CONWAY -- The pendulum in American politics is swinging toward the Democrats, just in time for the 2016 election, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., told party activists Saturday.

"This country goes from left to right [and] back left again, and the only thing that makes it move is the intervention of the voters," Clyburn said. "And if you and I get our act together this year, we will keep the White House in Democrats' hands ... and we will restore Democrats to power in the Senate and the House of Representatives. That's what we've got to do, and we cannot do that fighting among ourselves."

Hundreds of Democrats had gathered at the University of Central Arkansas to elect delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and the third-ranking House Democrat urged them all to unify.

"We cannot let our differences cause so much division until we lose sight of what the real goal is, and the goal is for this country to move forward with Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States," Clyburn said.

Clyburn's speech at a special state convention of the Democratic Party of Arkansas drew thunderous applause.

In an interview afterward, he warned that a win by presumptive Republican president nominee Donald Trump would move the nation backward "absolutely."

"[Mitt] Romney says this man will bring trickle-down racism to America. That is what Mitt Romney said yesterday. ... You just had the speaker of the House [Paul Ryan] to say that what [Trump] said was textbook racism. These aren't Democrats saying this. This is Republican colleagues saying that," Clyburn said. Romney was the GOP's presidential nominee in 2012.

Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Vince Insalaco said the likely Republican nominee is cause for alarm.

"I promise you, Donald Trump is a scary guy. He's running on building a wall. He's running on deporting 14 million undocumented people in this country, which is the backbone of our labor force in many respects. He's running on stopping all Muslims from coming into this country. Obviously, he wants to control the judiciary," he said.

Insalaco also accused Trump of having an "authoritarian approach to politics," saying the New Yorker has targeted women, Hispanics, blacks, judges on the bench and "anybody who disagrees with him."

Former Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said it's "imperative" that the Democrats win in November.

"I believe that Secretary Clinton is the best candidate to run for president, ever," McDaniel said.

Trump, on the other hand, is unfit to occupy the White House, he said.

"It is almost beyond comprehension that the Republicans have nominated a man with so little qualifications and such improper temperament to be president of the United States," he said.

Former U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas said he's "pretty optimistic" about Clinton's chances, but that Democrats will need to take Trump seriously.

"He's a proven vote-getter, at least on the Republican side. ... He beat 16 candidates to get where he is today, so they do not take that for granted," Pryor said.

"Whoever the nominee would be on the Republican side, it's going to be a tough race, so they're going to get out and try to win every vote one vote at a time," he added.

In order to make sure Trump is defeated, supporters of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, will work hard to elect the Democratic Party's nominee, said Sarah Scanlon, who served as Sanders' state director in Arkansas.

"I think Trump makes a significant businessman. I think he would make a horrible commander in chief," she said. "We have to unify and make sure that we don't have to talk to a President Trump or think about a President Trump."

Others attending Saturday's convention also predicted the party will patch up their differences, in part because Democrats are so alarmed by Trump.

Vanilla Hannah, a Clinton supporter from Arkadelphia, said Democrats will come together "for the good of the nation."

"I think Donald Trump has said so many things in the past to alienate people, I don't see how anybody could vote for him," she said. "He's not democratic, as far as I'm thinking. He doesn't believe in democracy. ... I'm very surprised how many followers he has."

Tom Dillard, a Clinton backer from Malvern, said opposition to the New York billionaire is a common denominator among Democrats.

"All of them, regardless of who they're working for, are really worked up over the threat that Donald Trump poses. He's unifying Democrats like I've never seen anybody unify them," he said.

And it's not just Democrats who are alarmed, he said.

"We're going to have a lot of Republicans voting for Hillary this time around, a lot of moderate Republicans, I think," he added.

Metro on 06/12/2016