Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton acknowledges the crowd before delivering her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28.
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“I hoped so, but I didn’t know whether it would happen in my lifetime”, said Matlin, 82, of Reno.
Democrats built on this admiration at the Democratic National Convention this week. She rebounded in popularity – to 56 percent – after she defended her marriage on “60 Minutes” prior to the New Hampshire primary, which most credit with reviving Bill Clinton’s campaign.
The event was part pep rally, part get-out-the-vote effort, and part recognition of Clinton’s achievement as the first woman to win the presidential nomination for a major USA political party. At the same time, they insist they should be able to celebrate the fact that Clinton is a woman succeeding in American politics in a way no woman has before. This anecdotal evidence is supported by polling, which shows decisively that her experience and steadiness are her most important attributes and the most important contrast with Trump, while honesty and trustworthiness are her biggest vulnerabilities. “It’s been remarkable to see her career unfold”, said Dana Dabek, a 34-year-old at the women’s caucus event. Clinton can claim a feminist victory by virtue of winning the nomination.
Terry Ann Stone, 62, of Reno, called the evening marvelous. “She was by far a better student than either Bill Clinton or me”, he told an NBC affiliate when she first announced her 2016 candidacy.
Many women, blinded by the glass ceiling whether consciously or unconsciously, are likely to still believe the same despite being equally qualified to run for office as the men around them.
Clinton carved out a different role as first lady taking on policy issues like health-care reform and championing women’s rights, most notably in her 1995 speech in Beijing.
Carol Hawkins, 76, of Spanish Springs, saw the moment as an opening to a brighter future for her large family. “I still see Bernie holdouts”, Dabek said, “but I think people are starting to feel more comfortable making that declaration and telling people why they support her and why it’s important”.
Hillary Clinton has now been a Secretary of State, a Senator, a First Lady of both the country and a state. “Those men are still around and they still think they’re the boss of us, but I think, day by day we’re showing them, not so much!”
“Other countries have prime ministers that are women and women in powerful positions of government and I think it’s just shameful that we haven’t had it until now”, she said. Yet for some of them, she is inspirational, not in spite of her reputation, but because of it. Where critics might see an irrevocably damaged reputation, admirers see perseverance in the face of adversity.
Two young women, Claire Ramage and Holly Scala, both 22 of Reno, said they understood the concern and didn’t disagree.
“I think we take it for granted because we were born in the years when we already have a lot of freedom and rights”, Scala said.
Hillary Clinton is the most admired woman in the United States.
As Matlin waited anxiously for Clinton to come on stage surrounded by more than 100 other supporters – men and women alike – she thought back on her decades of political activism. Through the years, she struggled to gain almost equal pay and control over her own body, she said.
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“It’s been a long, hard fight”, Matlin said. Her contributions to the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the Iran nuclear deal drew deserved praise, even as her careless and arrogant use of a private server for sensitive emails is drawing deserved criticism.
