Hillary gets boost from Bill as she wins historic nomination

July 27, 2016 at 12:01a.m.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

skolnick@vindy.com

PHILADELPHIA

Former President Bill Clinton did a great job of articulating the accomplishments of his wife, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, Mahoning Valley delegates to the party’s convention said.

Some local delegates said the highlight of the second day of the convention on Tuesday was the roll-call vote.

That concluded with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Hillary’s primary election rival, asking for delegates to vote for her to be the party’s presidential nominee by acclamation.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, a Clinton delegate said the Bill Clinton speech was a “home run.”

“He clearly laid out that Hillary has been about the business of helping average people and fixing problems her entire life,” Ryan said. “She will do it again as president.”

The former president said during his keynote speech Tuesday that his wife is “always making things better,” and that “she’s a change-maker. That’s what she does.”

He spoke extensively about her accomplishments dating back to when he met her in college in 1971.

Kathryn DiCristofaro of Niles, a Clinton delegate and chairwoman of the Ohio Democratic Women’s Caucus, said, “Hillary Clinton has been in the public eye for decades. However, I think many people don’t know a lot about her. President Clinton shared personal stories that show her lifelong commitment to working to make people’s lives better.”

She added: “Sharing stories about her work with bringing pre-school to Arkansas and work with Children’s Defense Fund show she’s been a problem-solver and change-maker for a long time.”

Ohio Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, a Clinton delegate, said the former president “did a great job of highlighting the courage, dedication and heart that will make Hillary a great president. She is the change-maker that this country needs at this critical moment when experience and compassion for our fellow Americans matter so much.”

For a number of the Valley delegates, the roll-call vote by state was Tuesday’s highlight.

After the four-day convention opened Monday in Philadelphia with open hostility by Sanders delegates, Tom Letson of Warren, a Clinton delegate, said the gesture Tuesday by Sanders “really slipped the switch for unity that started with his speech Monday night.”

Sanders request was met with very loud applause.

“The vocal opponents of Hillary Clinton in the Ohio delegation who shouted inappropriate things and snide comments said nothing” Tuesday after the vote, Letson said. “I believe many of them joined us.”

Letson, a former state representative, added: “It was thrilling because you knew history was being made when Sen. Sanders stood up.”

Jaladah Aslam of Austintown, a Clinton delegate, said, “I’m over the moon that this process is over and we can truly start the business of campaigning to get the first woman elected president.”

Aslam added: “The roll-call vote allowed many Sanders supporters to see his campaign all the way to the end. Many of them were supportive of Hillary afterwards.”

Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras of Boardman, a Clinton delegate, said the roll call vote culminating in Sanders acclamation “was surreal. I was like ‘is this really happening?’”

While there are still Sanders supporters who won’t back Clinton and some walked out of the convention, Betras said the criticism was “less palpable, less emotional. You can see many of them understanding the necessity of getting on board. We just needed to give them some time. It’s hard when you lose an election. I know.”

There are anti-Clinton protestors, but it’s not nearly as bad as some media outlets are reporting, he said.

The protestors “realize if they’re outlandish, the media will cover them,” Betras said.

Betras praised Sanders for “doing a lot to work to bring the party together.”

DiCristofaro said, “I understand that it’s very hard when our candidates don’t always win. It takes time. But I’ve spoken to very few people who aren’t united” behind Clinton.

“For Bernie supporters, it’s important to discuss the alterative: [Republican] Donald Trump as president,” Schiavoni said. “That could happen if we don’t have unity and don’t come together. If Democrats don’t come together, Donald Trump has a good opportunity to win.”

Two days after the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia ends, Clinton and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, the party’s vice presidential nominee, will have a rally at Youngstown’s East High School on Saturday.

The event is scheduled to start at 7:45 p.m. with the doors opening two hours earlier.

To RSVP for the event, go to: https://www.hillaryclinton.com/events/view/FXL376GUEMJIZRPG/