[U.S. presidential election] Hillary Clinton bows out

Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Democratic Party candidate who dreamed about becoming the first woman president of her country, has failed to break the glass ceiling, ending her eight-year bid for presidency that started in 2008 with her race against Barack Obama for the party’s nomination.

Although her long-time dream was frustrated, Clinton looked calm. While the vote tallying was being conducted on Tuesday afternoon (local time), she posted a message on the Twitter account for her campaign, saying, “This team has so much to be proud of. Whatever happens tonight, thank you for everything.” The message came at a time when there were signs of her defeats in some areas where the tallying was completed.

When she cast her ballot at Douglas Grafflin Elementary School in Chappaqua, New York, at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday with her husband Bill Clinton, she suggested that she did her best, saying, “It is the most humbling feeling, because I know how much responsibility goes with this.”

Although she had been hardened by various ups and downs in her political career, this defeat will likely leave a scar on her that would be hard to overcome because to her, the dream of becoming the first woman president of the United States was so desperate.

Clinton had dreamed of becoming a politician since her childhood, influenced by her mother, Dorothy Howell Rodham, who was raised by her grandparents after being abandoned by her parents when young. Hillary Clinton entered Wellesley College, a prestigious, women's-only university and became the student body president in 1968. In May 1969, she received national recognition by delivering the first-ever student speech at Wellesley's commencement. She met Bill Clinton at Yale Law School in 1971. She nurtured her political ambition long before she ran on a brilliant political track as first lady, a senator for New York and a secretary of state.

Some analysts say that despite her early preparations, Clinton lost the election because of her cold and hypocritical image amplified by the e-mail scandal. U.S. media report that while Donald Trump had the passion that moved the voters, Clinton did not. During television debates and campaign trails, Trump argued that Clinton must be arrested for the scandal.

Eun-A Cho achim@donga.com