02:41Democratic Party supporters in Chicago discussed claims of a Kamala Harris 'coup' - and suggestions that there should've been an 'open' convention to pick Joe Biden's successor - on the second day of the convention on Tuesday.
"It would have been like the Wild West and everyone would have been very factionalised and dug in on their one person and we would have done a lot of damage to each other during this convention," said one. "And we didn't need to do that. We galvanised behind her before the convention even started. Everyone knew who our person is and we are all excited to elect her."
Biden won support from the wider voter base in the primaries earlier this year - but dropped out in favour of Harris following a series of gaffes and a disastrous first debate. A number of media commentators, analysts and opponents accused insiders in the party of mounting a 'coup' and some called for an open debate at the convention, giving delegates more of a say on the nominee.
"It would have been a hell of a lot of fun but bad for the country," said another supporter. "I've been to a lot of these things in the past and the ones full of anger and hate and eight or ten candidates running against each other was a blast but it wasn't good for the country, you know what I mean?"
A third said she believed that Harris being parachuted in could work strategically in her favour.
"With the way that the world is in regards to women in power there would have been a lot of kickback and enough of a fight against her to sort of do the same thing they did to Hilary Clinton," she said. "Because they had years to campaign against her, it allowed people to be dissuaded from believing in her. So I think that strategically, honestly this is the best thing that could have happened for Kamala Harris."
The Democratic National Convention runs from Tuesday until Thursday with Harris set to close the convention.
'It would've been like the Wild West if we hadn't got behind her!' - Democrats respond to Kamala 'coup' claims, calls for 'open' convention
Democratic Party supporters in Chicago discussed claims of a Kamala Harris 'coup' - and suggestions that there should've been an 'open' convention to pick Joe Biden's successor - on the second day of the convention on Tuesday.
"It would have been like the Wild West and everyone would have been very factionalised and dug in on their one person and we would have done a lot of damage to each other during this convention," said one. "And we didn't need to do that. We galvanised behind her before the convention even started. Everyone knew who our person is and we are all excited to elect her."
Biden won support from the wider voter base in the primaries earlier this year - but dropped out in favour of Harris following a series of gaffes and a disastrous first debate. A number of media commentators, analysts and opponents accused insiders in the party of mounting a 'coup' and some called for an open debate at the convention, giving delegates more of a say on the nominee.
"It would have been a hell of a lot of fun but bad for the country," said another supporter. "I've been to a lot of these things in the past and the ones full of anger and hate and eight or ten candidates running against each other was a blast but it wasn't good for the country, you know what I mean?"
A third said she believed that Harris being parachuted in could work strategically in her favour.
"With the way that the world is in regards to women in power there would have been a lot of kickback and enough of a fight against her to sort of do the same thing they did to Hilary Clinton," she said. "Because they had years to campaign against her, it allowed people to be dissuaded from believing in her. So I think that strategically, honestly this is the best thing that could have happened for Kamala Harris."
The Democratic National Convention runs from Tuesday until Thursday with Harris set to close the convention.
Democratic Party supporters in Chicago discussed claims of a Kamala Harris 'coup' - and suggestions that there should've been an 'open' convention to pick Joe Biden's successor - on the second day of the convention on Tuesday.
"It would have been like the Wild West and everyone would have been very factionalised and dug in on their one person and we would have done a lot of damage to each other during this convention," said one. "And we didn't need to do that. We galvanised behind her before the convention even started. Everyone knew who our person is and we are all excited to elect her."
Biden won support from the wider voter base in the primaries earlier this year - but dropped out in favour of Harris following a series of gaffes and a disastrous first debate. A number of media commentators, analysts and opponents accused insiders in the party of mounting a 'coup' and some called for an open debate at the convention, giving delegates more of a say on the nominee.
"It would have been a hell of a lot of fun but bad for the country," said another supporter. "I've been to a lot of these things in the past and the ones full of anger and hate and eight or ten candidates running against each other was a blast but it wasn't good for the country, you know what I mean?"
A third said she believed that Harris being parachuted in could work strategically in her favour.
"With the way that the world is in regards to women in power there would have been a lot of kickback and enough of a fight against her to sort of do the same thing they did to Hilary Clinton," she said. "Because they had years to campaign against her, it allowed people to be dissuaded from believing in her. So I think that strategically, honestly this is the best thing that could have happened for Kamala Harris."
The Democratic National Convention runs from Tuesday until Thursday with Harris set to close the convention.