Sanders delegates say convention turning them away from Democratic Party

Supporters of Sen. Bernard Sanders at the Democratic National Convention say the first two days’ worth of speakers have done little to win their support, and a majority say the haranguing from the stage has made them “less enthusiastic” about supporting the ticket in November.

Feelings are growing still more raw after Sanders delegates walked out of the roll call vote that officially nominated Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential candidate Tuesday, and then were threatened with being arrested when they staged a sit-in to take over the media rooms.

And Mr. Sanders himself, who has given Mrs. Clinton his full backing, has not been able to sway many of his left-wing supporters who say while he once led the movement, it’s taken on a life of its own.

“Campaigns come and go, and movements just grow,” said Norman Solomon, national coordinator of the Bernie Delegates Network.

The network has been surveying its hundreds of members to gauge their feelings during the convention, and after the first two days’ events — which they said included the party refusing to give them paperwork to challenge the vice presidential nomination — the delegates are in a sour mood.

Some 300 delegates responded to an email survey and 55 percent said the first two days made them “less enthusiastic” about supporting the ticket. Just 21 percent said they are more excited, while the rest said they remain about the same.

Even Mr. Sanders’ own appeals on Monday and Tuesday haven’t closed the breach. More than a quarter of those who responded to the survey said he had “no influence” over their feelings toward the ticket now.

The network had tried to recruit a challenger to Sen. Tim Kaine, the vice presidential nominee, but said the DNC hindered them, refusing to turn over the paperwork that needed to filed. The network said it had someone willing to run as an alternative, but the person is refusing to be named now since the plans to force a floor showdown faltered.