Hillary Clinton: On Tuesday, we face the 'test of our time'


On the eve of the election, Hillary Clinton spoke to an estimated 40,000 people in Philadelphia, urging them to "think about how throughout our history, generations of Americans just like us have come together to meet the tests of their time."
"It started right here in Philadelphia, when representatives from 13 unruly colonies came together to launch the greatest experiment the world has ever seen," she continued. "Our parents and grandparents defended that democracy, they built the great American middle class, they marched for civil rights and voting rights and for worker's rights and women's rights, for LGBT rights, and rights for people with disabilities. Tomorrow, we face the test of our time. What will we vote for, not just against?"
It's more than just voting for a name on a ballot, Clinton said — issues are also at stake. "If you believe that America thrives when the middle class thrives, then you have to vote," she said. "If you believe all of our kids should have good schools and good teachers no matter what ZIP code they live in, then you have to vote." People who are concerned about college affordability, guaranteed equal pay for women, common sense gun reform, raising the minimum wage, and reforming "our criminal justice system, so everyone has respect for the law and everyone is respected by the law, you have to vote." Clinton also shared that she "deeply" regretted how "angry the tone of the campaign became," and smiled when a crowd member yelled, "Not your fault!" She ended her speech by telling the crowd that when their children and grandchildren ask what they did in 2016, "when everything was on the line, I want you to say you voted. You voted for an inclusive, big-hearted, open-minded country, a future that makes sure we all keep moving together, because I do believe we are stronger together." Catherine Garcia
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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