Clinton wins historic nomination, boost from Bill

PHILADELPHIA -- Taking on the role of devoted political spouse, former president Bill Clinton declared his wife Hillary Clinton an impassioned "change-maker" as he served as character witness the night she became the first woman nominated for president.

She put an electrifying cap on the night, appearing by video from New York and declaring, "We just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet."

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appears on the screen during the second-day session Tuesday of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.Carolyn Kaster ~ Associated Press

Minutes earlier, the former president said, "She's been worth every single year she's put into making people's lives better." First lady for his presidency, she now is the Democratic Party's standard-bearer in the race for the White House.

For a man more accustomed to delivering policy-packed stem-winders, Clinton's deeply personal address underscored the historic night for Democrats, and the nation. If she wins in November, the Clintons also would be the first married couple to each serve as president.

She will take on Donald Trump, who won the Republican nomination a week ago. Trump, who campaigned Tuesday in North Carolina, mocked the former president's speech in advance, calling him "over-rated."

Former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders waves Tuesday after standing with the Vermont delegation and asking that Hillary Clinton become the unanimous choice for president of the United States during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.Matt Rourke ~ Associated Press

At Trump's convention last week, Clinton was the target of criticism of her character and judgment, a contrast to the warm and passionate woman described by her husband.

Seeking to explain the vastly different perceptions of his wife, Clinton said simply, "One is real; the other is made-up."

The former president traced his relationship with his wife, recalling in detail the first time he spotted her on a law school campus and the effect she had on pushing him into politics. He took voters back to a time when their relationship wasn't the subject of intense public scrutiny, including during his affair that led to his impeachment as president.

Clinton closed the second night of the Democratic convention, a celebration of Hillary Clinton's formal nomination for president.

In an important move for party unity, her primary rival Bernie Sanders helped make it official when the roll call got to his home state of Vermont, prompting delegates to erupt in cheers.

Carrie Pugh, left, Katrina Mendiola and Mayors Wegmann cry as Hillary Clinton officially becomes the first woman to be the presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party during the second-day session Tuesday of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.John Locher ~ Associated Press

It was a striking parallel to the role Clinton played eight years ago, when she stepped to the microphone on the convention floor in Denver in support of her former rival, Barack Obama.

This time, Clinton shattered the glass ceiling she couldn't crack in 2008.

She leads a party still grappling with divisions.

Moments after Clinton claimed the nomination, a group of Sanders supporters left the convention and headed to a media tent to protest what they said was their being shut out of the party.

Trump cheered the disruptions from the campaign trail. In North Carolina, he told a convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, "Our politicians have totally failed you."

Indeed, Clinton's long political resume -- secretary of state, senator, first lady -- sometimes has seemed an odd fit for an electorate frustrated with Washington and eager to rally around unconventional candidates like Trump and Sanders. Many voters have questions about her character and trustworthiness, suggesting she's used her access to power to her personal advantage.

President Clinton spoke after three hours of testimonials from lawmakers, advocates, celebrities and citizens who argued otherwise. Each took the stage to vouch for her commitment to working on health care, children's issues and gun control.

"Hillary Clinton has the passion and understanding to support grieving mothers," said Sybrina Fulton, whose son Trayvon Martin was killed in 2012. "She has the courage to lead the fight for common-sense gun legislation."

The time devoted to the testimonials underscored the campaign's concerns about how voters view Clinton. Public polls consistently show a majority of Americans don't believe she is honest and trustworthy. That perception was reinforced after the FBI director's scathing assessment of her controversial email use as secretary of state, even though the Justice Department did not pursue charges.

Former president Clinton complicated the email controversy last month when he met privately with Attorney General Loretta Lynch in the midst of the FBI investigation. Republicans cast the meeting as a sign the Clintons play by different rules, while Democrats bemoaned at the very least, it left that impression.

The former president has campaigned frequently for his wife during the White House race, but mostly in smaller cities and towns, part of an effort by the campaign to keep him in a more behind-the-scenes role. His convention address was his highest-profile appearance of the campaign.

Clinton's landmark achievement saturated the roll call with emotion and symbols of women's long struggle to break through political barriers. Jerry Emmett, a 102-year-old woman born before women had the right to vote, cast the ballots for Arizona.