The Democratic Convention this week featured a parade of speakers who testified to Hillary Clinton’s softer side; her compassion and empathy as a wife, mother, colleague, and friend. But when she stepped to the podium Thursday night to accept her nomination, Clinton, true to form, veered away from the deeply personal and even eschewed the historic nature of the moment in favor of the pragmatic. Her speech made the case that her experience in a series of high-profile government jobs is evidence of her judgement and temperament. That argument is a direct challenge to her opponent Donald Trump, who has no record of governing and who’s proven to be thin-skinned. It was a dicey gamble; an assumption that Americans who desire change will choose results-driven policy proposals over sweeping promises.
To me, her remarks echo what WMPW has written so much about; efforts by companies and individuals to assess people on their qualifications alone, not their gender, their background, or even their names. Judge me on what I’ve done, not who I am.
If only politics—and all of business—worked that way.
Fortune writer Claire Zillman
(filling in for Laura this week)