Clinton accepts Democratic nomination for president
PHILADELPHIA — It was a moment America had never seen: A woman accepting a major party's nomination for president.
Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination Thursday, pledging to unite a divided country and casting herself as a tested, steady hand in troubled times. She said she would work to improve the lives of all Americans, not just those at the top.
She closed a convention that tested the party's ability to unify after a divisive primary fight. After a rocky opening day featuring protests and jeers, the opposition settled down, but never faded completely.
Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, introduced her as "my mother, my hero and the next president of the United States."
Clinton was greeted by cheering delegates eager to see her win in November. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching on television who may welcome her experience but question her character.
Clinton tried to make the case for why she deserves a second look. "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me," she said.
Clinton contrasted her decades of experience as first lady, senator, and secretary of state with Trump's inexperience in politics. And she questioned his temperament. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons," she said.
Most Bernie Sanders supporters heeded the Vermont senator's call for unity — or at least his plea not to be disruptive. But there were exceptions.
As Clinton spoke, several people in the crowd unfurled a banner that said "Wikileaks." It's a reference to the leaked party emails that some say show the Democratic National Committee favored Clinton over Sanders.
Clinton struggled to keep command of the arena. Supporters chanted "Hillary" to drown out hecklers. Some Sanders supporters chose a less disruptive way to express their views. They wore neon-green, glow-in-the-dark shirts emblazoned with the Sanders battle cry "enough is enough."
Clinton wasn't only looking to charge up the Democratic base. She was trying to win over Republicans.
The convention's last day featured speeches from a former member of President Ronald Reagan's administration and a US Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a Republican group supporting Clinton. "I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan," said Doug Elmets, a Republican now backing Clinton. "Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan!"