George Stephanopoulos: All Eyes on Clinton at DNC Tonight

ByMORGAN WINSOR ABCNews logo
Thursday, July 28, 2016

It's the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and the spotlight is on Hillary Clinton. ABC News' George Stephanopoulos breaks down the top stories unfolding on Clinton's big night.

Clinton Takes the Stage

Clinton will formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination tonight, marking her historic and triumphant rise in the Democratic Party. It will arguably be the biggest speech of her political career and what she says at the podium could set the tone for the rest of the election.

But her speech will have to top President Obama's fiery and memorable nominating speech for Clinton Wednesday night.

"President Obama set the bar high last night. The question is now can Hillary Clinton top it?" Stephanopoulos said. "This convention is not a success for the Democrats unless she knocks it out of the park tonight."

Will She Connect With Voters?

The task is easier said than done. A convention that was veering toward chaos early on is looking more unified three days later, thanks to some big name speeches and Bernie Sanders' motion to give Clinton the party's nomination by acclamation. But Clinton is still struggling to convince voters she's the best choice for the nation. According to a recent CNN poll, 68 percent of likely voters say Clinton isn't honest and trustworthy.

"She's got a big challenge coming in, even though the Democrats are really happy about what happened these first three nights," Stephanopoulos said. "They feel they have momentum, but Hillary Clinton still is a big problem."

The 2012 terror attack on an American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, during Clinton's tenure as secretary of state and the federal investigation over her use of a private email address during her years in the State Department has tarnished her relationship with voters. Tonight, Clinton has to connect with Americans on a personal level as a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a fearless leader. As Joe Biden said, "She has to let people see her heart a little bit."

"She's got to find a way to break that down tonight to reach out and really create a bond with the public," Stephanopoulos said. "She has got to show a side of herself she has never shown before. That's pretty tough to do after more than 30 years on the national stage."

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