Denver—After a knock-down-drag-out primary battle between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, a resounding theme at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week is one of bringing the party back together.
At the main podium, in the different caucuses, and across a plethora of events around the city, calls for unity were the unified message for Democrats as the convention got underway on Aug. 25.
In one caucus, the Asian American and Pacific Islanders caucus, delegates at the podium repeated phrases like, “Even if the candidate you initially wanted didn’t win the nomination, we need to stand together,” and other similarly blunt appeals.
Only 47 percent of Clinton supporters say they are “solidly behind” Obama, according to a USA Today/Gallup Poll.
Divisions within the party could be the biggest hurdle in the Democrats’ race to the White House.
More than being concerned about former Clinton supporters voting for Republican rival John McCain, party leaders seem to be most focused on keeping enthusiasm high among Democrats in the run up to the November elections.
“In forty years of working with the Democratic Party, I’ve never seen this level of activism,” said John Carmichael, a delegate from Wichita, Kansas. “There was a statewide blizzard in Kansas when we held our caucus, and I saw people standing in line for an hour and a half waiting to participate.”
Mr. Carmichael went on to say that he is in Denver as a Clinton delegate, but that he is very happy with Obama as his party’s candidate, and that he doesn’t think there will be a problem with Democrats pulling together.
“After the convention, all the Democrats will have the same understanding,” concurred North Carolina delegate Bill Georgiou, adding that he also didn’t think there would be a lasting split between Clinton and Obama supporters.
There is some concern among Democrats that without a strong, unified platform, core supporters may not be energized enough to create the grassroots ripple effect needed to win over swing voters and stimulate the youth and minority vote—groups traditionally having a low voter turn out.
Beyond his campaign theme of “change,” Obama himself represents a change for many people, and supporters hope his younger age and ethnic background will resonate with young and minority voters who may otherwise sit out the election process.
“The key to this campaign’s success is our candidate, Obama. He is the one inspiring people,” said Georgiou, who thinks that Barack Obama is the best candidate for engaging new voters.
