Another glass ceiling in American politics was broken this week when the Democratic Party nominated Hillary Clinton as its candidate for the US presidential elections. This is the first time that a major political party has nominated a woman candidate for President. The Democratic Party had once before, in 2008, done the unprecedented by nominating Barack Obama, a man with African roots, for the top executive post. The American electorate responded overwhelmingly to the Democratic Party’s choice proving that the country was inclusive enough to vote with its feet for a good candidate, irrespective of race and a long history of racial oppression and discrimination. In contrast, gender may appear to be a lesser challenge for a US presidential candidate considering the rapid strides women have made in all aspects of American life. But no one has been able to quite fathom why a successful woman candidate could not emerge before Hillary set her eyes on the post. This anomaly has often been linked to the rigours of the long campaign but Hillary after eight years as First Lady, another eight as Senator and four years as Secretary of State may finally break the jinx.

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In both her runs for the top office, Hillary was projected as the establishment candidate. Pitted against a younger and idealistic Obama, Hillary didn’t realise that the centrist -- some may call centre-right -- politics that she and her husband and former president, Bill Clinton represented, had begun to evoke fatigue among a younger electorate. Her ambivalence on the Iraq War and her proximity to Wall Street proved politically costly in 2008. In 2016, those same concerns about rising economic inequality, higher education costs and stagnating wages were voiced by Bernie Sanders who mounted a formidable challenge. In 2016, democratic politics had shifted further to the Left from 2008, and Hillary has been quick to take note of it this time. Her acceptance speech on Friday made elaborate concessions to the Sanders camp with promises to embrace all his campaign issues as her own.

Hillary’s promise to tax the super-rich and bridge the inequality gap, and to work with Sanders to make college education more affordable will help bridge the divide within the Democratic Party.

Among the challenges for a new president is the legacy of the outgoing incumbent. Barack Obama struggled in the first year of his presidency to undo the damage wreaked during the Bush years. Mitigating the effects of the great recession of 2008 and minimising American involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were priority items. However, Obama has struggled to address issues of race and gun violence that have repeatedly erupted in the past two years. With the Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, Obama’s unfinished agenda will have to be carried forward. Hillary has promised gun control measures without repealing the Second Amendment which allows gun ownership. Race has also made a vicious return after several instances of police shootings in which young African-Americans became targets have forced many in the community to take increasingly militant stances. But Hillary’s first task will be to overcome the challenge mounted by Donald Trump. Hillary made a good start in her speech at the Democratic Convention where she portrayed Trump as an unethical businessman and irresponsible politician who foments fear and hate, and that he cannot be trusted to keep alliances or hold the keys to the nuclear weapons. Trump’s majoritarian populism, gained traction among Republican voters, fatigued with smooth-talking politicians and the constant harping of fiscal and social conservatism. Trump’s success has thrown the Republican Party into confusion. In contrast to the disarray at the Republican convention, Hillary’s nomination and her appropriation of the Sanders’ campaign gave the Democrats a successful national convention that they proudly showcased to the United State and the world.