The fierce and contentious debates, criticisms and attacks among candidates of both parties and their supporters in the age of a 24/7 news and social media cycle present a very real challenge for both the Democratic and Republican parties: how to unite their voters who supported different candidates during the primary season and rally behind the party’s nominee.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has found himself embroiled in this problem, with no less than the party bigwigs like the Bushes, former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, former presidential candidates Ted Cruz and John Kasich, among many others — refusing to give in and endorse him.
The same is the challenge faced by the Democratic Party, after the heated battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. After the Republican National Convention, Trump overtook Clinton in the polls, and this just underscores how much the Democratic nominee needs the help of the party, and especially of her rival Sanders, to make sure the supporters of his political movement/revolution — all very passionate about Sanders — unite together with Clinton supporters, campaign for her and make sure she defeats Trump in November.
The task to persuade his supporters became even more challenging after the Wikileaks report revealed what Sanders’ camp felt all along — that the Democratic Party establishment had been undermining the Sanders campaign and favoring Clinton.
During the first day of the Democratic National Convention, Sanders talked to his followers, many of whom were crying as he spoke, and made his case as to why they should rally behind Clinton. With the powerful convention speeches of First Lady Michelle Obama, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Pres. Barack Obama, and former Pres. Bill Clinton, Sanders communicated this message to help unite the party and elect Clinton to be the next president of the United States.
Here are the excepts:
“We have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution – our revolution – continues. Election days come and go…But the struggle of the people to create a government which represents all of us and not just the one percent – a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice – that struggle continues. And I look forward to being part of that struggle with you.
This election is not about, and has never been about, Hillary Clinton, or Donald Trump, or Bernie Sanders or any of the other candidates who sought the presidency…
This election is about – and must be about – the needs of the American people and the kind of future we create for our children and grandchildren….
We need leadership in this country which will improve the lives of working families, the children, the elderly, the sick and the poor. We need leadership which brings our people together and makes us stronger – not leadership which insults Latinos, Muslims, women, African-Americans and veterans – and divides us up…
By these measures, Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States. The choice is not even close.”
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
