Top Democrats shrug off Clinton’s ‘fake’ email scandal

Clinton supporters were the strongest voices among the hundreds of party leaders gathered in Minneapolis for the Democratic National Committee’s annual summer meeting. Committee members wore gold “H” pins on their suits and locals stood out front spinning homemade “Go Hillary!” signs. When asked about the shortcomings of their candidate, the Democrats remained loyal.

“I don’t think the secretary has done anything wrong,” former DNC chairman and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell told the Washington Examiner. “We heard originally she violated policies, but when the facts came out, no she didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Nothing was classified or marked classified at the time she sent the emails out, some of them may have been classified after the fact,” he added. “Nothing will cause her to step down.”

Clinton’s email scandal has caused her to falter a bit in the polls. Voters view her as less trustworthy in many surveys, Bernie Sanders has overtaken her in New Hampshire and calls for Vice President Joe Biden to enter the race grow louder. Little of that sentiment could be seen at the DNC meeting Thursday, where Sanders and Biden supporters were hard to find.

Besides Sanders and the glimmering hope of a Biden candidacy, the Democrats are left with slim pickings. Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb all currently poll at less than 2 percent. But DNC members and other party activists remain confident Clinton’s problems will blow over by the time the voters weigh in.

“All that stuff is overblown, I think the important thing to remember is that we’re six months from the first vote,” Nebraska Democratic vice chair Maureen Monahan said. “We’re going to have fake scandals like the email scandals. It’s something that we definitely need to address and move on from, but six months is a long time.”

Instead Democrats preferred to talk about Clinton’s platform. Delegates spoke with wide grins about universal pre-K, healthcare reform and debt-free higher education without even a moment of thought about her standing in the polls.

“I think its time for a woman but more importantly she is great in so many ways. She has the compassion of a variety of groups in the American culture and I think she will represent us beautifully and the country will be improved by her presence,” Virginia Democrats vice chair Fred Hudson said after a state delegates meeting. “I just don’t think the scandal is worth spending so much time on. ”

But Clinton doesn’t just have the support of those with deep pockets. Many of the state party leaders present are ordinary people who have become involved in local politics.

“The establishment Democrats are for Clinton, but also the people who are here aren’t establishment,” Rendell said. “They’re just people who got invested in politics. So Hillary still has the heart of rank and file Democrats.”

And the state leaders who spend quality time with local Democrats in their home states reported that people are still “Ready for Hillary” despite her recent negative press. Iowa Democrats state director Andy McGuire spoke enthusiastically about the sold out crowd at this summer’s Wing Ding event with the five Democratic primary candidates, claiming, “I go all over Iowa and I don’t see trouble at all. I see enthusiasm and energy for the candidates, including Secretary Clinton. I’m not worried for her at all.”

During multiple committee sessions Democrats took to the podium and promised a win in 2016 to thunderous applause. Party leaders emphasized the “clown car that is the Republican Party” and dismissed the GOP primary as a mess in comparison to the unified leadership of the Democratic Party.

Although he expressed wishes that the email scandal never happened, Rendell said that he’s “strongly for the secretary. There’s always a chance for someone else, but if I had to bet I’d bet she’ll be the nominee. By November 2016 there won’t be voters going to the polls with emails on their minds.”