Outside the Wells Fargo Center, the home of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Bernie Sanders supporters have literally staked their claim on Roosevelt Park: They’ve erected tents.
“Things are never her fault,” said Kristen Kiernan, 30, of Florida. “I’ve lost track of how many times she’s flip-flopped on important issues. It’s time we got an active leader for change.”
She was holding a #NEVERHILLARY sign. “Hillary for Prison” signs were spotted, too. There were chants of “Hell no, DNC. We won’t vote for Hillary.”
“She’s just as guilty as the corporations for the mess we’re in,” said Elle Noordzy, 27, of Rhode Island. “They put corporate interests over people.”
Whom will she vote for?
“I’m writing in Bernie.”
John and Olgui Sommerfeldt, 29 and 27, also said they will write Sanders in.
“She’s a criminal,” John said. “She’s horrible and the DNC’s horrible. Bernie’s the only honest one out if all of them.” He added that the convention could turn ugly if Sanders doesn’t leave Philly as the nominee. (Several people in the park, citing political maneuvers or the leaked DNC emails, believed his nomination was still a possibility.)
Jeremy S., a 26-year-old from Massachusetts who plans on voting for Jill Stein if Clinton is the Democratic nominee, said the leaked emails were “just confirmation of what we all figured was going on.” Asked whether Clinton could win his vote, he shook his head. “A vote for her is a vote for Iraq. A vote for her is a vote for TPP.”
He, like others I spoke to, dismissed the suggestion that not voting for Clinton could put Donald Trump in the White House.
“I’m more worried about a continuation of Clinton-like policies,” Jeremy said, “than I am an orange nuclear bomb being dropped on Washington.”