Hillary Clinton made U.S. history when she became the first female nominee for a major political party at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night. Her groundbreaking nomination was also followed by a personal speech from her husband and former president, Bill Clinton.
Clinton accepted her nomination virtually by emerging dramatically from a shattered image of the previous 44 male presidents. In winning the nomination, she got 2,842 delegate votes, while Sanders gained 1,865 and 56 were counted as “no votes.” In addition to exclaiming that this nomination “just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet,” Clinton also addressed the huge advancement it represented for women. She told her supporters that “if there are any little girls out there who stayed up late to watch, let me just say I may become the first woman President. But one of you is next.”
The excitement over Clinton’s nomination was felt by many voters who have been waiting a long time to witness the historical moment. Vince Insalaco, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Kansas was overjoyed by the moment. “I’m so proud to be a Democrat tonight, and so proud that we can call this woman one of our own,” he told The New York Times.
Her nomination follows a recent string of accusations, once again involving email issues, but this time regarding the DNC. The DNC has come under fire after a hacker uncovered emails showing that the DNC was biased toward Clinton, and strategized ways to make Sanders look bad in order to secure Clinton the Democratic nomination. This new concern, coupled with Clinton’s previous email server issues, has created a worrisome situation for the Clinton campaign.
Due to the increased scrutiny of the Democratic party, Bill Clinton’s speech on behalf of his wife was important for boosting morale. As one of the most disliked candidates in U.S. history, Clinton has had a tough time gaining the trust of some voters. Her husband’s speech about their early courting days, and her relationship with her only child, Chelsea Clinton, was in effort to show the “real” side of Clinton, a side that Bill told DNC viewers was the one they voted for. He even alluded to their marriage, saying, “She’ll never quit on you. She never quit on me.” His heartfelt speech focused primarily on Clinton herself, and the qualities that will bring her far in the election, attempting to humanize her.
In another effort to unite the Democratic party, Sanders also showed his support for Clinton, stating, “I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States.” After the DNC email fiasco, there are plenty of voters who are still Bernie or Bust, and Sanders’s movement to push his delegate votes towards Clinton is the first step in reuniting those who are still feelin’ the Bern with those who are “with her.” He also gave a strong endorsement of Clinton Monday night.
Regardless of lingering anger and unrest, Clinton has flipped the political tables and brought the United States into the modern day by nominating a potential woman president—something that has already been accomplished by 63 other nations around the world.