Conventional thoughts

Stayed up way past bedtime to watch Michelle Obama, Senator Warren and Bernie speak to convention delegates in Philly.  It was simultaneously uplifting and depressing.  Everyone cheered Michelle, who delivered a thoughtful inspiring speech.  She used the prospect of her daughters starting their careers and adult lives in a Clinton administration as a rallying cry for equality and inclusivity.  Warren and Sanders had a tough act to follow, especially as many Bernie supporters are not ready to give up their crusade.   As the media interviewed a selection of younger Bernie partisans after the speech you could feel the smolder.  For many it was their first exposure to electoral politics.  I probably would have felt the same way in 1972.  In that election, however, the left got its candidate in George McGovern, so I felt great about the system until Election Day.  Explaining how Bernie would probably go down if he had won the nomination will not win any points with Bernie Bros.  They need to go through however many stages of grief necessary to remember what this election is all about.  A protest vote for the Green Party is like a vote for Trump.  This needs to be forcefully hammered home by every Clinton surrogate, every day between now and November.  At least the convention got off to a reasonable start.  There is plenty of time to unite behind the nominee, assuming democrats can expand the tent to cover all of their supporters.