Challenges Faced by Hillary Clinton: Obstacles and Turning Points
Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Hillary Clinton. A timeline of obstacles and growth.
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is a prominent American politician and diplomat. She served as the 67th United States Secretary of State under President Barack Obama (2009-2013), a U.S. Senator for New York (2001-2009), and First Lady during Bill Clinton's presidency (1993-2001). As a member of the Democratic Party, Clinton secured the party's nomination in the 2016 presidential election, marking her as the first woman to achieve this milestone from a major U.S. party. Although she won the popular vote, she did not win the election. Notably, she remains the only First Lady to have pursued elected office.
1961: Letter to NASA
Around 1961, Hillary Rodham sent a letter to NASA asking what she could do to become an astronaut, but was informed that women were not being accepted into the program.
1974: Bill Clinton lost an Arkansas congressional race
In 1974, Bill Clinton lost an Arkansas congressional race against incumbent Republican John Paul Hammerschmidt.
November 1980: Bill Clinton defeated for re-election
In November 1980, Bill Clinton was defeated in his bid for re-election as governor.
1986: Conflict of interest accusations
In 1986, Bill Clinton's Republican opponent in his gubernatorial reelection campaign accused the Clintons of conflict of interest because Rose Law did state business.
1990: Considered Running for Governor
In 1990, Hillary Clinton considered running for governor when Bill Clinton thought about not running again, but private polls were unfavorable.
August 1992: The Lady Macbeth of Little Rock Article
Beginning with Daniel Wattenberg's August 1992 The American Spectator article "The Lady Macbeth of Little Rock", Hillary's own past ideological and ethical record came under attack from conservatives.
April 1994: Approval Ratings Fell
In April 1994, Hillary Clinton's approval ratings fell to 44 percent as a result of her inexperience.
September 1994: Health Care Plan Abandoned
In September 1994, the Clinton health care plan was abandoned due to lack of support in Congress, and Hillary Clinton's approval ratings fell.
1994: Healthcare Plan Failed to Gain Approval
In 1994, Hillary Clinton's health care plan failed to gain approval from Congress.
1994: Health Care Plan Negatively Highlighted
In 1994, the Republican Party negatively highlighted the Clinton health care plan in their campaign for the midterm elections, which resulted in a Republican victory.
January 26, 1996: Testifying before a federal grand jury
On January 26, 1996, Hillary Clinton became the first spouse of a U.S. president to be subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury as part of the Whitewater controversy investigation.
1998: Lewinsky Scandal and Commitment to Marriage
In 1998, the Lewinsky scandal brought Hillary Clinton's marital relationship under public scrutiny, leading her to publicly reaffirm her commitment to her marriage.
2000: Opposition During Senate Run
When Hillary Clinton ran for Senate in 2000, several fundraising groups emerged to oppose her candidacy.
October 2002: Vote on Iraq War Authorization
In October 2002, Hillary Clinton voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, a vote she later regretted.
March 2007: Called for Alberto Gonzales to Resign
In March 2007, Hillary Clinton called for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign in response to the U.S. attorneys controversy.
April 2007: Liquidated Blind Trust
In April 2007, the Clintons liquidated their blind trust to avoid potential ethical conflicts during Hillary Clinton's presidential race.
September 2007: Response to General Petraeus's Report on Iraq
In September 2007, Hillary Clinton responded to General David Petraeus's Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq by expressing skepticism, stating that the reports required "a willing suspension of disbelief."
2007: Financial Crisis
In 2007, the financial crisis began which would peak with the liquidity crisis of September 2008.
2007: Democratic Presidential Nomination Campaign
Throughout the first half of 2007, Hillary Clinton led in opinion polls for the Democratic presidential nomination, competing against Barack Obama and John Edwards. At the end of October, Clinton fared poorly in her debate performance against Obama, Edwards, and her other opponents.
January 2008: New Hampshire Primary and Gender Discussion
Following Hillary Clinton's "choked up moment" and related incidents in the run-up to the January 2008 New Hampshire primary, discussions of gender's role in the campaign entered national political discourse.
June 3, 2008: Obama Became Presumptive Nominee
Following the final primaries on June 3, 2008, Obama had gained enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee.
September 2008: Supported the Bailout of the U.S. Financial System
In September 2008, as the financial crisis reached its peak, Hillary Clinton supported the proposed bailout of the U.S. financial system, voting in favor of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
2008: Past Campaign
In 2008, Clinton had a past campaign that was affected by management turmoil.
2008: Lost Presidential Primaries
In 2008, Hillary Clinton ran for president but lost to Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries.
2009: Debate over Afghanistan Surge
In 2009, Hillary Clinton sided with the military's recommendations for a maximal "Afghanistan surge" in an internal Obama administration debate, but eventually supported a compromise plan.
2010: Diplomatic Isolation of Iran
Beginning in 2010, Hillary Clinton helped organize a diplomatic isolation and international sanctions regime against Iran to force curtailment of that country's nuclear program.
2011: Response to Egyptian Protests
In 2011, the Egyptian protests posed a challenging foreign policy crisis. Hillary Clinton's public response evolved from an early assessment that Mubarak's government was "stable" to a condemnation of violence against protesters. As Arab Spring protests spread, Clinton was at the forefront of a U.S. response that was sometimes contradictory.
December 2012: Hospitalized for a Blood Clot
In December 2012, Hillary Clinton was hospitalized for a few days to treat a blood clot in her right transverse venous sinus, which was discovered during a follow-up exam for a concussion she sustained weeks earlier. The clot was treated with anticoagulant medication, and her doctors reported a full recovery.
2012: Benghazi Attack
In 2012, Hillary Clinton was criticized by Republicans for the failure to prevent or adequately respond to the Benghazi attack.
September 2015: Favorability Ratings Slump
By September 2015, with her 2016 presidential campaign underway and amidst continued reports regarding her private email usage at the State Department, Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings slumped to some of her lowest levels ever.
March 2016: "Not a Natural Politician" Acknowledgment
In March 2016, Hillary Clinton acknowledged, "I'm not a natural politician, in case you haven't noticed."
November 8, 2016: Presidential Election Defeat
On November 8, 2016, Hillary Clinton was defeated by Donald Trump in the presidential election, despite winning the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes.
December 19, 2016: Faithless Electors
On December 19, 2016, Hillary Clinton lost five electoral votes due to faithless electors, with three Washington votes cast for Colin Powell, one for Faith Spotted Eagle, and one Hawaii vote for Bernie Sanders.
2016: Won Presidential Nomination
In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the Democratic Party's nominee for president, marking the first time a woman had won a presidential nomination from a major U.S. political party.
2016: Low Profile in the Months Following Defeat
In 2016, Hillary Clinton kept a low profile following her defeat in the presidential election.
2016: Lost General Election to Donald Trump
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination, but lost the general election to Donald Trump in the Electoral College, while winning the popular vote. Her use of a private email server was the subject of intense scrutiny.
2016: Loss of credibility with organized labor
In 2016, awareness of Hillary Clinton's stance on Wal-Mart's anti-labor union practices became a factor in her loss of credibility with organized labor, contributing to her loss in the election.
2016: Polling Lead and Email Investigation
Throughout most of 2016, Hillary Clinton held a significant lead in national polls over Donald Trump. However, in early July, they were tied following the FBI's conclusion of its investigation into her emails.
