Hillary Clinton set out to turn the status quo on its head, tearing down barriers in her bid to try and win the White House.
Clinton’s perseverance and political endurance can be considered exemplary. She waited patiently in the wings for her shot at the Oval office.
“There has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill (Clinton), nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America,” said Barack Obama, giving his endorsement in July.
Second bid
As the former First Lady, Clinton knew all to well what awaited her when for the second time she announced she was running for president.
Clinton launched her presidential bid, already having broken new ground, both as Senator of New York and as Secretary of State.
Although at times she was shrouded in controversy, Clinton remained composed enough to answer to her critics.
“Now imagine Donald Trump sitting in the situation room making life or death decisions on behalf of the US,” she told supporters in San Diego in June.
Benghazi and those emails
The deaths of four officials at the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, in Libya, and the controversy surrounding her use of a private email server and how she handled classified information, were issues she was made to respond to.
“I made a mistake using a private e-mail,” said Clinton during one of the debates with Republican rival Donald Trump.
“And I had to do it over again I would obviously do it differently. But I’m not going to make any any excuses, it was a mistake, and take responsibility for that.”
The ‘woman card’
Often accused of using her gender to muster support, her backers were not deterred, viewing her as the champion of the people, as she used the criticism to her advantage.
“Mr. Trump accused me of playing, quote, the woman card. Well if fighting for women’s healthcare and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card the deal me in,” said Clinton.
She never faultered when she came to face her outspoken opponent.
Email questions return
And, as Clinton and Trump entered their final stretch of campaigning, the email controversy resurfaced.
The FBI’s director revealed that his agency was investigating newly discovered mails that may be connected to Clinton.
He said he didn’t know how long it would take to complete the additional work.
Clinton demanded to know what was going on. On the campaign trail, she questioned the timing of the new FBI revelations.
“It is pretty strange, it’s pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election,” Clinton told supporters.
“Of course Donald Trump is already making up lies about this, he is doing his best to confuse mislead and discourage the American people.”
A fighter til the end
Clinton stayed on track with her campaigning, reiterating her commitment to the American people.
“My mother taught me to never ever quit. And I’ve been fighting for families and underdogs my entire life and I’m not stopping now. We’re just getting started,” she said.
But, in the end, Clinton has failed to win enough support, the gates of history closing on her.
