Hillary’s Challenges

First, let’s make one thing clear for those who still doubt whether Hillary Clinton will be declared the victor: her lead is real and insurmountable.

During July’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, 4,765 delegates will vote to officially determine their party’s nominee.

Over the course of 56 primaries and caucuses, across American states and territories, Hillary Clinton won the support of 2,203 of those delegates. Her rival, Bernie Sanders, only won 1,828. There’s only one more leg in the race – next Tuesday in Washington – with only a few dozen delegates up for grabs.

In Philadelphia, the delegates will join the superdelegates, the majority of whom have already pledged support to Hillary Clinton. It’s true; they represent the party establishment, a fact deplored by more than a few. The Democratic Party would be well advised to review this system. But the fact remains that even if these superdelegates didn’t exist, the former secretary of state’s lead would be insurmountable.

Don’t forget that Hillary Clinton has won 33 victories since the beginning of the race, while her rival has won 23. And that she won 3 million more votes than he did.

We can disagree with Hillary Clinton’s political platform, with certain things she has done, or with the ideas she has defended over the course of her long career. But we must recognize what she has accomplished. She has officially become the first woman to win the nomination of a major party in the United States. Until now, only men had been able to get so close to the presidential finish line.

As U.S. journalist Peter Beinart noted, that Hillary won the Democratic nomination eight years after losing to Barack Obama is significant in and of itself. According to the reporter, it’s the most “remarkable comeback” of any presidential candidate since Richard Nixon. (He won the Republican nomination in 1968 after being beaten by John F. Kennedy in the presidential election eight years earlier.)

A page in history has been turned. But it’s far from over for the Democratic candidate.

She has five months left to convince a majority of voters that she, and not Donald Trump, deserves to succeed Barack Obama.

Among her many challenges, she will first have to find a way to win over Bernie Sanders’ supporters. On Thursday, he (finally) stated that he was ready to work with her “to defeat Donald Trump.”

She will have to prove that, despite her long career, she does not represent the status quo — particularly when it comes time to choose a running mate. Americans are craving change, as they have demonstrated since the beginning of this campaign. She will also need to find a way to show that she isn’t “dishonest,” as her Republican adversary will endlessly repeat until November.

She absolutely must overcome these obstacles. Because if she doesn’t, Donald Trump, who was portrayed as a clown when he threw his hat into the ring, could become president of the world’s superpower.