Hillary Clinton Makes History As First Female Presumptive Presidential Nominee Of A Major Party

AP: Clinton’s Victories Made Her “The First Woman Poised To Lead A Major Political Party’s Presidential Ticket.” The Associated Press reported that with her primary win in California, Hillary Clinton seized “her place in history,” making her “the first woman poised to lead a major political party’s presidential ticket.” From the June 8 report:

Powered by a solid triumph in California, Hillary Clinton declared victory in her yearlong battle for the heart of the Democratic Party, seizing her place in history and setting out on the difficult task of fusing a fractured party to confront Donald Trump.

Clinton cruised to easy victories in four of the six state contests Tuesday. With each win she further solidified Sen. Bernie Sanders' defeat and dashed his already slim chances of using the last night of state contests to refuel his flagging bid.

The victories allowed Clinton to celebrate her long-sought “milestone” — the first woman poised to lead a major political party's presidential ticket. Standing before a flag-waving crowd in Brooklyn, the former secretary of state soaked up the cheers and beamed.

“Barriers can come down. Justice and equality can win,” she said. “This campaign is about making sure there are no ceilings, no limits on any of us. This is our moment to come together.” [Associated Press, 6/8/16]

Conservative Media Dismiss And Downplay Historic Nature Of Clinton Win

Fox’s Greg Gutfeld: “Can I Question The Historical Value Of This? It Comes Off To Me As Really Drab.” Fox News host Greg Gutfeld doubted the “historical value” of Clinton’s nomination, saying Obama’s nomination felt like a “historic event, but with Hillary, it doesn’t feel that great. It doesn’t have the glory.” Gutfeld concluded, “There isn’t the joy of this moment because she’s -- if you took away that one thing, the historical, you don’t have anything.” From the June 7 edition of The Five:

GREG GUTFELD (CO-HOST): Can I question the historical value of this? It comes off to me as really drab. When you think back to 2007, with Barack Obama and you know, this was the historic event, but with Hillary, it doesn't feel that great. It doesn't have the glory. It's like you won a trip on Wheel of Fortune and it's to Venezuela.

[...]

It's funny, there isn't the joy of this moment because she's -- if you took away that one thing, the historical, you don't have anything. [Fox News, The Five, 6/7/16]

Fox’s Brian Kilmeade: Clinton Win “Anticlimactic” Because “We Knew This Day Was Inevitable.” Fox host Steve Doocy admitted that Clinton’s win was “certainly historic” before calling it “anti-climactic” because “she was pretty much coronated by the DNC half a year ago.” Co-host Brian Kilmeade responded, “The drama wasn’t there like it was with Barack Obama … we knew this day was inevitable.” From the June 8 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends:

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Last night certainly historic for Hillary Clinton, and yet I guess because she was pretty much coronated by the DNC half a year ago, it seemed a little anti-climactic. Also she’s been running for president for over a decade.

BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): Steve, I agree with you in that the drama wasn't there like it was with Barack Obama, which was a slow build from no chance, to oh my goodness is this guy a good orator, to let’s see what we can do here. I want not a red America, not a blue America, United States of America. He wants to bring everyone together, didn’t really happen. With Hillary Clinton, when Elizabeth Warren said she wasn’t running and Joe Biden said he wasn’t running, we knew this day was inevitable. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/8/16]

Herman Cain: “She Wants To Make A Big Deal About How Historic This Is, The American People … Care More About Prosperity Than History.” On the June 8 edition of Fox & Friends, conservative radio host and former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain said Clinton “wants to make a big deal about how historic this is, the American people, most of them care more about prosperity than history.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/8/16]

Fox’s Gretchen Carlson: “It’s Also Historic” That Clinton Is “The First Person Under FBI Investigation At The Same Time.” Fox host Gretchen Carlson diminished the historic nature of Clinton’s nomination by falsely adding that “it’s also historic” that Clinton is “under FBI investigation at the same time” -- Clinton is reportedly not the subject of an FBI investigation. Guest Larry O’Connor responded, “The real history that was made here” is that the Democrats “nominated a person with such a cloud over her … I don’t care about people’s body parts.” From the June 7 edition of The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson:

GRETCHEN CARLSON (HOST): It’s historic that she is the first female nominee for president in the United States. It’s also historic, Larry, that she's, I believe, the first person under FBI investigation at the same time.

LARRY O'CONNOR: Yeah, I mean the real history that was made here if she did in fact get the number of delegates is that never before in history has a political party with a proud tradition like the Democrats have they nominated a person with such a cloud over her, with so many questions, and so much suspicion, and such a lack of trustworthiness with the American people. That's the history that was made yesterday. I don’t care about people’s body parts. [Fox News, The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson, 6/7/16; Media Matters, 1/6/16]

NY Post Editorial Board Congratulated Democrats For Nominating Clinton While Mocking Her Achievements. New York Post’s editorial board congratulated Democrats for nominating a woman for president before dismissing her achievements as a politician and making disparaging comments about Clinton “enabling” her husband. The board added that “showing up … seems to be 100 percent of Clinton’s record of achievement.” From the June 8 editorial:

Congratulations, Democrats: With Tuesday’s voting, you’re making history — the first major US political party to nominate a woman for president.

Too bad it had to be Hillary Clinton.

OK, she “earned” it — all those years supporting (and enabling) Bill; all that tedious work in the Senate; all those frequent-flier miles at State. Not to mention the diligent fund-raising for the Clinton Foundation, and the drudgery of endless speeches to Goldman Sachs and the rest of the 1 percent.

“Showing up” may be 90 percent of life, but it seems to be 100 percent of Clinton’s record of achievement.

What a role model.

Yes, she won the nomination fair and square — but she only wrapped it up on the last real day of the primaries, and her only opponent was a vintage socialist. And to beat him, she had to flip-flop on everything from free trade to crime, disavowing the entire Bill Clinton legacy. [New York Post, 6/8/16]