Oregon 3rd District Representative Earl Blumenauer
Michael Clapp / OPB
This is Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s sixth Democratic National Convention.
The Portland Congressman said Monday the specter of a Donald Trump presidency is a palpable force in the background among delegates.
“I’ve seen lots of Republican conventions. I’ve worked with lots of Republican presidents. And there’s nothing that’s been as dark or as exaggerated that just hangs like a cloud," said Blumenauer. "It really sets up a sense of expectation in how high the stakes are.”
He said even in 2004, when George W. Bush was in the middle of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the convention didn’t seem as nervous about the potential of a Republican presidency.
Speaking on OPB’s Think Out Loud, Blumenauer went on to say he’s glad Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation, following the release of emails showing the committee favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders.