Seven Things to Watch for at the Totally Bizarro Democratic National Convention

4. Disruptions

Can you protest … virtually?

The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a reporter’s dream. A shitshow. The short way to describe the issue was that a large contingent of Bernie Sanders delegates, concentrated in the California delegation, traveled to Philadelphia not to join in the nomination of Hillary Clinton, but rather to protest it. There were outdoor protests, indoor protests, and indoor protests that moved outdoors. Boos, of anyone, were regular practice. Should we expect something similar from Sanders delegates this time? There has been a pledge signed by 700 delegates to “vote against any platform that does not include a plank supporting universal, single-payer Medicare for All.” (With around 4,000 total pledged delegates, 700 is not enough to actually block the platform.) More broadly, though, the circumstances are different. Sanders has been working to avoid the 2016 scene, asking his delegates to sign a code of conduct to participate “with respect and a spirit of cooperativeness” and also by, you know, dropping out of the race earlier than he did last election. Most importantly, though, is that with this being a mostly virtual convention, Biden’s team will have something that Clinton’s didn’t: the mute button.

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