As she crosses a historic milestone toward becoming the first woman to lead a major political party’s presidential ticket, Hillary Clinton took to the stage Tuesday night and delivered a clear message — her primary fight against Sen. Bernard Sanders was good for the Democratic Party, but it’s now time to unite and prepare for a brutal general election fight against Republican Donald Trump.
In a speech before a raucous crowd at her Brooklyn campaign headquarters, Mrs. Clinton finally declared victory in what’s been a grueling primary battle against Mr. Sanders, whose insurgent campaign pushed the former first lady to the political left and exposed divisions within the party.
While the campaign has been contentious, often nasty and, at times, bordering on personal, Mrs. Clinton offered a clear olive branch Tuesday as she tried to reconstitute the Democratic coalition that elected President Obama in 2008.
She congratulated Mr. Sanders for a tough fight while making clear that, despite the pledge of the senator from Vermont to keep campaigning, the primary fight is finished and it’s time for all stakeholders to unite.
“Let there be no mistake: Sen. Sanders’ campaign and the vigorous debate we’ve had about how to raise incomes, reduce inequality, increase upward mobility, have been very good for the Democratic Party and for America,” she said before making a direct appeal to Mr. Sanders’ ardent supporters, many of whom have been hesitant to support Mrs. Clinton. “Whether you supported me or Sen. Sanders or one of the Republicans, we all need to keep working toward a better, fairer, stronger America. … As we look ahead to the battle that awaits, let’s remember all that united us.”
Mrs. Clinton made her speech a day after she crossed the 2,383-delegate threshold to become the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee.
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By reaching that mark, Mrs. Clinton made history by becoming the first woman positioned to top a major party’s ticket.
“Tonight’s victory is not about one person. It belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed and made the moment possible,” she said.
But the former secretary of state also peppered her speech with clear shots at Mr. Trump, whom she labeled a “bully” and appealed to the nation by saying of the billionaire businessman’s potential presidency, “We won’t let this happen to America.”
“It’s clear Donald Trump doesn’t believe we’re stronger together. He has abused his primary opponents and their families, attacked the press for asking tough questions,” she said. “He wants to win by stoking fear and rubbing salt in wounds and reminding us daily just how great he is. Well, we believe we should lift each other up, not tear each other down.”
Just hours before she spoke, Mrs. Clinton picked up a win in the New Jersey primary while Mr. Sanders won the North Dakota caucuses. Democrats also voted in New Mexico, South Dakota and Montana, but all eyes were on California, the delegate-rich state that the Sanders campaign hoped would deliver the big win it needed to keep fighting until the party convention in July.
Mrs. Clinton, however, has all but wrapped up the nomination. Her win in the Puerto Rico primary over the weekend and the support of party delegates put her over the top, though the contest won’t officially end until those party superdelegates vote at the July convention.
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The Clinton campaign also unveiled a video Tuesday night to mark the occasion. The video celebrates the fact that a woman now will be at the top of a presidential ticket, and it clearly is designed to appeal to female voters.
“If America is going to lead, we need to learn from the women of the world who have blazed new paths,” Mrs. Clinton says in the video. “I want to build an America that … respects the potential of every last one of us.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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