Sen. Bernie Sanders hugs Vermont delegate Shyla Nelson Wednesday morning in Philadelphia. Credit: Paul Heintz
On Tuesday afternoon, Norwich resident Shyla Nelson received a call from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). 

“He said, ‘I need your help. Would you be willing to nominate me for president?'” the classical singer recalled. 

Nelson, who had traveled to Philadelphia to serve as a Vermont delegate to the Democratic National Convention, obliged. Hours later, she stood onstage at the Wells Fargo Center to formally second Sanders’ presidential nomination. 

“I have never felt the Bern more than I do this moment,” she told thousands of cheering Democrats. “We will never stop working for a future we believe in. We will never stop fighting for the change we need. And we will never forget the man who leads us.”

The next afternoon — halfway through the convention — she was on her way home to Vermont.

“I’ve fulfilled the commitment that I came here to fulfill, which is to pledge my support for Bernie Sanders,” she explained as she walked out the door of the Wyndham Garden Hotel. “I am not prepared at this time to continue the process of this convention as I’m not yet prepared to offer my support for Hillary Clinton’s presidency.”

Shyla Nelson seconds Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential nomination Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Credit: Paul Heintz
Earlier that morning, at a breakfast for northern New England delegates, Sanders had thanked Nelson for doing “a great job” on short notice. And he had urged his delegates to rally around Clinton in order to defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump. 

But Nelson wasn’t yet convinced. She said Clinton still had “an uphill battle to establish trust and credibility among progressives.” And she wanted to see real changes to the Democratic nominating process — specifically, the elimination of unpledged superdelegates.

Until then, she would not participate in the pageantry.

“Bernie specifically has asked for us to be respectful — to not boo,” she said. “My intent here is to respect his request and also respect the fact that many of us are not yet ready to provide unity — especially when we feel so many voices have been left unheard by this process.”

Related Stories

Got something to say?

Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!

Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

5 replies on “After Convention Star Turn, Vermont Delegate Leaves Philly in Protest”

  3. Seriously, Brian’s right. If this was about true conviction and not (more) posturing, Ms. Nelson would know in her heart and express IN HER ACTIONS that it’s time to stop being so incredibly selfish and take one for the team. Team Not Trump, since there’s no better way to put it. We support Bernie too (please note the present tense). But this is not about Bernie anymore, he conceded as much himself when he threw his support behind Hillary this week. In fact there is only ONE person now, who can prevent our world from looking exactly like Ms. Nelson’s precious smashed glass globe in the future, and that person – however you may feel about her – is Hillary. She IS the choice at this late stage in the game. Yes there is evidence now that, as previously suspected, the whole process was stacked against Bernie from the start. It’s demoralizing, unfair, and highly undemocratic. Yes, Hillary represents that very establishment in some dismaying ways. And no, Hillary is not anything close to being a substitute for Bernie and what he stands for. But get with it Shyla. Open your eyes, hold your nose if you must, and get over yourself long enough to use your powers for good in encouraging others to do the same, and soon, unless you want Trump to be our next President. Even in VT he has an alarmingly strong following. Door 1 or Door 2. Now. It IS that simple.

  4. The three commenters here obviously have their point of view. But we were given the vote and told it was our chance to express our beliefs and values in a democracy. It is not something that can be bartered for or counted on by some political parties. We never were told that we were only allowed to vote for one of two candidates. That would smack of totalitarianism. Instead we were told that it is a valuable and inalienable right to participate in an election. Why, then, are we not allowed to express our true beliefs and feelings? Why do we have to “get with the program?” I will not vote for either Trump or Hillary because they are equally dangerous, in different ways. Trump will destroy civil society. Hillary will cement the oligarchy in place forever. Each means a loss of freedom and equality. Just because you all feel the preference for one result is somehow preferable to the other doesn’t mean we have to agree with you.

  5. Barbara I am afraid you just don’t get it. You can vote for whomever you want, true. But your vote has weight in a two party system, and if you do NOT put it on the side of Hillary, as much of a second inferior choice as she may be, you do NOT COUNTER BALANCEa vote for the other side-Donald Jackass Trump…. You want to vote for Jill, feel free, but the person with the most votes wins and, although the Green Party has an interesting platform, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO WIN ANYTHING. They died after Nader gave us crap with his pomposity, and few seem to be around to remember that history…..so we are doomed to relive it…. so sad, as Trump will be like Nixon bush and Cheney on Steroids in terms of Bad Medicine for America and the world.

    Time to be an adult and realize Saturday Morning Cartoons are over and Walter Cronkite is on. This is now serious business and just because we in Vermont are not a swing state, doesn’t mean we can treat this like something less serious than it is. Sorry to be dismissive and an ass about this, but again….time for the adults to step up.

    If you believed in Bernie from day one, how can you turn your back on his judgement and plan now??

Comments are closed.