Hillary Clinton: ‘We’ve cracked the glass ceiling’

Hillary Clinton has told Democrats they have “just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling” by nominating her for US president on a night awash with history.

The former secretary of state and first lady put an electrifying cap on the Democratic convention’s second night, speaking by satellite video and offering this message to any little girls who might have stayed up to see the ground-breaking moment: “I may become the first woman president, but one of you is next.”

She earlier became the first woman in the US to be nominated for president by a major political party.

Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, later took to the convention stage in Philadelphia and described his wife as an impassioned “change-maker”.

“She’s been worth every single year she’s put into making people’s lives better,” he said.

For a man more accustomed to delivering policy- packed stem-winders, Bill Clinton’s deeply personal address underscored the historic night for Democrats and the nation.

If she wins in November, the Clintons would also be the first married couple to each serve as president.

Hillary Clinton will take on Donald Trump, who won the Republican nomination a week ago. Trump mocked Bill Clinton’s speech, calling him “over-rated”.

History. pic.twitter.com/1ayWTx8SPH

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 26, 2016

At Trump’s convention last week, Hillary Clinton was the target of blistering criticism of her character and judgment, a sharp contrast to the warm and passionate woman described by her husband.

Seeking to explain the vastly different perceptions of his wife, Bill Clinton said: “One is real, the other is made up.”

He traced his relationship with his wife back decades, recalling in great detail the first time he spotted her on a law school campus and the impact she had on pushing him into politics.

He took voters back to a time before an affair with an intern led to his impeachment — and to intense public scrutiny of the first couple’s marriage.

While her aides believe his past transgressions are old news to voters, they have flared up anew at times during the campaign, with Trump often leading the charge.

In an important move for party unity, Hillary Clinton’s primary rival, Bernie Sanders, helped make it official when the roll call got to his home state of Vermont, prompting delegates to erupt in cheers.

It was a striking parallel to the role Clinton played eight years ago when she stepped to the microphone on the convention floor in Denver in support of her former rival, Barack Obama.

This time she shattered the glass ceiling she could not crack in 2008.

"I trust Hillary because...I've seen her lifelong devotion to our nation's children." —@FLOTUS https://t.co/A0S2FJlsbJ

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 27, 2016