Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation at the Democratic National Convention as she delved into her 2016 playbook by emphasizing gender as a major focus of the presidential election. The former Secretary of State’s speech, which followed Vice President Kamala Harris’ earlier appearance, was met with cheers that seemed louder than those for Harris herself.
In the roughly one and a half-minute long ovation, Clinton, now 76 years old, first thanked President Joe Biden, leading to chants of “Thank you, Joe.” She went on to discuss the importance of women running for president, recalling Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 White House bid and Geraldine Ferraro’s 1984 nomination as the first female vice president.
If we can do this, we can do anything,” she said, before reminiscing about her own presidential campaign in 2016 when she was nominated by the Democratic Party. She recalled that “Nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams.
Clinton also mentioned the annual women’s march in Washington, DC, and the many women who have run for political office since President Donald Trump’s victory in 2016. She expressed her desire to share this moment with her mother and Kamala Harris’ mother, saying, “They would say, keep going.
The former New York senator then highlighted the importance of abortion rights and Kamala Harris’ record on crime as a prosecutor. She took several swipes at Trump, stirring up the crowd with jabs about his legal troubles. We put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” she said, referring to her own and Hillary Clinton’s efforts to shatter gender barriers in politics.
Clinton’s speech focused on celebrating the progress made by women in politics and emphasizing the importance of continuing the fight for equal representation. The former first lady’s speech reminded the audience that while there have been significant strides towards breaking through the highest glass ceiling, there is still work to be done.
