The DNC Reveals A Deep Divide Within The Democratic Party

The Wells Fargo Center is packed on the last night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Hillary and Stronger Together signs are passed down the aisles as the crowd cheers on every speaker, every word. Its a unified look for a convention that initially seemed to be anything but; with the Sunday resignation of Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz came further allegations from supporters of Bernie Sanders that their candidate had long since been plotted against by the party.

Is this show of solidarity around Hillary Clinton only a show after all? Party members, to no surprise, disagree. Kirk McPike, Chief of Staff for Congressman Mark Takano, declares confidently, I think the party is unifying.

Its unifying, Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Democratic candidate for Illinois 8th, concurs, [Sanders Monday speech] was a great step in the right direction.

Many label the heckles and protests by Bernie supporters as par for the course after a difficult primary; Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu points out the hurt feelings after Barack Obama defeated Clinton in 2008. But is the idea of a unified party truly compatible with this newly-awoken, Bernie-inspired progressivism which McPike, Krishnamoorthi, and Lu have all agreed is here to stay?

Shihabuddin Kisslu of Somoy Television says no. According to him, the party is the furthest thing from unified. And many Bernie delegates and supporters agree. In their eyes, the Democratic establishment has become a symbol of corruption more than anything else. They no longer believe that only policy differences separate them from the more moderate wing of the party- they believe that moral ones separate them too.

Anger and frustration are visible in superdelegate Gabriel Silva, a supporter of Sanders. He believes that Wasserman Schultz should have been investigated and then indicted for her role in the DNC email scandal. In his eyes, the whole affair should have resulted in a couple of people in jail.

Bitter progressives will for the most part unite with Democrats to defeat Donald Trump , but its unclear whether the partnership will last much longer than November. Policies are no longer a priority, something made clear by the not-insignificant number of Sanders supporters seriously considering abstaining or voting Trump or third party this election cycle. Instead, members of the far-left wing are looking for purity politics- impassioned policy delivered by a system free of corruption. And the current Democratic Party , headed by people who seem to take scandal with their morning coffee, simply cannot provide that for them.

Until there is greater change within party leadership, and particularly until the Democratic National Committee is visibly more transparent and neutral during election cycles, the left-wing will find a new home in third parties. Proof is just outside the Wells Fargo Center, where Dr. Jill Stein, the presumptive nominee of the Green Party, is courting Sanders supporters as they protest the convention.

Back inside, Hillary Clinton takes to the stage. The applause is thunderous, the whistles are shrill, yet there is the unmistakable sound of booing from various sections of the arena. Nearby, a convention-goer turns to her friend and smiles weakly. I guess thats just what democracy looks like.