PHILADELPHIA — Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe said he is confident that Democrats will unite after their convention closes this week despite the anger toward the party apparatus over leaked emails showing the party favored Hillary Clinton over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The revelation garnered from the emails led to the resignation of Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, which will go into effect after the convention.
“Debbie’s resigned. We’ve moved forward,” Gov. McAuliffe told The Daily Caller Monday as he entered the Wells Fargo Arena. “Debbie did the right thing. The party’s together. We’re gonna all be unified. We’re gonna all be together on the issues.”
McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton friend and fundraiser who served as Democratic party chairman between 2001 and 2005, described the content of the emails that sought to undermine Sanders as “horrible.”
“I said from day one if I was chairman of the party, I would fire someone on the spot,” McAuliffe noted.
Is the Virginia governor concerned about protests on the floor of the convention over frustration toward the party?
“Protest is part of the Democratic Party. I’ve never been to a convention where there haven’t been some protest. There are people out there that are passionate about the issues, but we’re running against Donald Trump,” He said. “We have big issues and people are going to come together.”
McAuliffe blew off criticism of the party’s liberal base about Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate.
“I love Tim Kaine. He’s the best choice. He’s the best possible choice Hillary Clinton could have made. He’s got everything we need. It’s a swing state. I’ve always said he’s a moral progressive,” gushed McAuliffe. “He’ll fight on the right issues, and he’s great for Hillary. It’s the first time we’ve had a Virginian on the ticket in 100 years.”