For the first time in the history of American politics, a woman will represent a major party in a presidential election.
Due to the progress of women like Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro, Victoria Woodhull and, yes, even Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton will represent the Democratic Party this fall in its bid to retain the White House.
It’s great to finally see a woman’s voice and actions on a path to the highest job in the land. Perceptions of women have come a long way since 1920 when the 19th amendment was passed, giving women voting rights to slowly, but surely, close the disparaging pay gap between males and females. Clinton’s nomination signifies the progress made in the country, regardless of the racist, xenophobic, sexist, homophobic and bigoted rhetoric coming from the presumptive Republican nominee.
Clinton attempted to be the Democratic nominee in 2008 but lost to then-Senator Barack Obama in a tumultuous and rigorous primary season. She showed toughness and resiliency, fending off Obama at the time, but could not trounce his message of change.
In her concession speech, Clinton bowed out with grace and unity in mind.
“If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House,” Clinton said. “Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and sheer knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time.”
Eight years later, Clinton did what many thought would never happen: She finally broke through that ceiling and looks to clinch the nomination.
The nomination not only demonstrates a loud and resounding message around the world; it sends a big signal to young girls and women around the country, telling them that anything is possible, no matter how big or challenging the obstacle.
It was not as easy as many assumed, thanks to Sen. Bernie Sanders, a formidable challenger. Nonetheless, Clinton was able make herself a better candidate by going through a tough primary season.
Clinton’s struggles in the primary election are similar to the barriers women continually have to break through for their voices to be heard and garner equal rights.
She battled through negative stereotypes — like being accused of always yelling and shouting and enabling her husband of cheating when she cannot control his actions — which are irrelevant to today and to her policies.
It shouldn’t matter what type of president Clinton’s husband was from 1992 to 2000. Worthier of focus is what Clinton could do from 2016 to 2020 — and possibly the four years after.
Clinton’s nomination is a monumental step in American politics. It’s just as significant as Obama being the first black person to represent a major party and go on to win the presidency in 2008.
If Hillary Clinton were elected president, it would be a great day in American history, especially coming off the heels of having the first black person to hold office. The country not only needs this; it demands it.
One can only hope we, as a nation, keep making progress like this.
Odus Evbagharu is a political science junior and can be reached at [email protected]
Congratulations to the first CRIMINAL to be nominated by a major party for the presidency. Just think what she can do if elected. She will make the selling of government favors that she practised as Sec of State look like child’s play. Hillary, you were right when you said it is time to move on – so MOVE ON. Leave us in peace. You have tormented us enough. Go directly to jail. do not pass “go.” Do not collect $125,000!
Let us know when she’s been actually arrested and charged for something. So far, nada. And comment sections are not criminal courts of law and have no arrest powers. And in case, you didn’t know, that Benghazi “investigation” has already wrapped up and essentially they found the same thing everyone else found. No wrong doing. The only significant fact about the so-called “investigation” was that it was the MOST expensive and time consuming (2 years and $7 million dollars) witch hunt ever conducted in the name of partisan politics by Republicans in the U.S. Congress which history will not forget nor evaluate kindly. Nothing like it compares. And since the writer of this piece didn’t notice, there has been no announcement from the DNC of HRC’s nomination.She is therefore the “presumptive” nominee. Facts. Some people just hate them.
Congrats to her. She has faced more false attacks and distortions of her record than anyone in our history.
It’s impossible to trust Clinton: The emails thing, the constant flip-flopping on policy, being in wall street’s pocket, etc. That’s just a small sampling of things that makes her a not very trustworthy person. Also, let’s not forget, there is still a question about whether she will be criminally indicted or not. That makes a it a little hard to run for president…
Arguably worse than her though, are her vocal supporters and how they treat people who support Bernie Sanders. Instead of focusing around trying to ring them in under the name of party unity they call them sexist for supporting Sanders, or being against the waves of progress. That’s absolutely not how you get someone to support your candidate, and it’s a large reason why she’s not getting many Bernie supporters and why her polling lead relative to her competition continues to narrow.
The only way she’ll win over the majority of Bernie supporters and secure this election is if she announces Elizabeth Warren as her VP, but wall street has already threatened to cut Clinton loose if she does that and I doubt she’ll let her sugar daddies go that easily.
It’ll be the ultimate test of character for her, and making the wrong choice could ultimately leave the country under control of a mad man.
I know hundreds of Bernie supporters and ALL of them are now happily supporting Hillary.
Oh sure, a lot are, and even if they’re not happy about it when faced with the choice of her or a racist lunatic, it’s a pretty easy decision to make especially since her presidency would more or less look like Obama’s 3rd term.
What I’m saying though is that just under half of Bernie supporters feel so disenfranchised by Clinton that they would rather vote for an idiot (22%), a Libertarian (18%), or recuse their vote altogether (5%).
You see why that’s bad, right?
Yes, I do. I also think that it is overblown at this point. Bernie is fighting to make sure his followers are heard in the party and not just brushed aside and marginalized as they have been in the past. I also know Bernie supporters that voted for him in protest of the status quo in order to shake things up a little. They have no intention of voting for the racist idiot. The 22% you quote are the people on the other side. They were already over there so it doesn’t really change anything.
Not necessarily. Plenty of that 22% had to register Democrat to vote for Bernie in the primaries. And you can’t say that doesn’t change anything because that’s however many people who would otherwise be voting for Bernie had he been the nominee that are now going the other way with their vote.
Furthermore, I don’t know a single Bernie supporter who didn’t want to shake up the status quo. That was (is) kind of his central message. Some of those supporters are so against establishment politics that on election day when faced with the decision between pretty much the physical embodiment of the political machine and a crazy loon… well…
From Cattle Gate and Whitewater to Benghazi and email scandals … Hillary Clinton is very corrupt and is not condemned by the media. Instead she is propped up.
Except for being the wife of Bill Clinton, I honestly cannot find one accomplishment she can actually take credit for. Her time as SecState was filled with corruption, filling the coffers of her family’s foundation from backroom deals while on official SecState visits. The Clinton foundation spends approximately $67,000 for every million ($1,000,000) taken as donations, which would have other charities under investigation.
Socialists always talk of Republicans being corrupt, but when it comes to their own people, they never blame them. Or never admit it publicly. Incredible.
For Hillary Clinton its always been about kids … at least the ones that weren’t aborted.