On Monday, Hillary Clinton delivered one of the most impactful speeches of her political career, urging American voters to finally shatter the "highest, hardest glass ceiling" that eluded her eight years ago.
Speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Clinton revisited the theme she had hoped to celebrate in a victory speech on November 8, 2016—a speech that went undelivered following her unexpected defeat by Donald Trump. While she fell short of her goal, Clinton emphasized that Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, has the opportunity to achieve what she could not.
Reflecting on her 2016 campaign, Clinton addressed the attacks she faced from Trump, who had labeled her "Crooked Hillary" and "Lyin’ Hillary." Now, she noted, the tables have turned, with Trump on the defensive. "We have him on the run now," Clinton declared, highlighting the shift in the political landscape.
Drawing parallels between her experience and Harris's current campaign, Clinton pointed out that Trump’s tactics have remained consistent, with him continuing to mock and belittle Harris as he did to her in 2016. "It is no surprise that he is lying about Kamala’s record, he is mocking her name and her laugh. Sounds familiar?" she remarked.
Clinton contrasted Trump’s criminal record with Harris's career as a prosecutor. "As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial," she quipped, prompting the convention floor to erupt in chants of "Lock him up! Lock him up!"—an ironic echo of the chant Trump supporters directed at Clinton in 2016.
While Clinton did not verbally acknowledge the chants, her nodding in agreement conveyed her sentiment clearly. The moment underscored her personal investment in seeing Harris become the first female U.S. president.
"This is our time, America. This is when we stand up, this is when we break through," Clinton proclaimed, envisioning Harris taking the presidential oath on the other side of that glass ceiling.
Clinton also placed Harris's candidacy in a historical context, referencing her mother, Dorothy Howell, who was born in 1919, a year before American women gained the right to vote. She paid tribute to Shirley Chisholm, the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972, and recalled taking her daughter, Chelsea, to see Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice-presidential nominee of a major U.S. party, in 1984.
In a poignant reflection on her own loss in 2016, Clinton suggested that her defeat was not an end but a beginning. "We refused to give up on America. Millions marched, many ran for office, we kept our eyes on the future of America," she said. "When a barrier falls for one of us, it falls for all of us."
Clinton's speech was not just a rallying cry for Harris but also a message of resilience and hope for all American women striving to make history.
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