Hillary Clinton’s bittersweet return to DNC
Spotlight a reminder of painful 2016 loss
NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton, whose presidential candidacy in 2016 sent Joe Biden to the sidelines, spent much of the 2020 primaries telling friends that her longtime ally and onetime rival was the only contender who could defeat President Donald Trump, according to people close to both.
But she also saw Kamala Harris as a possible successor of sorts, a next-generation leader with the toughness to build on Clinton’s legacy.
So Clinton is, by all accounts, reassured by the Biden-Harris ticket.
But her return to center stage at the convention Wednesday night, four years after becoming the first woman to win the nomination of a major party, was bittersweet.
Had things turned out differently, Clinton would be preparing her second acceptance speech. Instead, she spent the past several days putting finishing touches on a speech aimed at making a case for Biden and Harris.
For decades, she spoke on behalf of her husband, Bill, then to help elect Barack Obama. Over her many years at the center of the Democratic Party, she campaigned for hundreds of federal, state and local candidates.
Yet, Wednesday night was uniquely emotional for Clinton and the tens of millions who propelled her to a popular-vote majority of nearly 3 million in 2016 but a loss in the Electoral College.
It was both a reminder of a job some allies still maintain was unfairly taken from Clinton and the wave of feminist activism sparked by her loss.
She acknowledged that sentiment, relating how, in the days after her defeat, she was repeatedly confronted by despairing Democrats who presented her with all their “woulda, coulda, shoulda” scenarios.
Clinton, who spoke against the familiar backdrop of her parlor in Chappaqua, New York, saw her return to the spotlight Wednesday night as an opportunity to harness the powerful feminist movement that grew out of her loss and to eject Trump from power.
The last time Clinton addressed a Democratic convention was July 26, 2016, in Philadelphia’s hockey arena. She accepted the nomination in a white pantsuit, a nod to the informal uniform of the women’s suffrage movement.
It was a highlight of her campaign, say former aides, vindication for decades of grueling work, brutal attacks and controversy.
“I remember watching that roll call vote and being on bated breath knowing there would be something that would take this moment away from her and being so relieved when it wasn’t,” recalled Amanda Litman, a political strategist who worked on Clinton’s campaign. “It was the most celebratory it ever felt.”
She added, “It’s also proof positive that a very good convention has no relevance to the outcome of the election.”
But there were danger signs, even then.
Clinton’s 2016 speech was preceded by a queasy moment, when supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders began booing as she took the stage, to be quickly drowned out by shouts of “Hillary!”
The scars of 2016 have not entirely healed, especially when it comes to the FBI’s investigation into her email accounts, publicly reopened by FBI Director James Comey 11 days before the election.
On Tuesday, Clinton posted a brief video clip of herself blinking disdainfully in response to a tweet by Comey that read: “#19thAmendment is an important anniversary but the vote is not enough. We need more women in office. VP and Virginia governor are good next steps.”
Clinton remains a divisive figure among parts of her party, blamed by some for the Democrats’ defeat and considered by others to be a victim of a misogynistic political system. She also evokes vitriol among many conservatives as the former first lady.
After considering a third presidential run in early 2019, Clinton offered private support for Biden.
“Hillary Clinton really likes Joe Biden, and always has,” said Thomas Nides, a Biden supporter who served as undersecretary of state for Clinton from 2011 to 2013. “This is a real thing, not politics. She really liked him as a human being, and the feeling is mutual.”