to extend Bush-era tax cuts. Three days later, Sanders held a filibuster against the reinstatement of the tax cuts. His speech, which lasted more than eight hours, was published in book form in 2011. It is called "The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class."
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Sanders and US Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, walk to a news conference on Capitol Hill in 2014. Sanders was chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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In March 2015, Sanders speaks in front of letters and petitions asking Congress to reject proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
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In July 2015, two months after announcing he would be seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for President, Sanders spoke to nearly 10,000 supporters in Madison, Wisconsin. "Tonight we have made a little bit of history," he said. "You may know that some 25 candidates are running for President of the United States, but tonight we have more people at a meeting for a candidate for President of the United States than any other candidate has."
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Seconds after Sanders took the stage for a campaign rally in August 2015, a dozen protesters from Seattle's Black Lives Matter chapter jumped barricades and grabbed the microphone from the senator. Holding a banner that said "Smash Racism," two of the protesters -- Marissa Johnson, left, and Mara Jacqueline Willaford -- began to address the crowd.
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Sanders shakes hands with Hillary Clinton at a Democratic debate in Las Vegas in October 2015. The hand shake came after Sanders' take on the Clinton email scandal. "Let me say something that may not be great politics, but the secretary is right -- and that is that the American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails, let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."
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Sanders embraces Remaz Abdelgader, a Muslim student, during an October 2015 event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Asked what he would do about Islamophobia in the United States, Sanders said he was determined to fight racism and "build a nation in which we all stand together as one people."
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Sanders waves while walking in a Veterans Day parade in Lebanon, New Hampshire, in November 2015.
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Sanders sits with rapper and activist Killer Mike at the Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta in November 2015. That evening, Killer Mike introduced Sanders at a campaign event in the city. "I'm talking about a revolutionary," the rapper told supporters. "In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that Sen. Bernie Sanders is the right man to lead this country."
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Comedian Larry David and Sanders appear together on "Saturday Night Live" in February 2016. David had played Sanders in a series of sketches throughout the campaign season.
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Sanders and his wife, Jane, wave to the crowd during a primary night rally in Concord, New Hampshire, in February 2016. Sanders defeated Clinton in the New Hampshire primary with 60% of the vote, becoming the first Jewish candidate to win a presidential primary.
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Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in March 2016. He won the state's primary the next day, an upset that delivered a sharp blow to Clinton's hopes of quickly securing the nomination.
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Sanders speaks at a campaign event in New York's Washington Square Park in April 2016.
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Sanders speaks at a rally in Santa Monica, California, in June 2016. He pledged to stay in the Democratic race even though Clinton secured the delegates she needed to become the presumptive nominee.
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Sanders endorses Clinton at a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in July 2016.
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Sanders addresses delegates on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in July 2016.
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Sanders thanks supporters after winning re-election to the Senate in November 2018.
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Sanders looks at his notes as he watches President Trump deliver the State of the Union address in February 2019. That month, Sanders announced that he would be running for president again.
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Sanders hugs a young supporter during a campaign rally in Los Angeles in March 2019.
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Sanders addresses the audience at a CNN town hall in Washington in April 2019.
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Sanders speaks next to former Vice President Joe Biden at the first Democratic debates in June 2019.
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Sanders raises his fist as he holds a rally in Santa Monica, California, in July 2019.
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Sanders grabs the hand of US Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic debates in Detroit in July 2019.
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Sanders campaigns at the University of New Hampshire in September 2019. A few days later, he took himself off the campaign trail after doctors treated a blockage in one of his arteries. Sanders suffered a heart attack, his campaign confirmed.
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US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduces Sanders at a New York rally after endorsing him for president in October 2019.
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In a tense and dramatic exchange moments after a Democratic debate, Warren accused Sanders of calling her a liar on national television. Sanders responded that it was Warren who called him a liar. Earlier in the debate, the two disagreed on whether Sanders told Warren, during a private dinner in 2018, that he didn't believe a woman could win the presidency.
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Sanders laughs during a primary-night rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, in February 2020. Sanders won the primary, just as he did in 2016.
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A triumphant Sanders raises his fist in San Antonio after he was projected to win the Nevada caucuses.
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Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden talk before a Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina, in February 2020.
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Sanders addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in March 2020.
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Sanders speaks to reporters in Burlington, Vermont, a day after Super Tuesday II. Sanders said it "was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view" but that he looked forward to staying in the race and taking on Joe Biden in an upcoming debate.
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Biden greets Sanders with an elbow bump before the start of a debate in Washington in March 2020. They went with an elbow bump instead of a handshake because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On the other hand, the keynote speaker of the evening, Sen. Bernie Sanders, served his purpose with gusto. Sanders took to the podium to both give voice to his progressive supporters and give his full-throated endorsement to Clinton’s candidacy.
No individual was in a better position to unite the Democratic Party than Sanders, and he did a huge service to the Clinton campaign with his remarks. All that remains to be seen from the Sanders camp is whether his supporters will heed his call to unify behind a highly imperfect, ethically challenged, but progressive enough Hillary Clinton.
So day one of the DNC started off with disaster for the Democrats, but by the time Bernie Sanders left the stage at night’s end, at least some of that damage may have been mitigated.
Given the recent polls showing a big pro-Trump bounce after last week, we won’t know for a few more days whether the Democrats in Philly have the counterpunch they want. To be sure, some Democrats in the room clearly don’t have the candidate they want. But if after Philadelphia, they can all decide that Clinton is good enough, that may be all she needs to win.
