Why Hillary Clinton Ran for President

Hillary Clinton, a former first lady, US senator, and Secretary of State, ran for the presidency because she believed she would "be good at the job" and it would provide her with "a chance to do the best I would ever be able to do." Her upbringing in the Methodist Church motivated her to pursue a life of service.

President Barack Obama supported her decision to run, seeing her as the Democratic candidate with the best chance of winning. Despite being seen by some as someone who maintains the status quo, Clinton has a track record of significant “change makers” in her political career.

During her time as a student activist at Wellesley, her interest in politics grew, seeing it "as the most viable route in a democracy for achieving significant and lasting progress." Her passion for children and her belief that every child should have the chance to fulfill their potential were key motivations in her campaign.

Clinton's Impact on the Women's Movement

Hillary Clinton played a pivotal role in advancing women's rights throughout her career. From her college days onwards, she has been a leader in the women's movement. Notably, she achieved several firsts, including being the first elected public official who had previously served as First Lady, the first female nominee for President from a major party, and the first such nominee to win the popular vote in a general election. Clinton, while avoiding the label of a "woman candidate," acknowledges the importance of her career as a succession of milestones for women.

Clinton often pays homage to the women's suffrage movement by wearing attire reminiscent of the suffragettes, notably "suffragette white." Additionally, she frequently references key moments in women's history, such as the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. In her victory speech upon securing the Democratic nomination, she highlighted her connection to the struggle for women's rights by mentioning that her mother was born on the same day American women gained the right to vote.

Continuity and Everyday Concerns

Hillary Clinton made a point of reaching out to regular folks during her campaign. She listened to their problems and shaped her policies accordingly. For instance, after hearing about the opioid crisis in New Hampshire, she made fighting prescription drug abuse a big part of her agenda.

Taking a page from Barack Obama's playbook, Clinton aimed to come off as an "underdog" to avoid seeming too sure of victory. However, she quickly became the favorite, losing that advantage. Her game plan focused on winning over working-class voters through grassroots efforts and data analysis. Key issues for her were the economy, reforming the justice system, gun safety, and cleaning up campaign finances.

Being closely tied to the Obama administration posed challenges. Clinton had to show she could handle issues that Obama hadn't cracked yet, without seeming disloyal. By painting herself as a "candidate of continuity," she ran the risk of being seen as someone who'd just keep things as they were. But she believed her unique campaign style helped her connect with voters. Still, she faced the hurdle of breaking the "third term" curse – where it's tough for a party to keep control of the White House for three straight terms.

Challenges Faced by Clinton's Campaign

Clinton's bid for the presidency was no walk in the park. Several factors made her journey tougher. First off, changes to the Voting Rights Act in 2013, following a Supreme Court decision, made it easier for Republicans to make it harder for certain people to vote. The NRA wasn't on her side either; they didn't support her and even pumped over $30 million into ads against her, all thanks to their ties with the firearms industry.

Then there were those pesky speaking fees she got from Wall Street bigwigs before she ran for office. Some folks saw her as untrustworthy because of that. Plus, her campaign team couldn't seem to stick to one message. Clinton blames the whirlwind of events that happened during the 600-day-long campaign for that.

Clinton's Email Controversy and Its Impact on the 2016 Election

Clinton's campaign began on a positive note, but things took a turn when her use of a personal email server became a hot topic. Even though she didn't mishandle any classified information, the media focused heavily on this issue, overshadowing her efforts to talk about important matters. Her emails got three times more attention than her policies!

Despite facing constant scrutiny and making some mistakes along the way, Clinton was leading in the polls until October 2016. That's when FBI director James Comey reopened the investigation into her emails, just days before the election. This reignited the controversy, which had been kept alive by WikiLeaks' release of emails from Clinton's campaign chair.

Clinton believes Comey's actions cost her the election. And it was a close call – if just 40,000 voters had chosen differently, she would have won.

Challenges for Women in Politics

Clinton notes that various negative aspects of American culture, including sexism, misogyny, racism, anger, resentment, and a "culture of grievance," played significant roles in the 2016 election. As a female figure in politics, she has encountered sexual harassment, ridicule, and embarrassment over the years. Criticisms portraying her as insincere, untrustworthy, or divisive may be linked to sexism.

Women in politics still face a lot of obstacles. It's “not normal,” to see women in powerful positions, especially as leaders. But this can only change if more women get involved in politics.

The way America picks its leaders also makes it hard for women. The system tends to favor candidates who are good at public speaking, debating, and raising money. Other countries with different political systems give women more chances because they focus on building relationships rather than just speaking skills.

Political Shifts and Voter Behavior

President Obama's time in office seemed to stir up unease among some white Americans about race. Research suggests that when white voters become more conscious of their own race, they tend to lean more towards conservative views and actions, including how they vote, a phenomenon known as "racial priming."

Former President Clinton observed that many voters, especially in rural and low-income areas, harbored resentment and frustration, often directed towards minority groups. This anger stemmed from perceived unfairness in government assistance to minorities, a decline in job opportunities and wages for white men, changes in cultural diversity, and disappointment with their own lives.

In struggling rural areas, where economic opportunities were scarce, feelings of victimization increased, leading to a tendency to assign blame. President Trump capitalized on these sentiments. Generally, communities with a bleak outlook on the future tended to lean towards Republican votes, while those with more optimism tended to support Democrats.

Russian Interference in US Elections

Russian hackers got into election systems in nearly 40 states and tried to change voters’ information. They hacked the Democratic National Committee and stole files, which WikiLeaks put out in 2016. They also got emails from campaign chair Podesta and WikiLeaks published those too. Russia aimed to mess with Americans using sneaky tricks.

The Washington Post called it a “broad, secret Russian plan to make Americans lose trust in the presidential election and US politics. Russians made up fake news and spread it on social media and through US right-wing news, reaching millions. They did similar things in other countries like Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, and the UK.

In the US, some right-wing folks didn't trust mainstream news, calling it a "war on truth." This made it hard for people to know what was real and what wasn't, making them easy targets for Russian lies.

Clinton's Hypothetical Presidency

If Hillary Clinton had won the election, picture her standing on a stage shaped like the USA, wearing suffragette white beneath a symbolic glass ceiling at the Javits Center. Her victory speech would have been about bringing people together, including those who voted for Trump, to rebuild faith in our democracy.

Her top priority would've been creating jobs and fixing our infrastructure, funded by taxing the wealthiest Americans. She would've worked on immigration reform, making our healthcare system more fair, and taking a strong stance against Vladimir Putin in foreign affairs. Clinton also aimed to change gun laws for safety and reform how campaigns are financed.

Central to Clinton’s presidency would have been initiatives aimed at "building an economy that works for everyone." These initiatives would have entailed substantial investments in job creation and the implementation of regulations to bolster wages, safeguard unions, prevent job outsourcing, and ensure gender pay equality. A “quiet component” of Clinton’s leadership would have involved promoting empathy and interpersonal bonds among Americans.

Progressive Strategy for Advancing America

Democrats should stay true to their beliefs, especially in protecting civil and human rights. They need to fight for fair elections and voting rights, while also building a strong political network to match the Republicans'. By promoting inclusivity and sharing economic opportunities, Democrats ought to formulate ambitious and innovative initiatives providing "broad-based benefits for the entire nation." They should recognize that advancing politically frequently occurs gradually, requiring years of commitment to a forward-thinking objective, such as universal healthcare.

To counter Russia's meddling in American politics, Democrats should push for an independent investigation into Russian activities. The US must enhance its cyber defense capabilities and take a firm stance against Putin. Restoring trust in the media and promoting critical thinking among citizens is crucial. Republicans need to distance themselves from figures like Trump and other influential interests.

Democratic Priorities and Individual Actions

To help people in poor, rural areas, Democrats must stop the Trump administration from axing the Affordable Care Act, especially its coverage for mental health and addiction treatment, along with economic development programs. Democrats need to grasp the realities faced by America's working class better, acknowledging the challenges posed by the evolving economy for workers, their families, and communities. Individual Americans can play a role by staying informed, voting wisely, backing candidates in local and midterm elections who advocate for fair elections, engaging in political activism, addressing community issues proactively, and bridging gaps with those holding different political views.