Clinton's traditional convention plans disrupted by DNC email scandal

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Chance Seales, Media General National Correspondent – PHILADELPHIA (MEDIA GENERAL) — Hillary Clinton has worked for decades to earn the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, and she intends for it to follow a traditional path this week.

That is to say, the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia was crafted to feature a far different look and feel than that of the carnival-like atmosphere of Donald Trump's Cleveland gathering.

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The sudden announcement of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's formal resignation, following a major leak of internal emails and accusations of helping Clinton defeat primary opponent Bernie Sanders, came before the convention kicked off to avoid further distractions once it gets underway.

However, the brouhaha boiled over again Monday morning as Wasserman Schultz attempted to speak to Florida delegates gathered in Philly when "her remarks were drowned out both by cheers and boos from the crowd," reports Politico.

As the week progresses at the Wells Fargo arena, the Clinton camp hopes that focus on the ousted leader will be overshadowed by images of unified party elders, rule-following delegates, A-list celebrity endorsements and minority outreach.

Clinton, who has described herself as a "mind conservative and a heart liberal," is prone to moderation, despite an election cycle that pushed her far left of any positions she formerly espoused thanks to forceful proddings from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Establishment types aren't such a hot commodity in 2016, so the DNC platform will also be shared by activists closely affiliated with Black Lives Matter and the immigration reform movement.

President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Chelsea Clinton will also take the stage.

Additionally, far-left mainstays like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will appear alongside middle-of-the-road Dems like Sen. Amy Klobuchar (R-Minn.) and Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

While the pro-Sanders voting bloc still exists, it has dwindled significantly as most of his supporters have resigned themselves to backing a more centrist candidate in Clinton.

When it comes time to ratify convention rules and cast delegate votes, it's unlikely that viewers will see, as they did in Cleveland, the same level of embarrassed party officials fending off enraged verbal and physical protestations by state representatives opposing the nominee.

The major threats of disruption appear to revolve around Wasserman Schultz and the party's continued use of superdelegates in the primary process.

Democrats are sure to get in plenty of jabs at Trump's expense, but the attacks almost certainly will not match the vitriol of the Republican crowd, some of whom dressed up as prisoners and chanted "lock her up" and "Hillary for prison" on a nightly basis.

The former Secretary of State's vice presidential running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), will present himself to the country and use his Spanish fluency to appeal to Latino voters.

By the time Clinton, the first woman to win a major party's top slot, accepts the Democratic Party's nomination on Thursday evening, soaring prose and pageantry will be used to present a vision for the country that fundamentally contrasts with that of Trump.

Unlike Trump's speech, most insiders expect Clinton's speech to keep mudslinging to a minimum as the Democratic standard-bearer attempts to solidify the minority vote while wooing disaffected middle-class Americans who might be swayed by Trump's rhetoric.

The RNC officially gavels into session at 4 p.m. Monday. First Lady Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders will be the evening's primary speakers.