Wikileaks spoils DNC’s Philadelphia convention plan
Plans for a unity-fest in Philadelphia, intended to contrast with the Trump-Cruz imbroglio in Cleveland, took a big hit Friday, with the release of 19,252 emails hacked from the DNC by a Wikileaks hacker calling himself Guccifer2. The trove of documents is still being reviewed by analysts, but there are already multiple scandals apparent.
Here is the Tweet by which Wikileaks released the file of purloined emails,so readers can follow the link and search the email files themselves.
RELEASE: 19,252 emails from the US Democratic National Committee https://t.co/kpFxYDoNyX #Hillary2016 #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/Pft8wnOujl
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 22, 2016
At the moment, the biggest story seems to be that the DNC actively plotted to use religion against Sanders, a clear violation of the moral standards of contemporary American politics. And, in fact, a DNC official chortled over the religious bigotry of his Democrat constituents. Via The Intercept:
…a May 2016 message from DNC CFO Brad Marshall….suggested that the party should “get someone to ask” Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders about his religious beliefs.
From:MARSHALL@dnc.org
To: MirandaL@dnc.org, PaustenbachM@dnc.org, DaceyA@dnc.org
Date: 2016-05-05 03:31
Subject: No shit
It might may no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.
The email was sent to DNC Communications Director Luis Miranda and Deputy Communications Director Mark Paustenbach. It’s unclear who the “someone” in this message could be — though a member of the press seems like a safe bet.
I would guess that atheists have a very high level of support for Democrats, and yet here is a Democrat official anticipating the fun of ginning up anti-atheist bigotry. How well will that sit with the atheists?
A side note: anti-Jewish bigotry is now reckoned to be much less of a factor than anti-atheist bigotry. I guess that is progress (though atheists would loudly dissent). But I have always suspected that African-American constituents of the Democratic Party, members of the group with the highest levels of anti-Semitism, would have resisted voting for a New York Jew, at least some of them. If an email should turn up suggesting exploiting this racial attitude, that would be dynamite.
Senator Sanders, having made his peace with Hillary and looking forward to health and a comfortable place back in the Senate, is unlikely to make a stink over this. He already knew what was going on.
But his supporters, including the demonstrators on the way to Philly, may be less charitable.
And Donald Trump has a great issue to appeal to in attracting Sanders voters. Can you say, “rigged”?