There were tears and cheers at the US Democratic National Convention on Tuesday when Hillary Clinton was selected as the first woman ever to become a major party’s presidential nominee.
A look at Ms Clinton’s political trajectory shows that her path to the White House is strewn with controversy and is under public scrutiny — Libya, the email server scandal, Iran, her association with big money, etc. All this makes her nomination an achievement of sorts for a career politician, a wife and grandmother.
She has had strong support. Michelle Obama reminded her audience in her Convention speech of Ms Clinton’s ‘get up and keep moving’ attitude, and focused on her as a determined glass-ceiling cracker.
President Obama said of his former secretary of state: “No matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never ever quits.”
Yes, tenacity is her strength, a survival tool in male-dominated politics. But, more importantly, at a time when American politics has become reactionary given its cultural, racial and social divisions, Ms Clinton’s temperament, competence and experience will be tested.
Although she was an unpopular choice, Democrats are now rallying around her to draw traditional constituencies. Highlighting Ms Clinton’s strong faith has been one way of showing she’s grounded. This can be taken as a positive signal.
Party disunity would be troubling for the campaign. And this is what dissenters must realise even when questioning her track record (on healthcare, gender wage gap, tax cuts, foreign policy, Iran sanctions).
On her part, Ms Clinton’s first task must involve removing the trust deficit to win over disillusioned voters. She knows she is not without controversy, making her a tough sell even if her political experience came during one of the toughest periods in international politics when diplomacy and measured reaction were critical to decision-making.
Given the two choices Americans have in November, it might be best to remember that history has lessons demonstrating that change comes slowly despite perseverance.
Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2016