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The Making of the President 2016: Part 18-The Democrats (May to July)

Unlike Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton did not clinch her party's nomination until June of 2016. On June 4 and 5, Clinton won victories in the Virgin Islands caucus and Puerto Rico primary and it was following these victories that on June 6, 2016, the Associated Press and NBC News reported that Clinton had the required number of delegates to win the nomination, including pledged delegates and superdelegates. On June 7, Clinton secured a majority of pledged delegates after winning primaries in California, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. Her opponent, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, won the primaries in Montana and North Dakota. Clinton also won the final primary in Washington, D.C. on June 14. At the conclusion of the primary process, Clinton had won 2,204 pledged delegates (54% of the total) awarded in the primaries and caucuses, while Sanders had won 1,847 (46%). Unlike the Republicans, the Democratic party also has 714 unpledged or "superdelegates" with votes i the convention. Clinton received endorsements from 560 of these (78%), while Sanders received 47 (7%).



On June 16, 2016, Sanders announced that his goal now was to work with Clinton to defeat Donald Trump in the general election. On July 8, representatives from the Clinton campaign, the Sanders campaign, and the Democratic National Committee negotiated a draft of the party's platform. On July 12, Sanders formally endorsed Clinton at a rally in New Hampshire in which he appeared with Clinton.

With the Democratic Convention approaching, speculation began as to who Clinton would choose as her running make. Clinton's shortlist was said to include Representative Xavier Becerra of California, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro of Texas, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, Labor Secretary Tom Perez of Maryland, Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, retired Admiral James Stavridis, and Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado. When asked what qualities she was looking for in a running mate, Clinton told the Washington Post that the most important attribute she looked for was the ability to immediately step into the role of president.

On July 22, just three days before the start of the Democratic National Convention, the Clinton campaign announced that Virginia Senator Tim Kaine had been selected as her running mate. Kaine, who was born on February 26, 1958, is the junior United States Senator from Virginia. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kaine grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, and graduated from the University of Missouri. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School before commencing the private practice of law. He became a lecturer at the University of Richmond School of Law. Kaine was elected to Richmond City Council in 1994, and was elected mayor of Richmond in 1998. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2001 and then Governor of Virginia in 2005, serving from 2006 to 2010. Kaine served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011. In 2012 he was elected to the United States Senate, defeating former Virginia Senator (and former Governor) George Allen.

The 2016 Democratic National Convention was held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 through to July 28, 2016. Three days before the start of the convention, on July 22nd, more than 19,000 e-mails were by Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks. Cybersecurity experts have suggested that the Russian government was likely responsible for the hack that led to the leaks. The leak includes emails from seven key DNC staff members, and date from January 2015 to May 2016. The leak contained communication which suggested a bias by DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz in favor of the Clinton campaign and against the Sanders campaign. The incident prompted Wasserman Schultz to resign. The DNC issued a formal apology to Bernie Sanders and his supporters. It said: "On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email."

At the convention, the platform committee adopted a progressive platform that was praised by both the Clinton campaign and the Sanders campaign. It expressed support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and indexing it to inflation, and for ending the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers and workers with disabilities. It also supported a public option for the Affordable Care Act and for legislation to allow Americans ages 55 and over to buy into Medicare. It also supported Wall Street reform, the expansion of Social Security and the abolition of the death penalty. It called for an end to private prisons, tax relief for middle-class families. In a very close vote, the platform committee approved support for the removal of marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

On July 24, the DNC Rules Committee voted overwhelmingly, 158–6, to adopt a superdelegate reform package. Under the reform package, in future Democratic conventions roughly two-thirds of superdelegates would be bound to the results of state primaries and caucuses. The remaining one third—Democratic senators, Democratic governors and Democratic U.S. representatives would remain unbound and free to support the candidate of their choice.

Notable speakers at the convention included comedian Sarah Silverman, who told Sanders supporters, "Can I just say, to the Bernie or Bust people, you’re being ridiculous." First lady Michelle Obama referenced Donald Trump's actions as the reason to vote for Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders spoke on the first day of the Convention, urging his supporters to vote for Clinton. He offered a strong endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

Former President Bill Clinton spoke on the second night of the convention, describing his wife as someone who had fought for change throughout her entire life. New York Mayor spoke and urged independents to vote for Clinton in a speech that was critical of Trump. He told his audience, "Donald Trump says he wants to run the country like he runs his business. God help us. I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one."

Kaine accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination on July 27, discussing his life story, including his response to the Virginia Tech shooting. He performed an impression of Trump, repeating the phrase "believe me" in his best Trump dialect.

President Barack Obama spoke and strongly endorsed Clinton as his party's nominee, telling his audience: "there has never been a man or woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton." He contrasted his and Clinton's hopeful view of America with that of Trump, which he called "deeply pessimistic." and he argued that Trump is unqualified for the office

One memorable moment of the convention was when Khizr Khan spoke, Mr. Khan is the father of Captain Humayun Khan, a Muslim-American soldier killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Khan criticized Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslim immigration. He said: "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States. You'll see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one."



Hillary Clinton was introduced by her daughter Chelsea Clinton. In her convention speech made on July 28, Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination and asked voters to trust in her experience, judgment, and compassion. She discussed what her priorities would be as president, citing job creation as a top priority. She also promised to combat climate change, make college more affordable, and institute new gun laws.
Tags: 2016 election, barack obama, bill clinton, donald trump, hillary clinton
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