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Democratic National Convention, day one: Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama speak

FIRST Lady Michelle Obama gave the speech of her life today. Somewhere in the US, Donald Trump was left reeling.

Sam ClenchSam Clench
@SamClench
12 min read
July 26, 2016 - 5:40PM
Michelle Obama: Hillary Never Buckles Under Pressure

WELCOME to our live coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

First Lady Michelle Obama starred on day one of the Democratic National Convention, bringing the partisan crowd to its feet with a poignant and comprehensive endorsement of Hillary Clinton. She also pulverised Donald Trump.

Read on for everything else you need to know.

1:40pm

Sam Clench

That brings day one of the Democratic National Convention to a close. If you’re just catching up now, here are some links to the day’s biggest moments:

• Michelle Obama took aim at Donald Trump and brought the house down;

• Bernie Sanders gave Hillary Clinton the full-throated endorsement she needed;

• Comedian Sarah Silverman suffered a horrendously awkward moment on stage.

See you again tomorrow for day two.

“Nailed it.”
“Nailed it.”

1:30pm

Sam Clench

Donald Trump made a big play for Bernie Sanders’ supporters during his convention speech last week, and he was at it again on Twitter while the senator spoke today.

1:20pm

Sam Clench

Clinton’s rival from the primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders, took the stage to a deafening roar, and had to wait an age before he could even start speaking. He eventually began by thanking his legions of fans — and urging them to fall in line.

“I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed about the final results of the nominating process. I think it’s fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am,” Sanders said.

“Together, my friends, we have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution — our revolution — continues.

“Let me be as clear as I can be. This election is not about, and has never been about, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders.

“This election is about, and must be about, the needs of the American people.

“Any objective observer will conclude that, based on her ideas and her leadership, Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States.”

So, Sanders didn’t pull a Ted Cruz. Given their stubbornness throughout the convention so far, you might have expected his supporters to react angrily to his endorsement, but any protestations were drowned out by the rest of the crowd’s cheers.

Bernie Sanders entered to an almighty reception.
Bernie Sanders entered to an almighty reception.

Having said that, defiant chants of “Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!” did pop up sporadically during the rest of Sanders’ speech.

Sanders ran through a laundry list of his usual points, covering such issues as trade, the minimum wage, healthcare, climate change and college tuition. For each one, he told the audience Clinton would do a better job than Trump in no uncertain terms.

“It is no secret that Hillary Clinton and I disagree on a number of issues. That’s what this campaign has been about. That’s what democracy is about,” Sanders said.

“I am happy to tell you that at the Democratic Platform Committee there was a significant coming together between the two campaigns and we produced, by far, the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party.

“Our job now is to see that platform implemented by a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House and a Hillary Clinton presidency.

“I am going to do everything I can to make that happen.”

Importantly, Sanders told his supporters they “cannot sit out” the election. Voting isn’t compulsory in the United States, and Clinton needs as many as she can get.

Sanders’ fans weren’t going to pipe down.
Sanders’ fans weren’t going to pipe down.

12:50pm

Sam Clench

On another night, firebrand anti-Wall Street Senator Elizabeth Warren would be the main event. The former academic is a superstar in the Democratic Party — but that speech from Michelle Obama was a tough act to follow.

Warren still got the crowd eating out of her hand as she picked apart Donald Trump’s strategy.

“Trump thinks he can win votes by fanning the flames of fear and hatred. By turning neighbour against neighbour. By persuading you that the real problem in America is your fellow Americans. People who don’t look like you, or don’t talk like you, or don’t worship like you,” she said.

“That’s Donald Trump’s America. An America of fear and hate. An America where we all break apart. Whites against Blacks and Latinos. Christians against Muslims and Jews. Straight against gay. Everyone against immigrants. Race, religion, heritage, gender. The more factions the better.

“When we turn on each other, bankers can run our economy for Wall Street, oil companies can fight off clean energy, and giant corporations can ship the last good jobs overseas.

“When we turn on each other, we can’t unite to fight back against a rigged system.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Senator Elizabeth Warren.

12:40pm

Sam Clench

Spare a thought for actress Susan Sarandon. She’s a big Bernie Sanders fan, and doesn’t seem to be enjoying all this unbridled love for Clinton.

Stay strong, Susan.

12:30pm

Sam Clench

First Lady Michelle Obama framed her speech around her two daughters, and by extension, around the children of America. In doing so, she delivered the strongest rebuke of Donald Trump we’ve seen in the election campaign.

Mrs Obama started by saying she’d urged her daughters “to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith”. That was a very clear shot at Trump, who spent years questioning whether Barack Obama was truly born in the United States as the loudest voice in the “birther” movement.

“We explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.

“We know that our words and actions matter, not just to our kids, but to children all across the country.”

Pay attention Donald, you might learn something.
Pay attention Donald, you might learn something.

Mrs Obama said the contest between Trump and Hillary Clinton was “not Democrat or Republican, not left or right”, but “about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four to eight years of their lives”.

“I am here tonight because in this election there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility,” she said.

“I trust Hillary to lead this country because I’ve seen her lifelong devotion to our nation’s children.”

She never targeted Trump overtly in that opening salvo, but the implications were obvious. In Mrs Obama’s eyes, Trump is unfit to serve as a role model for America’s children. That means the election is about morals and personality, not politics.

The crowd went wild throughout Mrs Obama’s speech.
The crowd went wild throughout Mrs Obama’s speech.

She proceeded to launch into a full-throated endorsement of Clinton, with whom her husband had competed bitterly for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

“When she didn’t win the nomination eight years ago, she didn’t get angry or disillusioned. Hillary did not pack up and go home. Because as a true public servant, Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments.

“What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life.

“When I think about the kind of president that I want for my girls and all our children, that’s what I want.”

Mrs Obama followed that up with another thinly veiled attack on Trump, saying the nation’s leader should be “someone who knows that the issues a president faces are not black and white, and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters”. Trump, as you know, is rather fond of Twitter.

“When you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can’t make snap decisions. You can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out, you need to be steady, and measured, and well informed.”

First Lady Michelle Obama.
First Lady Michelle Obama.

And Mrs Obama couldn’t resist one last shot at Trump, this time for “chasing fame and fortune”.

“I want a president with a record of public service. Someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves, we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed. And we give back, even when we’re struggling ourselves, because we know that there is always someone worse off,” she said.

“When crisis hits, we don’t turn against each other. No, we listen to each other, we lean on each other, because we are always stronger together.

“I am here tonight because I know that that is the kind of president that Hillary Clinton will be. And that’s why in this election, I’m with her.”

Michelle Obama supports Hillary Clinton at DNC

The First Lady ended her speech on a poignant note, recalling America’s history of slavery and turning that into an inspiring message about breaking glass ceilings.

“Today I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my two daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.

“And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters, and all our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States,” Mrs Obama said, with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great. That somehow we need to make it great again. Because this right now is the greatest country on earth.”

11:45am

Sam Clench

Another celebrity, actress Eva Longoria, delivered a short but warmly received speech.

“When Donald Trump calls us criminals and rapists, he’s insulting American families. My father was not a criminal or a rapist. In fact he’s a United States veteran,” she said, to huge cheers.

“Hillary’s been fighting for us for decades. Now it’s time to fight for her!”

Eva Longoria.
Eva Longoria.

11:30am

Sam Clench

Comedian Sarah Silverman, a Bernie Sanders supporter during the primaries, just created a horrendously awkward moment as she tried to convince his fans to get behind Hillary Clinton’s nomination.

“I’m Sarah Silverman and this past year I’ve been feeling the Bern,” she said, to an almighty cheer from the crowd. Nice start.

“Relax, I put some cream on it.

“As some of you may know, I support Bernie Sanders and the movement behind him. And Bernie’s already succeeded in so many ways.

“Not only did Bernie wake us up, he made us understand what is possible and what we deserve.”

Comedian Sarah Silverman.
Comedian Sarah Silverman.

So far, so good. Silverman went on to feed the crowd a healthy dose of Trump bashing.

“This Democratic primary was exemplary. No name-calling, no comments about the size of candidates’ hands or ethnicity or how much they sweat or if they go to the bathroom. Inside secret: they do.

“That stuff is for third-graders, come on. That’s like major arrested development stuff, that’s ‘I’m still emotionally four and calling other people names from my golden-crusted sandbox because I was given money instead of human touch or coping tools’ stuff. But I digress.

“Hillary heard the passion of the people. The people behind Bernie. And brought those passions into the party’s platform. And that is the process of democracy at its very best, and it’s very cool to see.”

You can see the argument Silverman was building: yes, Sanders lost the nomination to Clinton, but he gained so much influence that it counted as a victory anyway. As the comedian soon discovered, the Sanders faction in the audience wasn’t buying it.

It all started so well for Silverman.
It all started so well for Silverman.

“Hillary is our Democratic nominee and I will proudly vote for her,” she went on, to cries of protest from one half of the crowd and a standing ovation from the other.

“I will vote for Hillary with gusto as I continue to be inspired and moved to action by the ideals set forth by Bernie, who will never stop fighting for us.

“I am proud to be part of Bernie’s movement, and part of that movement is making absolutely sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States.”

At that point, her speech was supposed to finish. But the next person on the agenda — musician Paul Simon — wasn’t ready, and she had to play for time in front of a fired up crowd.

“Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!” Sanders’ fans chanted, as Senator Al Franken joined Silverman on stage to help. “Unity! Unity! Unity!” she responded from the podium. Then she lost her patience.

“Can I just say, to the ‘Bernie or Bust’ people, you’re being ridiculous. They told us to stretch, so I figured I’d add that.”

The Sanders supporters responded with boos, and kept chanting. Franken and Silverman were left speechless on stage for another agonising minute, trying to come up with a way to fill the awkward silence.

“We’re like a ... we’re like a bridge,” Franken finally managed. “You were for Bernie. I’m for Hillary. So we’re like a bridge ... over troubled ...”

“Oh good lord,” Silverman interrupted, clearly unimpressed by his weak attempt at a joke.

Before things got any worse, Franken and Silverman finally received the news that Paul Simon was ready to take the stage. They both looked pretty keen to vacate it.

“Did I tell you the one about the ...” “Shut up Al.”
“Did I tell you the one about the ...” “Shut up Al.”

11:10am

Sam Clench

Anastasia Somoza, an advocate for Americans with disabilities who was born with cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia, showed a more personal side of Hillary Clinton.

I first met Hillary as First Lady on a visit to the White House. I was nine years old,” Somoza said.

“Over the last 23 years, she has continued to serve as a friend and mentor, championing my inclusion and access to classrooms, higher education and the workforce.

“She has never lost touch with people like me. She has invested in me, she believes in me, and in a country where 56 million Americans with disabilities so often feel invisible, Hillary Clinton sees me.”

Somoza also took a few well-aimed potshots at Donald Trump.

“I fear the day we elect a president who defines being Americans in the narrowest possible terms. Who shouts, bullies and profits off of vulnerable Americans,” she said.

“Donald Trump has shown us who he really is and I honestly feel sad for anyone with that much hate in their hearts.

“I know we will show each other and the world who we really are in November.

“I’m proud to be with you Hillary. Thank you for showing me how to live boldly with a courageous heart.”

Anastasia Somoza.
Anastasia Somoza.

11:00am

Sam Clench

Senator Al Franken clearly decided to serve as the convention’s comedian. He strode out on stage and pretended to be a student from Trump University — the controversial “business school” Donald Trump set up that is now being sued by former students, who claim they were defrauded.

Franken called himself a “world-renowned expert on megalomania”.

“I got my doctorate in megalomania studies from Trump University,” he said. “As a proud alum of Trump U, I think we may be misunderestimating Donald Trump.”

That’s a reference to one of George W. Bush’s more famous gaffes.

Senator Al Franken.
Senator Al Franken.

10:45am

Sam Clench

Kirsten Gillibrand, who replaced Hillary Clinton when she left the US Senate, gave her an enthusiastic endorsement.

“Hillary Clinton’s life’s work has been defined by one question: ‘How we help those who need it most?’

“Donald Trump’s has been defined by a very different question: ‘How can I help myself most?’”

Gillibrand spoke about the need for women to be paid the same amount of money for the same amount of work as men.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

10:25am

Sam Clench

No offence to Scott Baio, but the Democrats definitely have higher profile celebrities at their convention. Singer Demi Lovato was the first to appear on stage in Philadelphia, speaking about her struggle with mental illness and urging the US to elect Hillary Clinton.

“Like millions of Americans, I am living with mental illness. But I’m lucky. I had the resources to get treatment at a top facility,” Lovato said.

“Too many Americans from all walks of life don’t get help, either because they fear the stigma, or they can’t afford it.

“I urge every politician to support laws that will give access to better healthcare and support for everyone.

“This is not about politics, it’s simply the right thing to do.”

Then Lovato entertained the crowd with her hit song Confident.

Singer Demi Lovato.
Singer Demi Lovato.

9:30am

Sam Clench

The Democratic National Convention’s first day was supposed to have a simple theme: unity. So much for that.

Supporters of Hillary Clinton’s vanquished rival, Bernie Sanders, seem hellbent on causing as much trouble as possible. They’ve been protesting in the streets of Philadelphia for days, and now they’ve taken their signs and chants inside the convention hall.

Throughout the day’s proceedings, practically every mention of Hillary Clinton on stage has prompted a chorus of boos from the Sanders fans, who keep chanting: “Bernie! Bernie!”

Sanders himself will address the convention later, and urge his fans to support Clinton.

9:15am

Sam Clench

The Republican convention last week may have been widely mocked, but it's delivered Donald Trump a healthy bounce in the polls.

Trump has surged in front of Hillary Clinton in three major polls. He’s ahead by five per cent according to CNN, four per cent according to the Morning Consult, and one per cent according to CBS.

According to FiveThirtyEight’s polling guru Nate Silver, Trump would likely win the election if it were held today.

The convention showed its delegates an anti-Trump video called Trump In His Own Words.
The convention showed its delegates an anti-Trump video called Trump In His Own Words.
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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/democratic-national-convention-day-one-bernie-sanders-michelle-obama-speak/news-story/4f6f4dc3679bec0cf4af999a5f3413b3