The overblown hype of the left-wing insurgency against Hillary Clinton

This insurgency was mostly sound and fury, signifying little more than an ordinary primary campaign of the kind parties have every four years

Hillary Clinton has the support of more Bernie Sanders' fan than you'd think.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Adrees Latif)

At the beginning of the Democratic convention, it looked like the parties had reverted to type: The Republicans had (pretty much) unified around their nominee, focused more on their common enemy than on their minor disagreements, while the Democrats were back to their fractious ways. Boos rang out through the convention hall in Philadelphia, and establishment Democrats tore their hair out at the prospect that their carefully laid plans might be blown to shreds.

But then it all came together. It took some negotiating, but not only did Bernie Sanders offer Hillary Clinton a full-throated endorsement, his staff worked with Clinton's people to quell the kinds of disruptions that had marred the convention's first night. By the time it was all over, the party looked unified and all but a small number of disgruntled Sanders dead-enders had joined in.

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.