Can the first Black US President now be followed by the first woman? Ian Hernon reviews the momentous nomination of Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton made history by accepting the Democratic nomination in the presidential election, saying it was a “moment of reckoning”. On the final night of the party’s convention in Philadelphia, she warned: “Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart,” and she accused her Republican opponent in November’s election, Donald Trump, of sowing discord. “He wants to divide us – from the rest of the world, and from each other,” she said. Trump immediately tweeted that her speech had failed to address the threat posed by radical Islam, making the former secretary of state unfit to lead the country. So far, so predictable.
Mrs Clinton’s main task was to present herself to the nation as the newly crowned Democratic Party nominee, addressing doubts many Americans have about her character, her probity and her place at the heart of the increasingly-despised East Coast Establishment. She had to follow an array of rhetorical all-stars – including Vice-President Joe Biden and, most notably, President Barack Obama. In her acceptance speech she did her best to frame the upcoming general election race in her favour. She referred back to the founding fathers – a proven rhetorical tactic that Trump had neglected in his acceptance speech. The US, she asserted, was founded on compromise and embraced “the enduring truth that we are stronger together” – wrapping her campaign slogan in revolutionary-era trappings.
Her speech also featured an admission about the threats to national unity: “Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we’re going to work together so we can all rise together.” The risk to American prosperity included inequality, limited social mobility, political gridlock, “threats at home and abroad” and frustration over wage stagnation, she said. She acknowledged that too many Americans had been “left behind” by economicforces and addressed them directly: “Some of you are frustrated even furious. And you know what? You’re right.”
General John Allen, former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, appeared on stage with other military veterans and gave Mrs Clinton a ringing endorsement as commander-in-chief. The closing night of the four-day convention featured a rousing speech by Obama who said there had never been a man or woman more qualified than Mrs Clinton to serve as president.
Later, at a campaign event in New Hampshire, Mrs Clinton received an endorsement from her former rival and socialist Bernie Sanders, who intends to have a large influence on the Democratic platform. “She will be the Democratic nominee for president and I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States,” he said.
“This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the very serious crises that we face. And there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that.” His campaign trail rhetoric on minimum wage increases, rebuilding infrastructure, affordable college education, healthcare reform and increased environmental protection were simply prefaced by “Hillary Clinton understands” and “Hillary Clinton knows”. Sanders also asserted that his “revolution” will go on and that he will work to ensure that his success in pushing the Democratic Party platform to the left is reflected in the actions of Democratic officeholders going forward. There will continue to be some holdouts among Sanders supporters but the prospect of a Trump presidency should assure Democratic cohesion at least until the November election.
“Thank you for your lifetime of fighting injustice,” said Mrs Clinton, and credited Mr Sanders for bringing new Americans into the political process. “I’m proud to be fighting behind you… it’s a time for all of us to stand together.”
Trump, who has been trying to court Sanders supporters, wrote in a tweet that Mr Sanders has “totally sold out to Crooked Hillary Clinton. Fans angry!” His campaign team said: “The candidate who ran against special interests is endorsing the candidate who embodies special interests.” At a rally in Pennsylvania he again attacked Bernie Sanders for capitulating to Mrs Clinton in the Democratic race, saying he “made a deal with the devil. She’s the devil.”
But Trump struggled to counter the father of a fallen Muslim soldier who challenged Trump over his Muslim ban, prompting an ovation. US Army Capt Humayun Khan was killed by a car bomb in 2004 in Iraq, at the age of 27, and his parents, Khizr Khan and his wife Ghazala, said it was time to stand up to Trump. He accused them of “viciously” attacking him and ramped up the controversy by suggesting Ghazala Khan had been prevented from speaking alongside her husband at the Democratic convention. His knee-jerk attack on the soldier’s family prompted a tsunami of condemnation. Senator John McCain, a veteran of the Vietnam War, said in a strongly worded statement that Trump did not have “unfettered licence to defame the best among us”. Obama said: “No-one has given more for our freedom and our security than our Gold Star families.” South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Trump’s former primary opponent, said: “Unacceptable doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Ohio Governor John Kasich tweeted: “There’s only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honour and respect.” And former Florida Governor Jeb Bush called Trump’s remarks “incredibly disrespectful”.
In typical fashion, Trump then suggested that the whole election could be crooked. “November 8th, we’d better be careful, because that election is going to be rigged,” he said. “And I hope the Republicans are watching closely or it’s going to be taken away from us.” In typical fashion, he offered no evidence, simply hoping that mud sticks. He had made similar claims in relation to the Democrat nominations system which picked Mrs Clinton.
In another development, American billionaire businessman Warren Buffett challenged Trump to release his tax returns. Trump has said that they cannot be made public until the financial authorities have completed an audit. But Buffett said there were no rules against showing tax returns and allowing people to ask questions about them. Speaking at a rally in support of Mrs Clinton, Buffett said he was under audit as well, adding he was prepared to meet Mr Trump “any place, any time” to go over each other’s tax returns.
Trump’s cavalier attitude to business dealings may blow up in his face in the run-up to polling day, but there is little evidence of a surge in affection for Mrs Clinton. The argument in favour of Trump, as Democrats recognise, is that the gravitational force of this election is a desire for change and Mrs Clinton suffers from being the ultimate Establishment figure. But Democrats believe that the forces in her favour are significantly stronger. She has demographics tilting her way; the sectors of the American population that are growing – non-white people – tend to vote Democrat. She is much better organised than Trump. The Democratic convention was a showcase of strong speakers, excellent stage craft and word-perfect messaging compared to a shambolic Republican shindig. Mrs Clinton has more money, more staff and a better turn-out operation than her opponent. The Philadelphia magazine summed up widespread feeling: “She isn’t Donald Trump, and this year, that’s enough.”