A moment in U.S. history
3-month race for White House vs. Trump begins
“She will fight for your day-to-day needs and the long-run needs of our country. You will have national security and economic security.” Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.
Hillary Clinton won the Democratic Party’s nomination for president of the United States Tuesday, becoming the first woman to lead a majorparty ticket and setting up a brutal, three-month battle against insurgent Republican billionaire Donald Trump.
The former first lady, New York senator and secretary of State appeared in a glass-shattering video from New York at the end of the convention’s second night, which featured a deeply personal biography delivered by her husband, former president Bill Clinton.
“What an incredible honor you have given me,” Hillary Clinton said. “We just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet.”
She was lauded throughout the evening by a litany of prominent and lesser known backers whose lives she has influenced during her decades of public service, culminating in Bill Clinton’s 10th consecutive Democratic National Convention speech.
“For this time, Hillary is uniquely qualified,” he said, offering a lengthy review of her career helping children, minorities, the poor and people with disabilities.
“She’s a natural leader, she’s a good organizer, and she’s the best darn change-maker I’ve ever met in my entire life,” he added. “She always wants to move the ball forward. That is just who she is.”
The former president gave his rapt audience a complete oral biography of his wife’s life as a
daughter, student, wife, mother and advocate for social causes, focusing on her ability to tackle problems and solve them. “Hillary opened my eyes to a whole new world of public service by private citizens,” he said. “Always making things better.”
Clinton made history by surviving a grueling, 15month struggle against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, whose devoted army of followers matched Clinton’s in enthusiasm and noise level during the roll call vote inside the Wells Fargo Center.
In a dramatic effort to unite the fractured party after that primary campaign, Vermont was moved to the end of the roll call of states so that Sanders could move that Clinton be nominated by acclamation. His action, following a contentious opening day Monday, drew extended applause from the delegates as the song Happy blared through the arena.
Sanders has drawn intense support at the convention. But Tuesday night belonged to Clinton, 68, who was extolled as a champion for women’s’ rights, children and families, health care and social justice. The evening included tributes from leaders in all those fields, from former secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former attorney general Eric Holder to mothers who lost their children to violence, inspiring the chant “Black Lives Matter.”
“An enormous ceiling is coming down,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. “Tonight we are closer than ever to putting a woman in the White House.”
“Donald Trump has called women ‘fat pigs’ and ‘dogs.’ He wants to punish women for having abortions. And he says pregnancy is, quote, an ‘inconvenience’ for a woman’s employer,” Richards added. “Well, Mr. Trump, come November, women are going to be a lot more than an inconvenience — because women are going to be the reason you’re not elected president.”
Albright warmed up the crowd before Bill Clinton’s appearance with a warning about the dangers of a Trump presidency. “Many have argued that Donald Trump would harm our national security if he were elected president,” she said. “The fact is, he has already done damage, just by running for president.”
Clinton won more than 2,800 delegates over the course of the campaign, well more than the 2,383 required to win the nomination, making the roll call a formality. Sanders claimed 1,894 delegates.
Still, it was an emotional night for delegates on both sides. Jerry Emmett, a 102-year-old retired educator who helped report Arizona’s 51 votes for Clinton during the roll call, broke down after. “I cried! I never cry,” she said. Robby Mook, Clinton’s campaign manager, told USA TODAY the goal of Tuesday’s session was to focus on her long career in public service. “Her core motivations were to break down barriers to opportunities, to help kids and families in this country to get ahead,” he said.
Those bearing testament Tuesday night included Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead in a Florida altercation in 2012. Clinton “has the courage to lead the fight for commonsense gun legislation,” Fulton said.
“Tonight we are closer than ever to putting a woman in the White House.” Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood