When Hillary Clinton made history in accepting US presidential nomination

It was none other than to the sitting US president Barack Obama that Hillary Clinton lost her first Democratic party nomination and missed out in 2008. Eight years later, she has not only sprung back, she has made history by being the first woman nominee from the Democratic party, on her way to contest a deeply existential presidential election.

After the emphatic speeches from Michelle Obama, former president Bill Clinton and Barack Obama himself, it was Hillary Clinton’s turn to take to the podium and grab her chance to set a brand new record.

On Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, last night, Clinton did just that: accepted the nomination with "humility, determination and boundless confidence in America’s promise".

Dressed in a white coat-pant that symbolised both her powerful position and also highlighted her femininity – something she has to both play to and transcend in her bid to be the first female US president – Hillary took centre-stage and delivered a power-packed speech, pulsating with emotions, candour and responsibility.

"When there are no ceilings," she said, "the sky’s the limit."

Here are four quick takeaways from what Hillary Clinton told America, a promise she intends to keep given the country puts its faith in her.

Never the quitter, quiet fighter

The rigmarole of Donald Trump’s smear campaign and his "Crooked Hillary" bashing notwithstanding, Hillary has proved that she’s a dogged and dedicated political fighter.

Despite a slew of controversies and humiliating revelations over her leaked emails, Hillary showed resolve to bounce back and take the steering wheel of the Great American narrative.

Hillary’s indubitable record in securing welfare for children, pensioners, the disabled, single women, and her amicable equation with non-White ethnic groups of America made it clear that she took domestic politics and policies very seriously.

This was in clear contrast with Trump’s divisive rhetoric that sought to instill fear and foreboding among the Americans, leering them into turning against each other.

Hillary touched upon her battles from the college days to her stint as the FLOTUS during the Bill Clinton regime, and asked America to give her one more chance to do better what she has been doing for years.

American foundational greatness

Frustrations and economic anxieties of poor and coloured US citizens as well the law and order problems with rising gun violence have been puncturing the fairy tale American narrative for a while now.

Despite president Obama’s best efforts, America is in bad shape, and there is a loss of faith in the American belief system of inclusiveness, freedom and liberty for all.

While Donald Trump has latched on to the broken shards of American dream, Hillary is clear that she is here to mend it, not break it further apart.

Her reasoned and patient unspooling of what the US stands for harked back to the founding fathers, like Obama’s reference to Declaration of Independence charter itself.

Moreover, both Obama and Hillary emphasised on civility and dialogue as great democratic virtues, which were lost in the din and chaos of the Trump trumpet.

Security concerns

Having been a Secretary of State, Hillary has been not only a witness to but a participant in tough foreign policy and national security decisions. Decisions such as the successful taking out of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011 or the much criticised Syrian and Libyan interventions.

However, it is needless to say that NATO alliance and anti-ISIS coalition will be better off with Hillary Clinton as the next POTUS, and not Donald Trump, who had directly called on Vladimir Putin to hack into Hillary’s electronic communications in order to help him become the president.

Though dismissed as the raging rant of a maniac, in any other circumstance, Donald Trump would have been tried for treason and for posing serious national security threat to his country, which he wants to "make great again".

Hillary’s balanced approach made the peddler of derangement that is Donald Trump stand in terribly bad light.

Nuclear codes and Twitter trigger

Though there have been several endorsements from several important former public servants, bureaucrats and office-bearers in the defence and policy fields, Hillary’s final dig at Trump was about his inability to rein in his motormouth.

Hillary’s concern that a tweet-happy Trump who couldn’t control his resentment of the Obamas and the Clintons and even the American military establishment shouldn’t be trusted with nuclear codes is genuine.

It is because of this extreme pendulousness of American political spectrum that even the sternest of Bernie Sanders supporters have finally come around to voting for Hillary Clinton, if only to keep away the national security risk called Donald Trump from the Oval Office.

America has a forked path ahead. Will it choose wisely?

On social media, president Obama was all praise for Hillary's speech:

Great speech. She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too)

— President Obama (@POTUS) July 29, 2016

Incredible speech by an incredible woman. Couldn't be more proud & our country has been blessed to have her as FLOTUS. I love you, Michelle.

— President Obama (@POTUS) July 26, 2016