PHILADELPHIA — Former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, a prominent Bernie Sanders supporter, told a crowd of Sanders fans gathered outside city hall Monday not to hold it against the Vermont senator for supporting Hillary Clinton and also said more Democrats need to respect the feelings of Sanders supporters.
“Our senator has been a man of his word, and I know some of you are disappointed, but he has been a man of his word,” Ms. Turner said.
“He said that if he was not the nominee what he was going to do, and you cannot be mad at him for that. You have to accept that,” she said.
“Because his name was on the ballot, but your name is on the voter registration card,” she said.
“We cannot turn on the man that had the courage to step in this arena and take it to the establishment,” Ms. Turner said to cheers.
“You guys know what is on the other side in terms of the Republicans, and I’m not going to be that Democrat that asks you to vote in an atmosphere of fear,” she said.
“But we all do have to search our hearts and decide what kind of country we want to live in and who is best at this moment to get us there,” she said.
“Bernie,” one person said.
“I am never going to tell you or dictate to you or preach down to you, because I feel your pain, I understand where you’re coming from, and more Democrats need to respect the feelings of the supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders,” she said to cheers and applause, followed by chants of “Nina! Nina! Nina!”
Mike Ferris, 43, of Pennsylvania, said he understood what Ms. Turner was saying, and he’d vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein before he’d vote for Mrs. Clinton.
“I don’t see Hillary and Trump that far off from each other, honestly,” he said. “I really don’t.”
Elsewhere, John Holzinger, 21, who made the trip from Maryland, was putting the finishing touches on a sign that said “Long live the revolution #neverHillary.”
He said it’s unlikely there’s anything Mrs. Clinton can say or do this week to get him to support her.
“I don’t believe so. Not after the email leak,” he said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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