Much of Clinton’s address to Democrats gathered in Philadelphia for their party’s convention was focused on perhaps her biggest weakness come November – a tough public image forged over decades of withering political trench warfare.
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She called her mother a “wonderful, thoughtful, hilarious” person who made time during her childhood to attend dance and piano recitals, and to gaze at the sky with her to find “shapes in the clouds”.
“I get it that some people just don’t know what to make of me”.
“Donald Trump can’t even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign”, she said. Martin O’Malley, a former Maryland governor who ran against Clinton for the ticket, called Trump a “carnival barker” and a “racist”.
“He’s taken the Republican Party a long way, from “Morning in America” to ‘Midnight in America, ‘” Clinton said. Campaign officials say she will highlight the gathering’s theme: stronger together.
And she pledged to defeat the Islamic State group with air strikes and support for local ground forces, while authorising a “surge” in intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks. “It’s never a joke; it’s something we should all take seriously”, she said.
She also said she was proud of the Iran nuclear and global climate agreements and both must be enforced now.
Painting the upcoming general election showdown between her and Republican nominee Donald Trump as a “moment of reckoning”, Clinton cast herself as a unifier who is battle-tested and the only candidate capable of leading the U.S.in a volatile world. “This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future”, said retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan.
The former secretary of state joined him on stage for a hug after he finished speaking.
The chants included slogans such as “no more war”, but people watching on television would barely have known they happened, instead hearing louder counter-chants of “Hillary” and “U-S-A” that drowned out the protesters.
“In this world, there is no Hillary Clinton disaster in Syria, Libya and Egypt, ISIS doesn’t merit a mention, Iran isn’t on the path to nukes, convention stages don’t need American flags, and our great men and women of law enforcement, our police, do not need to be honoured”, Trump alleged. “I sweat the details of policy”, she admitted. And he was generous with his popularity on Wednesday night, urging his supporters to back Clinton. “I thought it was well-written and of course well-given by an outstanding man”.
Sanders delegates complained that Democratic National Committee staffers and Clinton delegates would sit in their seats whenever they got up to get food or use the restroom and then not allow them to return.
Some Democrats still aren’t convinced of her candidacy, either, a sentiment underscored by the protests of a small but boisterous set of supporters of her primary challenger Bernie Sanders.
Still, Clinton, who isn’t known for her oratory, will aim to move others like him.
But Mrs Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans unnerved by Mr Trump. “…if you’re serious about our democracy, you can’t afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue”, the President said, as several delegates kept their “No TPP” placards up throughout hit speech.
Hours later, he told Fox News he was being “sarcastic”, although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russian Federation should share the emails with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The speech is Clinton’s turn in the spotlight after three days of electrifying appearances by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama, all party heavyweights who praised Clinton and cautioned that Trump would be unsafe and divisive.
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Whether you believe that’s profound or platitudinous, for one night during a week, month, and year of the ugliest political eye-gouging, Obama and Biden offered the country a rare helping of optimism.
