US political elite in crisis

Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton acknowledges supporters during a campaign rally, where she received the endorsement of US President Barack Obama (R), in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, July 5, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state, formally accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party as its candidate for the US presidential election on Friday.

As illustrated by her acceptance speech, her policies are aimed at seeking unity－unity among various ethnic groups, unity inside the Democratic Party, as well as unity with the "99 percent" of the population.

It should be noted that Hillary Clinton is the first female presidential candidate to enter "the final round" and there is possibility of her being the first female US president. Yet voters in the United States are not that excited.

That's because, first of all, the Democratic Party has hardly brought about any change in the country over the last eight years of the Barack Obama administration. In fact, the social gaps have widened, and new problems have emerged, yet Clinton does not seem to be offering anything different than Obama. People do not see change in her policies.

Besides, people are rather tired of political families, such as the Bushes and the Clintons, which rule the US. The "emailgate" scandal of Clinton using her family's private email server for official communications when she was secretary of state and the leaking of emails suggesting the Democratic National Committee sought to sabotage the campaign of Hillary Clinton's rival Senator Bernie Sanders, have also undermined people's trust in Clinton.

As both the Republican and the Democratic candidates are now decided, the 2016 US presidential election has entered its final stage. This will be a test of US political system as well, and not only the country, but also the world is watching.--The Paper.cn