Sonia Toson and her daughter Jade, 7, watch Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech. Chris Bowling/AJC
This story was written by the AJC's Chris Bowling:
High above downtown Atlanta, Hillary Clinton's supporters gathered on Thursday to celebrate as she became the Democratic Party's first female presidential candidate.
Mothers brought daughters, veteran politicians sat beside political wannabes and countless others cheered as the event sponsored by Georgia's WIN List unfolded at the Commerce Club.
Lindsey Bradley, 9, summed it up this way: “It makes me feel like I can do anything.”
Adds her mother Tita Bradley: “We’re breaking that glass ceiling.”
The acceptance speech came after a rocky start in Philadelphia, where Bernie Sanders supporters booed the very mention of her name when the convention started.
Panke Miller, a former city councilwoman, saw the protests by Sanders fans as a sign of strength - and the rallying around Clinton as a symbol over their mutual fears of Republican Donald Trump.
“It’s going to come together,” Miller said. “Absolutely.”
Tonya Thiel, 55, was one of those Sanders backers. She still admires the Vermont senator, but she said she also recognizes that Clinton is the only Democrat who can defeat Trump.
After reading the leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee that showed the party tried to undermine Sanders' campaign, she was uncertain. That is, until this week's convention.
“The hurt’s gone away,” Thiel said. “You can’t cut off the nose to spite your face."
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