Conventional Clinton

PHILADELPHIA—On the final night of the Democratic National Convention, space was scarce for convention goers still lining the halls of the Wells Fargo Center more than 90 minutes before Hillary Clinton took center stage to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first woman to top a major party ticket.

Those stuck in the halls outside watched on televisions perched above concession stands, as Clinton began her speech with an almost immediate nod to supporters of her former rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt: “Bernie your campaign inspired millions of Americans. … To all of your supporters here and around the country: We heard you. … Your cause is our cause.”

It was a critical olive branch to extend after an email leak on Sunday showed that Democratic Party officials actively worked against Sanders during the primary season. Sanders’ supporters filled Philadelphia streets all week, and many vowed they’d never vote for Clinton or Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Clinton also made a pitch to win over independent voters and dissatisfied Republicans—perhaps a public acknowledgement that she’ll need to pull from all corners to win what could be a tight contest against Trump.

Earlier in the evening, Doug Elmets, a Republican and former speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, told the audience that Trump is an unacceptable candidate and this fall he’ll be voting for a Democrat for president for the first time. (Later in the evening, I saw Elmets in the arena hallways, struggling to find a seat in the upper level section of the packed arena.)

But Clinton spent far more time talking about her opponent. Clinton derided Trump’s boorish behavior, adding that he didn’t have the temperament to deal with a crisis: “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.”

This was perhaps another preview into the weeks ahead, where the two candidates are sure to trade ever-sharpening barbs, and Trump is certain to continue tweeting them.

But Clinton also overlapped with Trump in at least one major area: She promised to turn back unfair trade deals and bolster jobs located in America—that’s a central piece of Trump’s campaign.

Clinton diverged from her opponent when it came to other issues: She underscored her support for legal abortion, she promised free college to all students from middle-class families, and she promised to “liberate” those still paying off student debt.

How would she pay for it? “Wall Street, corporations, and the super rich are going to start paying their fair share of taxes,” she said. That’s a line straight out of Sanders’ playbook.

While Clinton warned voters against trusting Trump (a theme hammered throughout this week’s convention), there’s at least one thing she didn’t mention: Her own epic struggle to win trust.

No mention of the email scandal that has dogged her campaign and led the director of the FBI to call her handling of classified information “extremely careless.” And no mention of the questions that remain about her response to the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans, or her ties to troubling international governments through the Clinton Foundation.

But stay tuned. There’s still plenty of time for questions on both sides. Though the conventions are ending, the first presidential debate between Trump and Clinton is less than eight weeks away.