Hillary Clinton on Thursday claimed her place in history as the first woman presidential nominee of a major United States party, promising economic opportunity for all and rejecting Donald Trump’s dark vision of America.
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Speaking at the Democratic Convention, she did not hang about when it came to taking a swipe at Republican rival Donald Trump. He said no man or woman had ever sought the US presidency who was more qualified than she is, including him or her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
In an hour-long address, she laid out an optimistic plan to improve the U.S. economy, stressing that “my primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages”.
In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton, 68, cast herself as a steady leader at a “moment of reckoning” for the country, and contrasted her character with what she described as Trump’s unsafe and volatile temperament. “And to all of your supporters here and around the country, I want you to know I’ve heard you”, Mrs Clinton said. “I’m going to double down on this party that just presented the most progressive platform in history, and we’re going to elect Hillary Clinton because frankly, the alternative will be devastating”.
Clinton – who described her nomination as a “milestone” – presented a more upbeat view of the USA than the dark vision Trump offered last week.
Performer Katy Perry hit all the right notes on stage at the convention, but will the biggest speech of Clinton’s career have struck a chord with Americans? After serving as first lady, a US senator from NY, and the USA secretary of State, Clinton said, many people still didn’t understand what motivated her. She aggressively challenged Republican Donald Trump’s ability to do the same.
He said nothing truly prepares a person for being president, but contrasted Clinton’s experience with that of Trump, a one-time television reality show host who as a developer has built NY skyscrapers and casinos along the Atlantic Ocean. “I think this is symbolically important and something we should think about”, he said.
And she questioned whether Mr Trump could handle a real crisis as president.
“In our vision, we will put America First”. But she did so by making the case for being more fixated on policy than the flashier aspects of politics.
“Many of the reports you issued not only praise the governor on his environmental record”, she said, “but his education and his economic record!”
The end of the convention will kick off three-and-a-half months of head-to-head campaigning between her and Mr Trump before the November election. “The family I’m from, well no one had their name on big buildings”, Clinton said in a reference to Trump.
Trump, on the other hand, was busy telling republicans that Clinton is not honest.
“We must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying ISIS and stamping out Islamic terror”. “Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?” I’ve worked across the aisle to pass laws and treaties and to launch new programs that help millions of people.
Capitalizing on the advantage of following the Republican convention, Clinton chose “stronger together” as the theme of the night to highlight Trump’s emphasis on how he alone could solve the nation’s problems.
“Bernie, your campaign inspired millions of Americans, particularly the young people who threw their hearts and souls into our primary”, Clinton said.
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Mrs Clinton said her presidential nomination was a milestone on America’s “march toward a more ideal union”.
